Uni takeover: meet the operation that is rejuvenating the student raceday

A rapidly expanding youth experiences platform is aiming to revamp the way younger racegoers interact with the sport and hopes that through their work they can inspire and educate the next generation.

Dominic Matcham, a former Loughborough student and managing director of Invades, believes that by leveraging the power of social media and logistics his operation can attract an entirely new audience who may have never considered a day at the races.

Matcham, whose business has sold more than 30,000 tickets to 63 universities since last September, offers students return transport and raceday entrance tickets along with music-led after-parties.

He said: "In the smartphone, social-media intense world we now live, young people more than ever are seeking shareable immersive experiences. We passionately believe racing, in its pure live form, is the best way to enjoy the sport, and is an experience that can never truly be replicated through digital.

"This being said, social media and digital innovation are key in order to connect with this demographic and that is something we are constantly looking to push."

Students enjoying their day out at the races

Invades has recently released a Facebook Chatbot service that provides students with key information around transport, racing, racecourse facilities and post-meeting entertainment.

Matcham explained: "This is a service we have created for our customers to improve their experience. We're providing key information in a way that is interactive and relevant, and we are seeing fantastic engagement before, during and after our racedays."

With partnerships in place with some of the UK's largest coach operators, Invades is aiming to take more than 100,000 students from 75 universities to racecourses across the nation in the coming two years.

He added: "We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with some of our finest racecourses and hope we can continue to deliver a convenient and affordable service that brings a new energy and customer through the gates."

For further information visit www.invades.co.uk

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