This past weekend I rode in a Portland tradition called The Night Ride. Sponsored by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) in Oregon, they hold a variety of fun rides throughout the year, including the Bridge Pedal which attracts 12,000 riders.
The Night Ride had about 1200 riders. Proper attire was “pajamas or costumers” and I obliged. Here’s me with my friends Ken and Lori as we’re about to set off:
I’m the one with the bright pink Betty Boop fuzzy pajamas, and the yellow ducky slippers attached to my bicycle shoes. (Didn’t know Shimano made clip-in fuzzy duck shoes, didja?)
It was a fantastic ride- clear gentle comfortable night air. Fire juggling performers, an outdoor discotheque about 10 miles in, short films, and hundreds of fellow bikers, lights all-a-blinkin’ in the darkness.
The reason I’m mentioning this is that there are some real lessons the BTA has learned about how to attract people in. How many events have you held that have brought 1200 people in at $30/pop? You can make the argument that it’s a benefit, but there are PLENTY of benefits that have completely flopped.
Unlike many nonprofits, and many small businesses, they are doing a lot of things right. I’ll name a few:
• They made it fun. The Night Ride- has personality and fun to it. They even offered an all-you-can-eat donut feast at the finish line, which I’m sure went against the grain of what you might consider a ‘health-conscious bicycling crowd.’
• They created and supported community. Bicyclists form a community. When you see other bicyclists on a city street, there’s a sense of camaraderie there. That community helps to create connection, intimacy, and attraction to events like this.
• The BTA has spent years advocating on creating community infrastructure. Meaning safer and better bicycling in Portland and the metro region. Bicycle lines, including bicycle commuting in urban design, etc, has made Portland one of the best cities to bicycle in here in the US.
Those are just a few lessons- any other lessons you can spot? And any that transfer to your business?
