Mobile network data reveals impact of Imatranajo road races

The number of visitors to the City of Imatra grew by 22,000 during the Imatra Motorcycle Road Races in July 2018. This meant as much €4.1 million in income for Imatra. Precise measurements of the event’s impact were possible using Crowd Insights analytics.

"Many people take their smartphones almost everywhere nowadays. Crowd Insights provides information, based on anonymised mobile data, on where crowds are coming from and where they are going," says Tero Särkiniemi, Senior Business Development Manager at Telia.

As a small, dynamic municipality, the City of Imatra wanted to explore the impact of the races on the vitality of the local area, so that they could use the lessons learned in future planning of the event.

“In previous years, we’ve carried out qualitative surveys on the impact of the races, but Crowd Insights provided us with our first extensive quantitative data. Surveys are also expensive and can involve a margin of error," says Kari Perälä, Director of Communications at the City of Imatra.

An event analysis revealed the provinces from which people arrived at the races, how long they stayed in Imatra, and the hourly changes in visitor numbers.

"An event analysis of the Imatra Road Races was performed to provide comprehensive information on how people move around the event area and more widely in the city," explains Särkiniemi.

AROUND 42% OF THE AUDIENCE CAME FROM SOUTH KARELIA

Crowd Insights revealed details about the races which would have been difficult to obtain without mobile network data analysis. 

"This is the first time that we have obtained definitive data on the races. The analysis revealed that most (around 42%) of the crowd came from South Karelia. The second-largest number came from the southern Finnish province of Uusimaa. We also analysed the potential for additional visitors, which could amount to 5,000 people," says a satisfied Perälä.

Perälä points out that Crowd Insights analytics provided Imatra with data of such high quality that the city can use it in the future planning and marketing of the races.

“In the year ahead, this comprehensive analysis will provide us with a clearer idea of the parts of Finland from which people do and do not come to the races. We can also target marketing for the event more effectively."

Imatra City Council can also use the data in decision-making, with the impact of all the major events being reported in publications such as the municipal financial statements.

The challenge
Imatra needed comprehensive, high quality data on the races’ impact in order to develop the event even further. It also tested the data solution as a basis for reporting to senior management on all of the major events involved in the races.

Solution
Crowd Insights analysis enables the collection of data on the Imatra Road Races, showing how people move around the event area and the city of Imatra in general.

Benefits
The analysis provides Imatra with more detailed information on where, in Finland, visitors to the races come and do not come from, enabling the event organizers to target their marketing more effectively. Crowd Insights provided the first definitive data on the Imatra Road Races, which the City Council can also use when reporting on other events.

Text: Emmi Hautala