5 Ways to Use Validation Benefits

Have you checked out Race Roster’s validation benefit features yet? With this release, you can simplify discounts and offer exclusive sub-event access during registration without the use of promo or access codes. To help you make the most of these features, we’ve put together this guide to walk you through five practical use cases, showing you how to apply them to maximize your time, ensure accuracy, and elevate your event.

1. Simplify deferrals from last year’s event

Managing deferrals is an essential task for race organizers. When participants defer their entry, it’s important to have a system in place to honor their credit for the following year’s event. While manual tracking and issuing individual discount codes has worked for many, it can be time-consuming.

Our validation benefits feature offers a more streamlined and efficient solution. Within Race Roster CRM, you can easily include last year’s deferred participants in a validation list. From there, you can set up a specific discount for an amount or percentage off, then connect the discount with your validation list.

Here’s how it simplifies the process:

• No Promo Codes Needed: Participants won’t need to remember or enter a special code.
• Eligible Participants Only: The individual must appear on the validation list and the information entered on the registration form must match their details on the list, eliminating the risk of the discount code being used by someone else.
• Automatic Validation: If a participant selects the discount during registration and is on the deferral validation list, the discount is automatically applied to their fee, creating a seamless experience for your returning runners.
• Clear and Transparent: Since you can set a name for the discount, it clearly shows participants they are receiving a discount because of their deferred status, fostering trust and transparency.

By using validation benefits for deferrals, you can save time and focus on other critical aspects of event planning, all while ensuring your participants feel valued and supported.

2. Streamline corporate group discounts

Corporate wellness programs are a fantastic way to boost registrations, but managing them can be complicated. A company might want to cover a portion of their employees’ registration fees, but you don’t want to handle upfront bulk payments or chase invoices for unused spots.

Validation benefits make corporate purchases straightforward and efficient. A company can provide you with a list of their eligible employees, which you then upload as a validation list in the CRM. You can set the discount to the percentage the corporation has agreed to cover.

This approach offers several advantages:

• Pay-per-Redemption: You can invoice the company after the event based on how many employees actually registered. This eliminates financial risk for both you and the corporation.
  
• Easy for Employees: Employees register themselves just like any other participant. The system validates their eligibility and applies the corporate discount automatically.
  
• Accurate Reporting: You gain clear insights into how many employees from each partner company participated, making it easy to demonstrate value and renew partnerships for future events.

This method not only simplifies the administrative burden but also makes your event a more attractive option for corporate partners looking for hassle-free wellness initiatives.

Additionally, there are many other types of group discounts you can offer. You can apply this to sponsor groups, charity groups, and more!

3. Reward loyalty

Your most loyal participants are the backbone of your event. Rewarding them with perks like early registration access or exclusive discounts is a great way to show your appreciation and encourage them to return year after year. However, managing early access or special pricing for specific groups can be tricky without the right tools.

With validation lists, you can easily control access to specific sub-events and set registration windows, or qualify them for a special loyalty discount. For example, you can create a list of participants who have completed your race for the past three consecutive years and grant them exclusive early-bird access or create a loyalty discount they can select during registration.

Consider these possibilities:

• Early Registration Windows: Set a specific date range where only participants on your validation list can register for a high-demand event, ensuring your loyal community gets the first opportunity.
  
• Exclusive Loyalty Discounts: Offer a percentage off or a fixed discount to returning participants, automatically applied at checkout for those on your validation list.
  
• Tiered Access: You can create multiple validation lists to offer different access levels, such as a “Gold Loyalty” group that gets access a week before a “Silver Loyalty” group, or receives a higher discount.

Using validation for exclusive access and discounts helps build a stronger community around your event and makes your most dedicated supporters feel truly special.

4. Foster community partnerships

Building strong relationships with local running clubs, fitness groups, or other community organizations can significantly boost participation and enhance your event’s reputation. Validation lists offer a streamlined way to manage these partnerships.

For instance, you can:

• Grant Early Access to Running Club Members: Create a validation list specifically for members of a partner running club, ensuring they receive early access to registration for your event. This fosters strong community relationships and encourages a dedicated group of participants.
  
• Offer Additional Group-Specific Benefits: Provide special discounted rates exclusively for members of these partner organizations, strengthening your ties and encouraging group participation.

This dedicated approach to managing community groups through validation simplifies administration and nurtures valuable local connections.

5. Birthday benefits

You can get creative with the benefits you offer. For example, if your event registration opens in January, you could offer a special discount to past participants with January birthdays. You could extend this promotion for every month registration is open, offering a new discount each month.

To do this, simply export a list of past participants from Race Roster CRM and sort them into 12 validation lists by birth month. Then, you can set up validation windows to automatically apply a discount during that specific month. To maintain birthday benefits during months when registration is closed, consider offering benefits in other ways, such as a discount for your event store. However, benefits outside of registration would require a different setup than validation-based benefits.

Get started with Validation Benefits today