FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cutting-edge Social Center at the DICK'S Sporting Goods
Pittsburgh Marathon Elevates Participant and Fan Experience
Modeled After Other Large-Scaled Events,
Social Center Will Be The First of It's Kind Utilized by A Major Race
(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) - In its 6th year back, the DICK'S Sporting Goods
Pittsburgh Marathon is continuing to embrace the latest in technology to
connect with participants. Race organizers are launching a new Social
Center during race weekend that will utilize social media networks and
tools to improve the experience for the race's 30,000 participants, 4,000
volunteers and 100,000 spectators.
Featuring more than 10 workstations, connected mobile devices, live
monitoring capabilities, and industry-leading social workflow tools, the
DICK'S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon Social Center will be the
first-of-its-kind utilized by a major race.
At the Social Center, a team will use Twitter, Facebook and other social
media platforms to interact with participants and spectators in multiple
ways, such as
- Answer participant questions, such as logistics, timing and more
- Push out race-related content and announcements
- Enhance sponsor recognition
- Welcome runners to Pittsburgh and support tourism
- Encourage runners and volunteers
- Produce original content with elite athletes throughout race week
- Cover live events
- Analyze trends and measure engagement
- Energize events via social media
The DICK'S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon team developed its Social
Center model based on Visit Kansas City's Social Media Command Center at
the 2012 MLB All Star Game and Visit Tampa Bay's Social Center at the
Republican National Convention. Race organizers have partnered with
BarkleyREI, a Pittsburgh-based digital marketing firm, who developed both
of these Social Centers.
"We set out to identify ways that we could continue to improve our onsite
relationship with participants," said Patrice Matamoros, CEO of Pittsburgh
Three Rivers Marathon, Inc. "We found that event-based, real-time social
media engagement models is a meaningful way to enhance customer service,
offer race-day encouragement and add energy to the events."
The Social Center will staff up to 10 social media and communication
specialists who will be interacting in digital and social media channels
for more than 50 hours during race week. Part of the Social Center will be
mobilized teams covering the whole weekend experience, including GNC Live
Well Pittsburgh Health & Fitness Expo, the Toyota of Pittsburgh Kids
Marathon and the Purina Pro Plan Pittsburgh Pet Walk..
Social media users will be encouraged to use #AskPghMarathon or #RunHomePgh
to connect with the Social Center via Twitter at @PghMarathon or through
the races Facebook page.
"Overall, this is the most dynamic Social Center effort we have partnered
to create because we have such a diversity of content responsibilities and
will be located at the heart of all events," said Chris Herring, Director
of Digital Marketing at BarkleyREI. "We will be ready to capture and
elevate the endorphin-generated content that comes off participants'
fingers before and after the events. Because the DICK'S Sporting Goods
Pittsburgh Marathon has had such a positive effect on the community and the
energy for the city of Pittsburgh is infectious, it is important that we
capture this emotion and share it with others."
The Social Center will be located near the event finish line and will be
operational starting at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 1, 2014 through 4:00
p.m. Sunday May 5, 2014. Media tours of the Social Center will be available
at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, May 2 and at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 3.
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