About
What is Racing Pathway?
Racing Pathway has established a coordinated approach, across the whole industry, including bringing together some of the fantastic work already being undertaken by individual organisations.
Requirement
The initiatives that the Racing Pathway is delivering, will all be promoted to an audience, reflective of today’s society and will ensure that all initiatives are marketed and promoted in line with this. The initiatives being launched in this project will have KPIs associated with diversity and inclusion. It is essential that all inroads to our sport are completely inclusive – not where you must have a certain skill base or background before you are allowed to apply. We feel that this is a necessity and will help to support the industry commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
Why?
Horse racing is principally funded by fans, be them owners, bettors or attendees. As an industry, it is imperative that racing has a defined strategy to continue to attract and retain these vital revenue sources. Multiple sports and leisure activities are looking to engage the next fan or customer throughout their impressionable teenage years. Historically, racing waits for a generation to be of fare paying and betting age before they start to try and promote themselves. This is principally and understandably due to the relationship of the sports’ commercial organisations with bookmaker partners. There are some well-established and commendable promotions for the younger audience such as ‘under 18’s go free’, but no engagement strategy once they arrive.
Racing’s principal funding comes from media rights, racehorse owners, the levy board (a statutory levy paid by bookmakers) and ticketing income all of which require an engaged customer base. If there is no strategy to encourage the next generation of fans, then these income streams will drastically decline over the next decade. This is intrinsically linked to prize money levels across the sport; something which is a key consideration for racehorse owners investing their money.
Racing Pathway is the start of this journey.
Meet the team
Our team of strategic consultants at Apiafi Associates offer over 75 years of work experience in the horse racing industry and have been leading campaigners of Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity.