Event Organiser FAQs

Event Organiser FAQs

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Find out more about the British Cycling Event Management System and how it works

Overview

The British Cycling online event manager enables event organisers to create cycling events and submit them for regional and national approval via their membership account on the British Cycling website. For regional approvers, it means less paperwork, less postage and greater speed in handling event applications; for organisers it means much more control over their events from registration to entry management.

Use of British Cycling’s online event manager requires that the person creating and managing events is listed as an official ‘event organiser’ with British Cycling. Current event organisers are already listed and should be able to start using the system immediately. To become listed as an event organiser, contact our events team on 0161 274 2020 or events@britishcycling.org.uk

Sign in

Event organisers can sign into the British Cycling website by going to www.britishcycling.org.uk and typing in their username and password. From the Dashboard area, event organisers can see details of all their events, manage entries, create new events and modify existing ones.

Event organisers not sure of their account details can follow the on-screen instructions to recover their password or can contact the British Cycling membership team on 0161 274 2010 or membership@britishcycling.org.uk

Register to receive online entries

Event organisers who wish to use British Cycling’s online entry system for their events will first need to register their bank details with British Cycling. Bank details can be registered securely via the ‘Event Organiser’ tab. British Cycling will require up to two working days to set up the account to receive online entries.

Once an organiser's bank account details have been successfully set up, their events can be set to enable riders to enter them via the British Cycling website. British Cycling will collect entry fees on behalf of the organiser and forward them by weekly BACS to the nominated bank account. This weekly transfer will only be done if the total amount owing is greater than £50. In the event that there is less than £50 owing, the amount will be rolled over to the following week. This helps keep administration costs as low as possible.

The Online Entry system is FREE for organisers. All riders pay a £1 admin fee per race or ride entered, irrespective of the total cost of entry. If, for example, a rider puts two races into their shopping basket and checks out, the total charge to them will be £2. The admin charge for entries is non-refundable and enables British Cycling to remain cost neutral in providing the most cost effective online entry system on the market.

There are three elements to the system:

Online event creation

Through their membership account, event organisers can set up cycling events of all types, from   races to sportives and submit them for approval and inclusion on British Cycling’s online event calendar. Using a simple wizard, the event organiser can:

  • create a new event
  • review potential calendar clashes with other events
  • pay event registration fees online

Electronic approval process

Every new event created using the British Cycling event manager goes through a process of electronic approval. Competitive road and track events are initially submitted for approval at regional level and then for final approval by British Cycling’s national events team. Other types of event go straight for final approval by British Cycling’s national events team. Once an event is approved and registration fees successfully collected, the event appears live on the British Cycling online event calendar at www.britishcycling.org.uk/events

Online Entry management

Event organisers are able to set up their event to accept online entries via the British Cycling online event calendar. Races or rides can be set up as ‘first-come-first-served’, where all entrants are accepted into the field as they enter, or as a ‘managed field’, where the organiser selects the best field from the applications received. The event organiser can:

  • set entry open/close dates
  • set priority or discounted entry fees for British Cycling members
  • set filters to control who can enter the event
  • add offline entries to their list of riders
  • accept, reject or withdraw riders from their field
  • display a list of accepted entries on the British Cycling event calendar
  • communicate with riders via integrated mail
  • download sign on sheets      

Registering an event with British Cycling

Electronic event registration

The cost of registering and insuring events electronically is no different to registering events with British Cycling by post. When a new event is created and submitted for approval online, the organiser is required to pay the normal event registration fee. The registration fee amount is automatically determined using the published table of fees below. When an event receives final approval, the registration fee is taken from the organiser’s payment card.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What disciplines are covered by the online entry system?

The online entry system can be used with any cycling event for event registration, from sportives to road and MTB races.

Will the online entry system replace the paper-based method of event registration?

Yes, most Regions will now not accept paper registrations.

Do I need to submit paper event registrations if I use the electronic system?

If you create and submit your event online, you will not need to submit a paper form or raise a cheque for registration fees.

Who will approve my events? 

Your Regional Competition Administrator will approve road and track events at regional level. All other events and those already approved by the Regional Competition Administrators will be subject to a final approval by the events team at British Cycling headquarters.

If your event runs in Wales or Scotland, approval will initially be needed from Welsh Cycling and Scottish Cycling respectively, before final approval from the events team at British Cycling headquarters.

What happens if my event registration is rejected?

If your event registration is rejected for any reason, it will be returned to you with some guidance notes to enable you to edit and resubmit your registration for approval. When this happens you will see the event in your Event Organiser Dashboard with a status of ‘returned to organiser’.

I've got a question about a potential clash of dates. Who do I speak to?

Speak to your Regional Competition Administrator or the British Cycling HQ events team on 0161 274 2020 or events@britishcycling.org.uk if you have any queries regarding a potential clash of dates.

Can I edit events once I have submitted them for approval?

