- Visitors
- Organisers
- Exhibitors
The NEC Birmingham welcomed The National Running Show on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd January, with the event seeing exhibitor and sponsorship revenue increase by 38% this year (30% increase on pre-covid figures) and the largest visitor audience it has ever attracted.
The fifth edition of the event saw 26,158 runners gathering to find motivation, products and training advice. Initial survey responses indicate that the 273 exhibiting companies will collectively benefit from over £14 million spent by visitors as a result of the event.
Nathalie Davies, Portfolio Director at Raccoon Media Group said: "We couldn’t have hoped for a better event to kick off the year. It felt like the running community was back to full strength and there was an incredible buzz in the air. The aisles were full and exhibitors were rushing to get more stock overnight to satisfy demand. Given the current economic climate, we’re proud that this event has given a much-needed boost to some companies who have struggled to find new customers over the past year."
The show featured some incredible speakers who came to motivate and inspire runners including the fastest British woman in history, Dina Asher-Smith, Scottish Olympian Eilish McColgan and legendary hurdlers Colin Jackson CBE and Kriss Akabusi MBE.
Event organiser Raccoon’s mission to be zero-carbon by 2025 was also a focus at the show with visitors and exhibitors heavily encouraged to consider the environment with their attendance. As a result, the average carbon footprint per visitor has been reduced by over 30% year on year from 23kg to 16kg CO2e.
£8,781 was also raised for Birmingham Children’s Hospital through a combination of initiatives including sponsored runs and visitor donations. Each day the show was opened by a family that had been treated and supported by the hospital, with the charity division also having a stand at the event to raise awareness and grow their community of fundraisers.
A large number of leading sports brands and partners have already signed up for next year's event at the NEC on 20-21 January 2024, where headline speakers will include Dame Kelly Holmes, David Weir CBE, Jamie Baulch, Vassos Alexander, Adrienne London and Elsey Davis.
For more: https://thenec.co.uk/whats-on/the-national-running-show/