In our final athleteReg webinar of the year, What 2025 Taught Us About Winning in 2026, we dug into trends across registration, race photography, and merchandise to help event directors start 2026 strong.
We heard from:
- Robbie Little, VP, FinisherPix
- Colin Reuter, Lead Software Engineer at athleteReg
- Giordana Andretta Walker, VP, Giordana Cycling
The throughline: your biggest wins in 2026 will come from doing a few key things earlier than you think, and being more intentional about what you promote and when.
Sell When Excitement Is Highest: Photography at Registration
Robbie kicked things off with one of the most effective revenue strategies event directors can implement: adding photo pre-orders directly into the registration flow.
Why it works comes down to timing.
“The time of registration is when the largest amount of people are most excited for the event. Registration is the moment of maximum buyer intent.”
When photo packages are offered at registration, FinisherPix consistently sees higher total orders, increased revenue, and stronger event commissions. In one example shared during the webinar, adding pre-orders led to a dramatic jump in sell-through and event commission year over year.
The takeaway is straightforward: treat photography like merchandise. If it matters to your athlete experience and your bottom line, it should be part of the registration conversation from day one.
What the Data Says About Registration, Pricing, and Promotion
Colin took attendees deep into athleteReg data across BikeReg, RunReg, SkiReg, and TriReg, surfacing patterns that often surprise event directors.
One key insight: pricing isn’t the problem people think it is. Entry fees across most disciplines have tracked with inflation over the past decade, but experiential events, especially gravel, trail, and destination-style races, have climbed faster. Athletes are willing to pay more when the event feels worth traveling for.
Colin also broke down registration behavior, showing that cycling still sees a large percentage of last-minute registrations, while other sports tend to register earlier. Among incentive tools, block pricing consistently outperforms traditional fee schedules when it comes to driving early signups.
Another standout finding: Mondays are the highest registration day across platforms.
For event directors, that’s a clear signal to time marketing emails and price change reminders when athletes are already primed to act.
Churn Is Real. Marketing Can’t Be Optional.
One of the most sobering data points of the webinar was participant churn. Even well-established events see a significant portion of participants not returning year over year.
Colin summed it up bluntly:
“Always be marketing…your loyal customers aren’t that loyal.”
Life changes, schedules shift, and athletes have more choices than ever. The data reinforces the importance of consistent, year-round promotion, not just a registration push when the event is close.
To combat churn, consistent marketing matters just as much as pricing or timing. athleteReg gives event directors built-in tools to reach athletes throughout the year, including targeted email campaigns, registration-based promotions, and access to the broader Outside network to attract new participants, not just repeat ones.
If you’re looking for a practical framework to plan those touchpoints, check out this plan to drive registration for a step-by-step approach to building momentum before, during, and after registration opens.
Event Merchandise: Revenue, Identity, and Retention
Giordana closed out the webinar by reframing how event directors should think about merchandise. Apparel is still underutilized, yet events that sell merch regularly generate meaningful incremental revenue.
But revenue isn’t the only reason it works.
“Participants want more than a souvenir. They want something that’s a badge of their effort, their accomplishment, and the group they identify with.”
That emotional connection is what turns apparel into something athletes wear again and again, extending your event’s visibility long after race day.
The strongest-performing merch programs shared a few traits:
- Apparel is offered at registration, when excitement is highest
- Capsules stay small and intentional, usually two to four items
- Quality matters, premium products get worn, cheap ones don’t
Giordana emphasized that low-quality merch does more harm than good.
“If the quality is low, participants rarely wear it, which eliminates the long-term visibility.”
Two models stood out as repeat winners in 2025:
- Registration pre-sales, ideal for medium and large events that want predictable sizing, revenue, and production timelines
- On-site capsules, best for first-time merch programs or smaller events that want to test demand without overextending
In both cases, fewer SKUs and earlier planning led to higher conversion and less stress for organizers.
If you’d like to see Giordana’s quality firsthand, request a Fit Kit or schedule a custom consultation with their team.
To explore this topic further, you can watch the Event Merchandise webinar recording to hear real examples and walk through proven setups from experienced event directors.
For a practical, step-by-step breakdown, our post Generate Additional Revenue With Strategic Event Merchandise dives deeper into pricing, product selection, and promotion strategies to help you turn apparel into a reliable revenue stream.
Key Takeaway
Winning in 2026 isn’t about chasing every new idea. It’s about acting earlier and being more intentional.
- Offer photos and merch at registration
- Use block pricing and promote price changes clearly
- Time marketing around real registration behavior
- Plan for churn and market year-round
If you want help applying any of these strategies to your event, reach out to the athleteReg team. We’re happy to connect you with the right resources for registration strategy, photography, or merchandise planning as you gear up for 2026.