Using Audience Data and Digital Strategy to Drive Ticket Sales for a Historic Event
Far Hills Race Meeting
Services: Website Strategy, Digital Advertising, Social Media Strategy, Data Analysis, Event Photography
The Challenge
Far Hills Race Meeting is an annual steeplechase event in New Jersey that attracts more than 30,000 attendees and serves as a major fundraiser for local healthcare organizations. In 2023, the organization introduced The Hunt Club, a new VIP experience, but ticket sales did not meet expectations.
Heading into the 2024 event, Far Hills needed a more strategic approach to promoting the experience and increasing ticket sales. The organization also had valuable historical buyer data but needed a way to translate that information into actionable audience targeting and a more effective digital campaign.
The Solution
Team EMILY began by analyzing previous ticket-buyer data to better understand purchasing behaviors, geographic patterns, and audience characteristics. Those insights were used to identify target locations, develop customer profiles, and build lookalike audiences for the 2024 campaign.
The findings informed an integrated Google and Meta advertising strategy designed to reach both returning attendees and new prospective ticket buyers. Tracking tools were also added to the website to better understand visitor behavior and guide improvements to the ticketing experience.
Alongside paid advertising, Team EMILY refreshed Far Hills' social media presence and developed a consistent content strategy leading into the event, creating a coordinated path from awareness and engagement to ticket purchase.
Expanding the Partnership
Team EMILY attended the Far Hills Race Meeting with two photographers to capture professional event imagery that could be used in future marketing and promotional campaigns.
The partnership continued beyond the initial campaign, allowing insights from advertising performance, audience behavior, social engagement, and event-day content to inform future promotion. Team EMILY remains a vendor of record for the 2026 race.
The Impact
The 2024 campaign translated targeted digital marketing into measurable ticket revenue.
With $4,600 in Google Search and Display advertising, the campaign generated 2,540 purchases and $269,700 in sales.
Meta advertising added 285,500 impressions and 10,400 link clicks from a combined $2,500 spend.
Far Hills' social media presence also grew by approximately 1,300 organic followers across platforms.
By combining historical buyer data with targeted advertising, website insights, social media, and event content, Far Hills gained a more informed marketing approach that could not only support immediate ticket sales but also provide a stronger foundation for promoting future race meetings.
