Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure

Event 360 has worked since 2003 to make the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure an exceptional and unforgettable experience for everyone involved, from the walkers, crew and volunteers to the beneficiaries. The Breast Cancer 3-Day began in 2003 with just three events raising 20 million dollars. With 14 events in 2008 and 15 in 2009 and 2010, the 3-Day series boasted its highest fundraising total ever in 2008, raising more 100 million dollars.

Event 360 strives to not only create a greater return on investment for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, but to produce a better event series year after year. The data and feedback we collect tells us that we are succeeding on both fronts. That success looks like a 50% increase in awareness of the 3-Day brand since the series began; it looks like a record breaking 2008 season with nearly 170,000 requests for information and 54,500 registered participants and it looks like participants who are exceedingly satisfied with the experience. In fact, 2008 participants were so satisfied with the 3-Day experience, 95% of them would recommend it to family or friends. Bold statements like these demonstrate the power of this extraordinary event series.

Our Role

The Komen 3-Day for the Cure is a complex event and requires collaboration among a large number of organizations to succeed including marketing and PR firms, technology partners, banking and payment processing providers, three major event sponsors, vendors at the local and national levels and two non-profit organizations. Our ability to work with diverse groups contributes in large part to the success of the event series.

Event 360 is innovating to keep the 3-Day on the cutting edge:

• Through meticulous event planning, we showcase some of the best components of each city's geographic terrain like walking through the heart of historic downtown Philadelphia or along miles of coastline in San Diego.
• We have established a continuing education program for the volunteer medical team so that they can enhance their professional certification while serving a vital role on the Breast Cancer 3-Day.
• We offer skilled customer service and coaching support utilizing a home based call center model, saving the project significant infrastructure costs.
• As part of the migration in 2007 to the Convio platform, we implemented a host of new participant support tools with great success. From resources especially for team members to online search tools that enable walkers to connect with other participants in their community, Breat Cancer 3-Day participants can stay connected to our staff, to each other and to their own training and fundraising progress.

These advances are the result of strong strategic vision combines with the capabilities of the Event 360 team.

Impact

The impact of the 3-Day is far-reaching. In 2008, the fundraising goal was shattered as the event series surpassed the 100 million dollar mark. However, the impact for the beneficiaries goes beyond funds raised. In six years, 3.5 million donations have been made on behalf of participants in the 3-Day, and over half of these donors are new contacts to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. This event is greatly expanding the reach of the Komen organization and empowering tens of thousands of new advocates to fundraise on their behalf.

Many 3-Day participants call the experience life-changing. In fact, more than a 'once in a lifetime' experience, half of all participants indicate that they are planning to walk again and another third are definitely considering it. As Jane, a 3-Day walker states "So far the whole experience is so much more than I ever thought! It has been such an eye-opening and meaningful experience. I'm ready to do it again." Event 360 is proud to be a part of the 3-Day, positively impacting the participants and all those involved with the event. We take great pride in our partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure and other partners and vendors who produce this project. We know that we can continue to build on the outstanding results and impact that this event has achieved in the past seven years.