No pain, no gain: What Hyrox can teach the events sector

Bangkok recently held its first-ever Hyrox event at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC). Launched in 2017, Hyrox has become the “race for everybody”, spanning a mixture of entry level competitors seeking healthy personal goals to fitness dynamos looking to secure spots at Hyrox’s World Championships for the glory and title for top physicality.

But what is Hyrox and what has made it so popular?

Hyrox is a global fitness race that combines running and functional workout stations. Competitors alternate between 1-kilometre runs and functional exercises such as 1-kilometre row machine, sled pushes, sandbag lunges, farmers carries, and many more feats of athleticism, totalling 8 kilometres and 8 functional challenges. Participants can compete individually, with partners, in a relay, or in the elite “pro” category.  Hyrox even offers a category for athletes with physical disabilities called Hyrox Adaptive.

But why do people fly all over the world just to run around in a circle? In Thailand alone, the Thai Mass Participation Sports Trade Association (TMPSA) recorded over 1,500 mass-participation sports events in 2023, including marathons, off road races, and competitive fitness races, with numbers expected to grow by 25% in 2024 and thereafter.

As someone who has trained for Hyrox with friends at BASE Bangkok (a gym I’m also a partner in), I’ve experienced firsthand how shared challenges create lasting bonds. It’s a sense of community that I believe exhibitions should strive to foster more deliberately.

Here’s what events and trade shows can learn from Hyrox:

Price and value can go hand in hand

Hyrox tickets sales are not cheap, ranging from US$100 - $200 for competing athletes and US$12 dollars for spectator passes.  And you know what? It’s worth it in my opinion. I believe you get what you pay for and the production value, the safety, and even the onsite experience is top notch. And I have found that the quality is consistent throughout different Hyrox events in Asia.  A good lesson for the exhibitions industry in terms of geo-adapted events – they should strive to maintain the same level of quality as the original.

The audience is premium and loyal

Not everyone can afford to train and compete at Hyrox in terms of cost and time. The costs of competing slots (which quickly get sold out) are just the tip of the iceberg. The amount of money and time one must spend to get ready for the race typically includes training at properly designated fitness studios as well as the costs of travel and proper gear for the race. I’ve personally observed the folks who have the time and resources to compete at Hyrox – if not multiple races in a year, which is common – tend to average around the 20s - 40s group with middle to upper income earning power and active lifestyles. Talk about a core market for branding and sponsorships!

Affiliate and sponsorship programmes create win-wins

To be an official Hyrox training studio, one has to become a partner with Hyrox which is another great revenue stream for the organiser but also the studios. As the craze for Hyrox soars in Asia, classes specific to preparing competitors to endure and excel in the race obstacles becomes more and more popular and fully booked. And Hyrox is courted by many brands to get in front of this desirable, affluent, and active group! Hyrox in Thailand, for example, had car manufacturer BYD as the top sponsor who even provided specialty BYD auxiliary events onsite such as the Insta-friendly challenge like of tugging their vehicles with a rope.

Merch that creates loyalty, scarcity, and bragging rights

Let me tell you about Hyrox merchandise. By the mid of day one, barely anything was left at the Hyrox pop-up store – especially the limited-edition apparel which noted Hyrox Thailand and range between US$45 to US$350. With barely anything left of the racks, I still saw people standing in line just to buy the remaining Hyrox patches which they proudly added to their large collection of badges befitting their backpacks.

But one of the truly genius add-ons everyone gets are the photo packages. Hyrox enlists Sportograph and an abundance of onsite official photographers to take photos of all the competitors while they compete. Using AI facial recognition software, one can quickly (and pretty accurately) view all of their photos after the race and download them for an additional fee.

It builds both global and micro communities

After the months of training, early morning runs in lieu of late nights out, to fervently “liking” social media posts after the race, to talking about the experience with gym friends after recovering, Hyrox really brings about a shared experience and sense of community. As I was about to vomit on the last functional obstacle, “the 100 Wall Ball Squats”, I thought to myself “this will be my last race”. Yet, when a few days later a friend of mine asked if I would pair up with him to race again in Hong Kong, it took me less than a minute to confirm “Let’s do it!”

As I often tell my clients, our exhibitions are more than just trade shows. Magic happens onsite when people meet and have shared experiences. And I see this all of the time. Old friends meet, new partnerships are brokered, and people have lots of fun. If we can learn to augment this sense of community for our trade shows and conferences, we’ll gain even more loyalty and business opportunities.

Ben Veechai is the founder of BVM Consulting and has over 20 years expertise in advocating and advising for the MICE and exhibitions industry. He has coached hundreds of event brands, authored several guides, and is a regular speaker at industry events and universities. His mission: Make good events great and great events phenomenal.