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Complicated Check-in
I recently watched a friend perform standup comedy. The show was hilarious. 7 comedians all performed funny bits that included dirty sex jokes, hating on audience members and poking fun at our president.
The show was great. The only thing about the night that wasn’t great? The check-in process.
When I arrived at the show, I presented the QR code on my phone to prove that I had purchased a ticket. But the hosts couldn’t find me in their system, which was running on Eventbrite’s registration platform. I patiently waited for 5 minutes while they frantically searched various submenus on their iPad. When they finally scanned my QR code, nothing happened.
Eventually, the hosts gave up and just let me in. Fortunately, I am a trustworthy guy who had already paid for the show.
But without a simple, reliable system, there’s no way to know who has actually paid. It’s like flying blind, all because the software is so complicated.
The good news for 5K races is that we’ve simplified check-in for packet pickup and race day. So you don’t need to navigate submenus or figure out a complicated QR scanning system. Just type a runner’s name and they appear. Hand them a bib and say “have a great race!”
We like easy. Because more than 90% of software features never get used. They just make things harder.
— Ian
ICYMI: 3 Recent Blog Posts
The Future of Online Shopping Race Registration
Earlier this week, OpenAI launched Instant Checkout in ChatGPT, letting users buy products directly in chat without leaving the app. It is a bold step forward and shows a glimpse into the future of online shopping (and explains why OpenAI was recently valued at $500 billion).
With AI already transforming online purchases, it’s only a matter of time before runners expect the same convenience when registering for races. At Run The Day, we’re excited about the future and are already working to bring the best of ecommerce innovations to 5K races (because 5K races matter!).
Thank you Boerlin Family for another great Dragon Run!!
 | Ian CampbellCEO @ Run The Day Uniting communities. |