Analytics: Access Routes Chart

It’s always been possible to see how people are travelling. Now it’s possible to see exactly where they’re heading once they arrive.

The dashboard now shows which specific access routes audiences are planning to use, which car park, which entrance, which drop-off zone.

For venues and events managing multiple access points, this is genuinely useful. Where to put signage, where to allocate staff, where the pinch points might be.

Less guesswork, better decisions.

Understanding Dashboard Data

The dashboard shows modal split percentages and carbon figures. But what do those numbers actually mean in practice?

Tom Yiangou, Client Development Manager, has written a guide on making dashboard data as valuable as possible, covering how to set realistic modal shift targets, compare events against national travel averages, measure which communications increase engagement, and turn data into carbon reduction evidence for sustainability reports.

Growing the Team and Looking Ahead

We’re pleased to welcome Hannah George to the ‘Ģ����ý.’ team as Client Development Manager, joining Emma Gibbons and Tom Yiangou in Client Development. Hannah brings a background in sustainability strategy for live events and music venues.

The YST team now spans the UK, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, USA and Australia, and this quarter has been a busy one, with the team out on the road attending and speaking at industry events, visiting clients and experiencing events first-hand. As we move into the second half of the year, schedules are looking full for all the right reasons, with a packed calendar of client events, deployments and industry moments ahead.

Different cities, different time zones, same ambition.

(Image: Getty Images)

It’s Not Just a Race Day – It’s a Destination

Here’s what racecourse event organisers already know but perhaps underestimate: a significant proportion of their visitors don’t just come for the racing. They come and they stay. Around a third of Cheltenham festival visitors arrive at least a day before the event [6] and stay on afterwards. Attendees sleep in local accommodation, eat in local restaurants, spend money in local shops. The racecourse is the anchor, but the destination is the whole region.

This is destination tourism in live action, and it creates a powerful argument for a different kind of partnership. When a racecourse works collaboratively with local councils, transport operators, hotels, and local businesses to create a seamless, integrated visitor journey, everyone wins, more people come, more people stay, and more people come back.

The challenge (and the opportunity) is coordination. Getting all those stakeholders on the same page to better understand how visitors are travelling, where the pinch points are, and what would make the journey better. That’s exactly what the YST platform helps event organisers to do.

The London Marathon Events Parallel: What Running Figured Out

London Marathon Events (LME) has demonstrated how major sporting events can use travel planning and visitor experience management to enhance the participant and spectator experience, as well as an event’s environmental sustainability credentials – a key consideration for stakeholders, such as host destination residents, local councils and event organisers. Coordinated bespoke shuttle-bus services, pre-event travel information directly from the LME comms team, and tailored multi-modal travel planning don’t just reduce congestion, they reduce emissions, stress, and they make a first-time visitor feel like a welcome guest.

Horse racing has an even richer engagement opportunity. The social fabric of race days, from the fashion to the tradition and shared excitement means visitors want to be part of something, from the moment they consider attending, through the build-up, en route travel, to the journey back home, and sharing their experience post-event.

(Image: London Marathon Events)

Redefining Race Day

Horse racing faces a few reputational challenges, often countered through state-of-the-art animal welfare standards and a regulatory framework that has helped shape responsible betting policy. An aging fanbase, however, means that the sport cannot rely on tradition alone to recruit the next generation of racegoers. Gen Z, a sustainability-aware generation that racecourses are eager to attract, is increasingly drawn to events that show clear environmental and social responsibility.

As a Gen Z myself, my first exposure to horse racing wasn’t through my lifelong passion for the sport, but instead, it was a day out with friends tied to a social occasion and live music. Concerts at the races are fantastic at drawing in younger crowds who might not otherwise attend a sporting event, combining live sport with the atmosphere of a festival. This is ‘sportainment’, and it’s quietly reshaping what race day looks and feels like.

The commercial logic makes sense: a broader, more diverse audience means more tickets sold, stronger sponsorship value, and a long-term fanbase. But along with this comes a transport dimension that is rarely discussed yet is just as important. When entertainment spans across the event day or people stay for a concert after the last race, peak travel demand is spread across a longer window. That easing of the egress spike is not just a smoother experience for racegoers, but it also reduces pressure on roads, rail services and shuttle infrastructure, lowering the cost and complexity of transport operations for the organsier. Done well, sportainment doesn’t just sell more tickets, it addresses event egress bottlenecks, reduces peak demand and eases pressure on infrastructure.

