Whether you’re an event planner for your local community or an event planner for an organization, you’re likely working toward the same goal: creating a killer event that creates a buzz and is widely celebrated.
Bringing your attendees together to unite over a shared experience is great bonding time, and also:
- Builds the character of your region or business
- Boosts your local economy
- Boosts employee morale, when throwing company events
Finding new and exciting ways to keep your community (or employees) engaged requires careful planning, budgeting and strategy.
According to Josh Willis, VP of West Coast & International Sales, Progressive Bike Ramps, a little bit of outside-of-the-box thinking helps, too.
Josh tells us about the uniqueness -- and benefits -- of renting a pump track to improve community and organization events, and highlights some specific events that can be easily enhanced with a pumptrack.
Strider World Cup, SLC (Photo: Progressive Bike Ramps)
Why Rent a Pumptrack for Your Next Event?
Josh says, “From 2 to 72 I’ve seen people of all ages enjoy a pumptrack! Pumptracks are multi-generational, multi-skill level & multi-wheel…fun for everyone!”
And, renting a pumptrack for your event is a super easy process.
Companies like Progressive Bike Ramps can set up a pumptrack within a couple of hours, put on a demo to help folks learn how to ride a pumptrack, and will even throw raffles for prizes to boost the engagement.
In its’ entirety, a pumptrack event not only brings people together but offers:
- An accessible play option for members in your community
- Multi-skill level to boost inclusivity of an event
- A unique experience that excites your attendees
Pumptracks are tremendously popular, too. Take, for instance, this pumptrack installed in the City of Burnside, Adelaide, SA, Australia. According to the city’s Facebook page, their pumptrack has clocked in nearly 200,000 KMs from riders enjoying the amenity.
“200,000 LAPS ON THE HORIZON! WOW! This is amazing. Burnside's #RideBurnside PumpTrack madness isn't slowing down anytime soon! It really is phenomenal to see EVERYONE enjoying this awesome initiative! A massive well done to all!”
Pumptrack Demo in Anaheim, CA (Photo: American Ramp Company)
Pumptracks are Unique, Visible, Fun and Exciting For Events
A pumptrack can work as the sole feature of your event, or an add-on to spice up an event even more. Here are some fun ideas for events that go well with a pumptrack:
Outdoor Festivals
Every year the city of Roanoke, VA puts on GO (Go Outside) Festival, which brings together 40,000 members of the community to a free outdoor event funded by local businesses, governments, and individuals.
The Go Fest is always chock-full of fun activities from live music, to relay races to… you guessed it, pumptracks in previous years!
Competitive Events
Perhaps the most famous competitive pumptrack event is the Red Bull World Championship where more than 2000 athletes, from 19 countries participate in the ‘pump action.’
While your community might not be in the running to host a Red Bull event, it’s possible to bring the same competitive nature and excitement to a community event of your own.
For example, Josh tells us about the numerous opportunities he’s had to use his pump tracks at competitive events. Specifically he calls out this awesome video of extreme wheelchair athlete Aaron ‘Wheelz’ Fotheringham trickin’ their pumptrack at a demo.
Another competitive series is the Crankworx global tour of mountain bike festivals that travels across Europe and North America, partnering with local communities to bring action and excitement into the town.
Every year, the final stop of the tour is in Whistler, British Columbia, where attendees can enjoy a 10-day festival experience filled with pumptrack competitions and demonstrations. Part of the Crankworx world tour includes the Kidsworx experience where children aged 8-12 can test their own skills in a race environment.
Booth Additions at Trade Shows and Events
Josh also talks about how renting a pump track can be a great way to enhance a booth at an event or tradeshow.
For example, Josh brought a portable pumptrack to the Monster Energy Supercross pre-party in 2018 and 2019 and welcomed more than 100 people to come ride in the pit party. Not only did his pumptrack draw tons of attention, it also brought lots of entertainment to the attendees!
Business Events
When companies and organizations throw employee events, they often encourage friends and family to join. These types of events are a great opportunity for pumptracks to show their true versatility.
For example, Josh worked with several Air Force bases across the U.S. to put on demos for military personnel and their families.
Josh worked to create different time trial events for kids and parents, separate heats for bikes or scooters and skateboarders, and gave prizes to the victors.
Not only was the event a success for family members, the demos acted as a test to see if a pumptrack could have a permanent home on the military base, as some of the locations have biking programs, but no facility or feature for the participants to utilize.
Tips for Renting a Pumptrack For Your Event
Winter Park, CO Pumptrack (Photo/ American Ramp Company)
Renting a pumptrack is an easy process. But, you can maximize the experience with the following tips provided by Josh:
- Combine your event. You can save on mobile fees with a pumptrack rental if you partner with a neighboring business or community and share the pumptrack during back-to-back events.
- Renting a pumptrack is a great way to gauge your community’s interest in pump tracks. Community event planners often partner with sports ministers or a parks and rec department to determine if a pumptrack could be a good permanent fixture in a community.
- Take advantage of the mobile aspect of a pumptrack rental. If you think your community would enjoy a pumptrack long-term, use a mobile version of the equipment to rover around town and discover which areas of your community would benefit most from a pump track. For example, the City of Baltimore used a mobile pumptrack to test which parts of the community were most engaged with the equipment before settling on a permanent location.
Are you ready to join in on the fun? Learn more about renting a pumptrack for your next event today!
