Breaking Down The Money & Business Behind Sports
Over 300,000 people are expected to attend the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix this weekend, but not a single one of these fans will arrive by car. Here's how Zandvoort used incentives to create the world's most sustainable sporting event (and why other events should copy their strategy) 👇 First, it's essential to understand why Zandvoort is so unique. The race track is surrounded by water, beaches, dunes, and even a natural park. It's essentially a dead end — there is only one way in and one way out. This is why race organizers banned cars altogether. Instead, they increased the frequency of trains so that one would arrive every 5-10 minutes before, during, and after the race. It's just a short walk to the track from there. Then, race organizers set up "Park & Bike" stations, allowing fans to park their cars a few miles away from the venue and then rent a bicycle to complete the final leg of their journey through the scenic dunes. The result is 40,000 bikes parked directly outside the track, with 98% of attendees arriving via train, bus, or bicycle. The only people allowed to drive into the venue (2%) were drivers, media members, team employees, and F1 personnel. But even more impressive than the Dutch Grand Prix's transportation initiative is how they eliminated waste through a gamified system. When fans arrive at the track, they are given a token that can be exchanged for a plastic cup when purchasing a drink. If you bring your plastic cup back when purchasing your second drink, you will receive another plastic cup in exchange. If you lose your cup, you will be charged 2 euros for a replacement cup. Once the race is over (and you return your last cup), you can then enter the code on the back of each token to win prizes online. This system is commonly used at other events in the Netherlands (concerts, etc.), but it helped achieve a 75% recycling rate for cups during the race. It worked so well because it gamified the recycling process with incentives. Some people held onto their cups to avoid paying the fee, while others proactively picked up trash to increase their chances of winning a prize. Think of it like this: Instead of spending money to hire hundreds of crew members to pick up trash, organizers paid fans (via prizes) to do it for them. This saved them money in the long run, but also produced better results, as people are more likely to recycle when everyone else is doing it too. Genius! P.S. Follow me (Joe Pompliano) for more sports business content! #sports #sportsbiz #linkedinsports