Benefit of The Circle Pit may near $100K | News

The Circle Pit may have had a six-figure economic impact in Oro Valley, according to a post-event report from town staff.

Adidas and SATISFY Running rented the Naranja Park pump track for its May 15 promotional and marketing race and party, paying the town $14,000 to do so.

About 100 guests booked approximately 180 room nights at El Conquistador Tucson, A Hilton Resort. Those guests spent an estimated $54,000 for lodging, food and beverage at the Oro Valley resort.

Wow Wow Hawaiian Lemonade, an Oro Valley business, sold The Circle Pit 150 custom, event-branded lemonade bottles.

 Add in visitor spending with local restaurants, transportation vendors and retail establishments, Oro Valley estimated total spending between $75,000 and $100,000.

Oro Valley officials were further thrilled with the media effect.

Adidas has a social media audience estimated at 29.6 million. SATISFY Running has another 459,000. Town staff identified “millions of potential organic social impressions tied to event content, brand amplification, influencer engagement and post-event media distribution featuring Oro Valley and Naranja Park.”

“They were saying ‘we’re in Oro Valley,’ not ‘Tucson’,” said Paul Melcher, Oro Valley’s community and economic development director. “Everything they did, it was amazing to promote the town.”

“This level of national exposure and destination positioning would typically require a substantial paid media investment to replicate through traditional advertising channels,” the staff report said.

“We’ve also continued to see a lot of positive social media mentions and shoutouts to Oro Valley since the event, along with multiple comments from attendees saying things like “We love Oro Valley” and “We can’t wait to come back,” it continued.

Several participants and organizers expressed interest in bringing future races, training opportunities, and outdoor recreation events to Oro Valley, the report continued.

“From a destination marketing perspective, that kind of authentic excitement and organic exposure is incredibly valuable and helps continue positioning Oro Valley as a premier outdoor recreation destination,” it concluded.

“It’s an example of an event we can bring in,” Town Manager Jeff Wilkins said. “It’s creating our brand.”

“We’re leveraging the pump track for a real tourism event,” Melcher said. “It’s the epitome of opportunism. Let’s say ‘yes’ to things.”