Start2Finish Event Management Q&A

We caught up with Daniel Shaffer of Start2Finish Event Management, the company behind the Los Locos Duathlon coming up this weekend in Memphis, as well as tons of other great races around the region. Check out our Race Calendar to see which Start2Finish events will earn you points towards the Tennessee Age Group Rankings.

Thanks for the time Daniel!

Let’s start out by hearing how Start2Finish Event Management was created.

The company started in 2004 with 4 men that were all in one way or another in the business helping produce events. Each one of the men brought a different skill set to the table. The skill sets included printing shirts, experience in the website and online registration world, and the event production world. A lot has changed since 2004 and only one of the original four is a part of the company that we are today, however the unique skills brought to the table lead to what Start2Finish is today.

Your team offers a lot more than just the traditional event management services. Tell us more about Races Online, Bluff City Sports, and the brand as a whole.                                              
Yes, we are a full service event management company that does everything from online registration, web site development, graphic design, production of banners, signs, t-shirts, finisher medals, bibs, and anything else that you can put a logo on. In addition to those services we do all of the course development, working with police, producing the event, and providing all of the equipment for the event AND timing the event. We are a complete one-stop shop for producing a race. The only things we don’t do are cook food or obtain sponsors. And sometimes we even cook the food. Everything that we do makes up our brand of Start2Finish Event Management.

http://bluffcitysports.com/
https://racesonline.com/

What is the difference between a managed event and a contracted event? Does the participant know the difference? Is there a different branding or feel to either?  

Most events that we do are contracted events. Meaning that we work for organizations trying to raise money. 99% of our business is for non-profits. We manage and or time around 300 events a year. In 2017 we did events in 25 different states. The participant should and would never know the difference if it’s a race that we are managing for someone, or it’s an event that we own for ourselves. We own very few of the events that we produce. Races that we only time are events where a participant might notice a difference, simply because we are not controlling what is happening on the course. In those cases, the difference in what we do vs what a volunteer might be doing is sometimes different.

We have raced many of your events in the past including running races, duathlons, and triathlons, and we can honestly say you guys put on a very fun and high quality event. How do you decide what new races to take on and your mix of running/tri/du/fun run? 

We are happy and look forward to working with anyone that is ready to hire us. We admit that we are not inexpensive, but are very inexpensive for the services that we provide. Most of the time, someone will come to us with an idea to create and event and we will help them turn that dream into a reality. We know that we are not going to reinvent the wheel with a new 5k, but we can help steer organizations into the best possible scenario to have a successful event.

What are the latest trends in multisport and mass participatory racing? Hopefully not more color runs..

Hummmm…that’s a good question. We agree, hopefully not more color runs. Multisport as an industry is not looking good. It’s unfortunate. Everyone is skipping local sprint races to sign up for an Ironman. If this trend continues, the little races will go away if no one is racing. USA Triathlon notices there is crisis with participation numbers declining rapidly. Let’s hope they can find a solution to reverse the trend and get more people back into the sport. Mass participatory races are not immune either. Color runs are getting canceled due to lack of participation as well. We have to continue to find ways to get people moving and then make it affordable to participate.

Technology is a big thing for you guys and we love the timing booths you have. Tell us more about how technology plays a role.

Technology plays a big role for us. Our technology sets us apart with our participants and our competitors. The technology is the expensive part, but provides the least income. We use the technology to elevate the expectations of the participants. We were participants at one point, so we know what it’s like to want accurate and timely information.

What is 1 multisport race in Tennessee that you think is put on well by one of your competitors and what do you like about it?

I wish I could say. With as busy as we are, it’s hard for us to get out and see what other races are doing. We got into the industry by being participants, but now it’s impossible to go participate any more. Sad but a true fact.

You have a few triathlons on the Tennessee Tri Buzz 2018 Race Calendar, including the Thunder in the Forest Triathlon and Paris Tennessee Sprint Triathlon, and a few others on our Notable Events list. Any chance we can get you to trade-in a few of those running races for another tri?

We are happy to look at doing more tri’s. You can get the people there, we will do it. Where would you want one?