The Racecourse Association has noted that 40% of racing fans are women, which is twice the average across other sports. Audience diversification is already happening. The opportunity to serve new audiences better, from the moment they decide to come along to the moment they get home, is what will define the future of the sport.

What Better Looks Like:

Imagine a racegoer who buys their ticket and immediately receives a personalised low-carbon travel plan from the exact location they’re coming from. They book their train and reserve their shuttle bus from the station via the officially recommended and integrated services. On the morning of the race, they receive a push notification confirming their transport is set and letting them know which gate to use for their specific ticket type. On the way home, they know exactly which gate to depart from, and the event organiser is able to look at the data, and manage a departure system that has people moving smoothly in line with their itinerary, rather than facing frustrating queues as they try to get away.

The racegoer doesn’t just have a better day and a better mood; they tell people about it, they come back next year, and most importantly, they bring someone new.

(Image: Holiday Ireland Tours)

The Role of YST:

Ģ����ý�ý.’ is a travel demand management platform designed specifically for challenges like this. We work with event organisers, venues, and destinations to shape how visitors travel to and from events, optimising people flow to improve both operational efficiency and commercial performance. By tailoring routes and integrating bespoke transport services not typically surfaced in standard journey planners, we help deliver smoother, more sustainable visitor journeys. In doing so, we also capture business-critical visitor behaviour and experience data that is otherwise lost to third-party platforms.

For horse racing event organisers that means:

• Pre-event travel planning tools tailored for racegoers that help visitors understand each journey option and nudge them towards the lowest-carbon route
• Operational insight and demand forecasting, giving racecourses the data they need to optimise transport, crowd flow, accessibility, and revenues
• Sustainability reporting that enables racecourses to evidence progress towards environmental commitments and strengthens reputation with stakeholders
• Real time communication that keeps racegoers informed about delays, shuttle capacity, road congestion, and wayfinding to reduce stress and improve the overall visitor experience.

By positioning their YST powered ‘travel assistant’ service as a new channel for sponsorship and revenue – racecourses can promote hospitality upgrades, transport partners, accommodation partners and more at the exact moment of consideration.

Above: Travel assistant deployments showing personalised travel plans with sustainable options, enhanced 3D maps, parking areas, and gate-specific wayfinding.

Joining the Conversation on Public-Private Collaboration

Alex Townshend, Head of Environmental and Socio-economic Impact at ‘Ģ����ý.’, will be joining a panel session exploring how public and private sector organisations can work together to deliver integrated, seamless transport solutions.

Drawing on real-world deployments and case studies, the session will explore how partnerships between transport authorities, technology providers and operators can accelerate the delivery of user-centred, sustainable mobility.

Date & Time: Thursday 11 June 2026 | 12:05 – 13:00
Location: The Clayton Hotel, Glasgow

Chair: Rachael Murphy, Strategy Manager, SEStran

Panellists:

• Jorgen Pedersen, Chief Operating Officer, Gooii TX
• Justin Southcombe, Commercial Director, Hitachi Rail
• Alex Townshend, Head of Environmental and Socio-Economic Impact, Ģ����ý.
• Geert Vanbeveren, CSO Growth Markets, Siemens Mobility

Meet the Team

Learn More About the Event

To explore the full programme and find out more about the MaaS Scotland Annual Conference, visit the official MaaS Scotland website.

Transforming the Fan Experience with Personalised Travel Plans

The YST team will be hosting a panel session exploring how integrated multimodal low-carbon mobility is streamlining destination, venue and event access while driving live event sector growth.

Drawing on major event case studies from Europe and North America, the session will showcase best practice in improving fan experience by leveraging travel demand management techniques that increase engagement. The panel will explore the differences in streamlining operational delivery across urban and remote locations, improving safety and security, and how host cities, federations, rights holders, organising committees and clubs can leverage state-of-the-art travel demand management techniques to deliver value for partners.

Date & Time: Tuesday 30 June 2026 | 14:35 – 15:15
Location: Ground Floor, Auditorium — The Olympic Museum, Lausanne

Chair:
Chris Thompson – CEO, Ģ����ý.

Panellists:
TBC

Meet the Team

Learn More About the Event

To explore the full programme and find out more about the Hosts & Federations Summit, visit the official MEI website.

