Back in November of last year, digital product consultancy FEB ran their Hack Day, matching leading UK sport organisations and tech developers to produce concepts to simplify the offerings for fans and keep them coming back. An event that Digital Sport went down to.

British Cycling was paired with Pugpig, FIA Formula E joined Chirp, and British Gymnastics teamed up with Harlequins to work with Aqueduct, at FEB Hack Day: Boosting digital fan engagement at Rainmaking Loft.

Key considerations for digital strategy and product development at this hack day included identifying the target audience, understanding user needs, creating a clear pathway for engagement, and tying the user journey to commercial opportunities to drive revenue.

In the shadow of Tower Bridge, the teams developed ideas, sketched prototypes and prepared presentations by the 4 p.m. deadline. Another 100 industry insiders joined for the happy hour and a panel discussion featuring digital sports media consultant Jo Binding, Pierre Mestrez of EVS and Phil Hornsey of British Rowing. Hot topics included how to justify digital investment and the challenge of serving both old-school fans and participants while staying relevant to the next generation with cutting edge technology.

The event was capped by hack team presentations of their solutions to boost digital fan engagement and the votes were cast by the crowd.

Winner: British Gymnastics, Harlequins and Aqueduct team

They crafted an app to engage 8- to 11-year-old participants and fans. This age group is passionate about participating in sport and does use digital media (largely tablet apps), but they’re too young to be on social media. It’s a challenge for organisations to connect on digital platforms with these youngsters, so this app was designed as a way to serve this audience and develop long-term relationships.

The content plan included instructional video, game-like actions, health and nutrition lessons, and team information. Developing a relationship at this stage would enable the organisation to better serve that audience segment and instill loyalty for a long-term relationship.

For more information about the event and how to get involved in arranging your own, then click here