Ahead of launching later this summer, event organisers and competitors can sign up to register their interest and receive newsletter updates by visiting www.equoevents.co.uk.
equo will enable Horse & Hound to support growth in participation in horse sport at all levels and disciplines, benefitting governing bodies, event organisers and competitors, says Time Inc UK.
Says Marcus Rich, CEO, Time Inc UK: “Horse & Hound is famous for its role at the centre of the equestrian world and we will continue to introduce digital, retail, e-commerce, learning and experiential initiatives that will appeal to the UK’s equestrian enthusiasts. equo adds this experiential element to our equestrian portfolio which already includes e-commerce site Horse & Hound Buy & Sell and Horse & Hound Compare, the horse insurance comparison site.”
Oswin Grady, publishing director of Horse & Hound, adds: “Around a third of all competitive equestrian events can currently be entered online, with many still using paper and telephone applications – a process which can be hugely frustrating for all concerned. Many of our readers said they would compete more if there was an easier means to enter events, especially given that the average Horse & Hound reader competes a number of times a month.
“Early adopters of equo include some of the UK’s leading event organisers and we’ve already had buy-in from those whose events can’t currently be entered online. We are delighted that the industry as a whole has been supportive.”
equo will give event organisers a whole new marketing platform to drive awareness of and participation in their competitions. It will also enable easier management of entries and results – which will benefit governing bodies, organisers and competitors.
Time Inc UK has invested in leading database and email marketing technology to develop the service. Investment in the project has seen the recruitment of a dedicated regional sales team headed up by sales director, Louise DeNew.
equo will launch in the late summer of this year, with a desktop and mobile responsive site.
