Matthijs Mennes - Le Champion
Customer story
Reading time: 3 minutes
Get as many people moving as possible
Matthijs Mennes is director of Le Champion. Le Champion is a foundation and an association in one with a clear mission: to get as many people moving as possible. "In total, we organise about 60 events, including walking, cycling and running, and with that, we get approximately 300,000 people moving each year." he says.
Le Champion is known for major crowd-pullers such as the NN Dam tot Damloop, the TCS Amsterdam Marathon, and the Egmond Half Marathon. However, Matthijs emphasises that it goes much broader than that. "We also organise many smaller cycling and walking events, such as the Fjoertoer and the Haarlem City Walk. We really have a very broad portfolio."
TCS Amsterdam Marathon
Matthijs speaks with clear enthusiasm about the TCS Amsterdam Marathon. "It is now the largest marathon in the Netherlands. We welcome many international runners and have a strong top field every year. You run right through the centre of Amsterdam and its surroundings. It is truly a special event."
An event of that magnitude relies on logistics, and Atleta plays an important role in that. Matthijs explains: "Atleta is more or less the backbone of our entire registration. For an event organisation, that is essential: it just has to work. In recent years, we have had very good experiences with it."
But it goes beyond just functioning. "We also look together at further development. It's nice to keep innovating and continuously improving the platform."
Ease for participants and for us
Matthijs mentions two things that make Atleta special. First, the flexibility for participants themselves. "It is very convenient that participants can make changes themselves or resell their ticket. That greatly reduces the pressure on our customer service."
Secondly: room for customization. "The personal contact with the team of Atleta ensures that we can realise specific wishes. That always works very pleasantly." This is what Matthijs appreciates: you have a large, reliable platform, but you can also make a quick call if you need something special.
Socially oriented organisation
"We are a socially oriented organisation, so charities are naturally part of that. We actually collaborate with a charity at almost every event. It is great that participants can also choose a goal themselves."
This is where the integration between Atleta and Supporta really makes a difference. Supporta is a platform with more than 250 charities. Through Atleta, participants can arrange their ticket and donation at the same time. "Because Atleta is linked to Supporta, we can facilitate participants to contribute directly. This generates millions of euros in revenue for wonderful initiatives."
Moment of pride
The best moments are always on the event day itself. Matthijs describes it: "When the last finisher comes in at five o'clock in the afternoon, we pat each other on the back. With everyone involved from Le Champion, the 1,700 volunteers, the partners, sponsors, and municipalities. It is truly a joint achievement and that is always the feeling with which I close the door behind me after it’s over."
That is what it’s all about, not just the numbers but that moment of having achieved something together.
