Retraining of Racehorses
The Aim: manage, promote and organise events for the charity Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) to raise awareness of the strengths of former racehorses, as well as attract guests and raise funds. Pace has provided marketing services for RoR since 2002.
The Solution
RoR Awards
Since 2015 Pace has managed the annual RoR Awards held at The Jockey Club Rooms in Newmarket hosted by Clare Balding OBE and Luke Harvey. An event for 170 people from the equine and racing industries, trophies are presented to the RoR Elite winners and Horse of the Year.
The evening includes an innovative multi-media presentation with videos, champagne reception and dinner, supported with a programme and a social media promotion. The 2020 event included a new and fun Horse Personality of the Year Award.
Pace organises the whole event from planning a memorable format, inviting guests, venue and catering liaison, preparing the presentation and videos, ensuring an effective PA system, through to on-the-night support, production of marketing materials, PR and budget management.
RoR Racing to Cricket Day
A new fundraising event for RoR in 2019, Pace managed and helped organise an 8-a-side cricket tournament at the prestigious Getty Estate in Wormsley, for trainers, racehorse owners and their guests.
Pace was responsible for creating a memorable day with VIP hospitality at this unique venue. This included: venue and catering liaison, guest invitations, seeking sponsorship and donations, running the auction and raffle, room décor and producing various marketing materials including a high quality programme, as well as PR, on-the-day hosting and budget management.
RoR Showcase
In 2018 RoR launched a new educational one-day event at Aintree Equestrian Centre, and following its success held the event again in 2019 at Hartpury University & College. The RoR Showcase brought together experts in various equine disciplines to inspire riders to retrain former racehorses.
Pace planned and implemented all the promotional initiatives including: branding, a social media campaign incorporating videos, flyers for a door drop and the exhibition van, email marketing, PR and advertising campaign to the racing and equine press, and budget management. In addition Pace set-up a bespoke microsite with ticket functionality, which also promoted and received online entries for the RoR Heart Awards that Pace initiated and managed.
RoR Exhibition
In liaison with Palace House, the National Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art, Pace managed the design and production of the RoR exhibition area. This included informative design panels, multi-media stations, interactive areas and a bespoke video.
Email and social media
An email template was designed to regularly send out to the RoR database to highlight forthcoming events, etc. Ideas for social media campaigns in relation to the events above were also provided.
Flyers/Advertising/Misc
Various marketing materials have been designed and produced by Pace for RoR over the years including brochures, flyers, graphics for the exhibition van, and banners.
Results
- The RoR Awards has become renowned as a prestigious annual event to attend. In 2020, the new RoR Horse Personality of the Year Award attracted over 250 entries online and provided new PR opportunities to promote former racehorses.
- The inaugural RoR Racing to Cricket day attracted the maximum capacity of 230 guests and exceeded its fundraising target by 75%.
- Visitors to the RoR Showcase increased by 75% from the inaugural event in 2018 to the next one in 2019. Extremely positive feedback was received through an online survey and at the events for both of the Showcase events.
- Palace House was a finalist in the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2017.