Sample — Pre-Event Experience Review

Regional Cycling Series
2025 Season Opener

This is an example of the kind of review I produce. The event is fictional but the format, detail, and approach are representative of a real engagement. Names and specifics have been created for illustration.

Prepared by Nicola Harrington Review type Pre-Event Delivered 5 working days
Event Midlands Cycling Series — Round 1
Format Road sportive, 3 distances
Expected entries 850 participants
Review scope Registration through to joining instructions

What this review covers: I stepped through the participant experience as a first-time entrant would, from finding the event online through to receiving the pre-event email. I was not given any internal context or prior knowledge of how the event operates.

01

What is working well

1
Working well
Registration is quick and asks only for what it needs
The entry form collects name, distance preference, emergency contact, and payment in a single flow with no unnecessary steps. It took under three minutes to complete. The progress indicator at the top is clear and sets expectations well.
2
Working well
Confirmation email arrives immediately and has the essentials easy to find
Date, distance, start location, and entry number are all visible above the fold. The email renders correctly on mobile. The tone is warm without being excessive.
3
Working well
The route page is detailed and genuinely useful
Elevation profiles, GPX downloads, and feed station locations are all present. This is one of the stronger parts of the participant experience and reflects well on the organisation.
02

Things worth looking at

1
Needs attention
The joining instructions do not say where to go on arrival
The email sent five days before the event gives the start town but not the specific car park or assembly point. For someone who has not been to this event before, that creates an early moment of uncertainty that is likely to generate calls and messages to the organiser on the morning.
Suggestion Add a single sentence with the postcode of the car park and a note on where to head once parked. A small static map image embedded in the email would remove the question entirely.
2
Needs attention
Cut-off times are mentioned on the website but not in any pre-event communication
A participant doing the long distance who is unsure of their pace has no way to find this information from the joining instructions alone. This is the kind of thing that generates anxiety and last-minute queries, particularly from less experienced entrants.
Suggestion Include cut-off times and locations in the pre-event email, alongside a brief note on what happens if a rider is pulled at a checkpoint. Experienced riders will ignore it. Newer ones will be reassured.
3
Needs attention
The kit list uses internal shorthand that not everyone will recognise
The phrase "mandatory kit as per BC guidelines" appears without a link or explanation. A first-time sportive entrant may not know what British Cycling mandatory kit requirements are, and searching for them leads to a general BC page that is not straightforward to navigate.
Suggestion Either list the three or four mandatory items directly in the email, or link to a specific page on your own site that explains them in plain language.
4
Worth noting
There is no acknowledgement of what happens on the day for late arrivals
The start window is listed as 7:00 to 8:30 but there is no information about what a participant should do if they arrive after 8:30. This is likely a small number of people but an unanswered question in the pre-event comms.
03

Summary and priorities

The registration and confirmation experience is strong. The area that needs the most attention before the event is the joining instructions, which currently leave a first-time entrant with several unanswered questions about logistics on the day. None of these are difficult to fix and most can be addressed with additions to a single email.

Finding Where it appears Priority
Arrival location missing from joining instructions Pre-event email High
Cut-off times not included in pre-event communication Pre-event email High
Mandatory kit reference lacks explanation or link Pre-event email Medium
No guidance on late arrival Pre-event email Low

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