It is not possible to edit events once they have been submitted for approval. If your event is returned to you (rejected) by the approver, you will be able to edit and resubmit it. Events still in 'draft' mode (not yet submitted for approval) can still be edited. Once an event is approved and visible on the British Cycling online event calendar, you can edit certain features yourself and may submit a request to edit other details using the ‘edit event’ button on your Event Organiser Dashboard.

Will I be able to obtain printed copies of my electronic event applications?

Yes. You will be able to print copies of electronic event applications for your own filing purposes using the print menu on your internet browser.

How are event registration fees collected?

When the final approver accepts the event, the registration fee will be debited from your payment card and the event becomes ‘live’ and visible on the British Cycling online event calendar.

Will the online system deduct race/ride levies and day licences from my organiser account?

For now, rider levies and day licences will remain payable in the normal way to regions or British Cycling Headquarters within seven days of the event finishing. Some disciplines are currently trialling online levy payment post-event.

Do I have to use the online entry system if I create and submit event registrations online?

No. The online entry system is optional. It can be used in conjunction with online event registration or separately. However, it is a very useful way to capture entries in advance of your event and is free* to use for organisers.

*An admin fee is applied per entry, this cost is borne by the rider.

How will I receive entry fees if I use the online entry system?

To use British Cycling’s online entry system, you will first need to register the bank details of the account you want the entry fees to go to. You can register your bank details securely via the 'Online Entry Accounts' button on your Event Organiser Dashboard.

You can have more than one account registered to you; for example you may wish to use different accounts for different events.

Entry fees collected in a calendar week (Monday - Sunday) normally arrive in your account the following Friday, provided that there is more than £50 due to be received. If there is less than £50 due, the payment will be rolled over to the following week. We work hard to keep to this schedule. However, occasionally the schedule may change to accommodate processing requirements and public holidays.

Can I control who enters my events?

Yes, there are filters on the entry process to only allow entries by age, by gender and/or by BC membership. In addition you can set your preference to accept entries either on a first-come-first-served basis or by choosing the 'organiser selects field' option, which allows you to select your field from a list of applicants.

Can I set variable entry fees?

Yes, the system can be set to allow British Cycling member-only rates and rates for people of a particular age. You can also set early bird entry fees which close at a time of your preference.

What advice should I give to riders planning to enter my events online?

The online entry system is very simple for riders to use and most riders will not require any guidance.  A click of the red ‘Enter’ button will begin the process of entering an event. However, a link will appear on your event calendar entry for the benefit of riders, called Online Entry FAQs

Can multiple riders be entered into an event?

Yes. Our online entry system enables team managers, parents or club representatives to enter multiple riders at a time into an event. The system will remember the riders that have been entered into earlier events, so that entering multiple riders into future events is quick and simple.

Can a rider enter multiple events in one transaction?

Yes, our system allows riders to put more than one event entry into their shopping basket. The system will also suggest similar events to those being entered and highlight events within a series to make it easy for riders to enter a whole series in advance.

I've set up Online Entry but can't see the Enter button, what's wrong?

Check that the entry open and close dates are set correctly, that the Online Entry is set to “enabled” and that the closing date has not passed. If you need further assistance, contact our team: events@britishcycling.org.uk

If I withdraw a rider, will I need to refund them their entry fee?

The decision to refund a withdrawn rider is at your discretion, as is the amount to be refunded.

You are encouraged to include a refund policy in your own event T’s & C’s.

The British Cycling online entry system can facilitate the refund process. When using this method, you will need a valid debit/credit card to withdraw rider(s) with a refund. This is the only method available via the online entry system. Any refund batch via this method will incur a £1 admin fee, plus a £1 admin fee per rider refunded.

If your card transaction is successful, the refund will be returned to the card the rider used upon entry, within 3 working days.

If a rider is refunded offline (e.g. refunding the entry fee by cheque or cash etc), you will be responsible for contacting the rider(s) in question directly to arrange this. British Cycling has no part in the refund process if you choose to refund riders directly.

What happens if I withdraw a rider and the refund request fails?

If the transaction is unsuccessful, both the rider and the organiser will be notified by email. If this is to occur, the organiser and rider will be advised to liaise directly to arrange an alternative method of payment.
British Cycling have no part in the refund process if an organiser chooses to refund riders directly (e.g. via PayPal, chq.)

If it is a problem with your card, you will be asked to try again or use an alternate card.

Are all financial transactions secure?

Yes. Our online event management system uses a range of security features to protect data and keep financial transactions secure for riders and event organisers. These include 3D secure payment processing, protected web pages for personal data collection and use of an industry-leading PaymentService Provider. For full details see the section on payment security.

How can I use entrant data?

Entrant data is stored in the British Cycling database and is accessible to the event organiser in order to run the event entered. If an Event Organiser wishes to use entrant data outside of this purpose, they must first obtain permission from the individual entrant.

What are my liabilities?

As per current practice, once an event is approved and ‘live’ on the British Cycling event calendar, all liabilities rest with you as the Event Organiser in respect of the running of the event.

All correspondence and enquiries from riders about the event and entries into it must be handled by you.

In keeping with all events registered with British Cycling, you must, as an Event Organiser, follow British Cycling's rules for cycling events.