Hosting a Panel on Sustainable Travel in Sport

‘Ģ����ý.’ will be joining a panel session exploring how sport can tackle one of its biggest sustainability challenges: visitor travel emissions. Drawing on real-world case studies from across the sports sector, the session will explore practical approaches to reducing transport-related carbon footprints while improving fan experience and operational efficiency.

The BASIS Conference 2026 will explore critical themes including:
The UK’s energy transition and what it means for sport. Climate resilience and adaptation strategies. Innovation in sustainable sport delivery. Travel and transport emissions reduction. Collaborative approaches to achieving net zero.

Session: Sustainable Travel and Transport for Professional Sport

Date & Time: Thursday 4th June 2026, 9:45 – 10:45
Location: Exchange Room 5, Manchester Central

Speakers:

• Chris Thompson, CEO, Ģ����ý.
• Helen Hughes, Sustainability Manager, Newcastle United FC
• Steve Gilholme, Head of Events | Customer and Growth, Transport for Greater Manchester

Meet the Team

Make your journey to the BASIS Sustainable Sport Conference simpler and more sustainable.

Learn More About the Event

To explore the full programme and find out more about the BASIS Sustainable Sport Conference, visit the official BASIS website.

YST Speaking at the Webinar

Alex Townshend, our Head of Environmental and Socio-Economic Impact, will be speaking alongside the team and Kevin Mackay, Sustainability Manager at

Alex will be presenting findings from our latest case study with DF Concerts & Events, showing how audience travel planning delivered measurable behaviour change across 38,000 journeys at Glasgow and Edinburgh Summer Sessions. The case study demonstrates what’s possible when travel is treated as a core part of event delivery rather than an afterthought.

What You’ll Learn

The webinar covers practical approaches to event travel data collection and reduction:

• Data and reduction insights: Updated tools and resources to measure, manage, and reduce travel emissions from audiences and contractors.
• Funding ecosystem restoration: How events can channel audience donations directly to environmental partners, and how companies can offset carbon emissions through tax-deductible donations supporting verified, nature-led sustainability strategies.
• Industry-wide impact: How to support the campaign to raise £1 million for nature by the end of 2026.
• Your questions answered: Bring your travel data gathering challenges — the session includes live Q&A with experts.

Date: Thursday 23 April 2026
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm BST (1:00pm – 2:00pm CEST)
Location: Online (Zoom)

Speakers:

• Alex Townshend – Head of Environmental and Socio-Economic Impact, ‘Ģ����ý.’
• Kevin Mackay – Sustainability Manager, DF Concerts & Events
• onboard:earth team

Join the Session

Business development and sales

•  Build, manage, and close a robust pipeline of net-new opportunities across MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, MLS,college sports, live entertainment, and major event venues.
• Target and win complex, multi-stakeholder deals with C‑suite, VP, and Director-level buyers (e.g.,Ticketing, Operations, Fan Experience, Transportation, Sustainability).
• Lead the full sales cycle from prospecting, outbound campaigns, and first meetings through proposal, solution design, negotiation, and contract execution.
• Consistently meet and exceed quarterly and annual contract and revenue goals.

Go-to-market and strategy

•  Localize and execute YST’s North American go‑to‑market plan, including target accounts, verticals, and partner channels.
•  Use YST’s MLB club relationships as referenceable case studies to drive league-level and multi-club conversations.
•  Provide structured feedback to UK product and leadership teams on US market needs, competitive landscape, and pricing expectations.
•  Represent YST at key US conferences, league meetings, and industry events to raise brand visibility and generate high-quality leads.

Account and partner development

• Land and expand: grow contract value through cross-sell and upsell with clubs, venues, and destination partners after initial wins.
• Develop strategic partnerships (e.g., ticketing platforms, mobility providers, fan engagement and venue-tech vendors) to create integrated, “better together” solutions and co‑sell opportunities.
• Ensure a smooth handoff to YST’s Client Development team, while staying engaged as executive sponsor for key North American accounts.

Forecasting, process, and collaboration

• Maintain accurate, up-to-date forecasts and deal hygiene in CRM; communicate clearly on pipeline health, risks, and upside.
• Work closely with marketing to refine messaging, campaigns, and content for the US audience, with clear value propositions and ROI stories.
• Collaborate with product and operations to shape commercially viable solutions and proposals that meet US customer requirements.

Emma Gibbons Speaking at the Webinar

Emma Gibbons, Head of Client Development at Ģ����ý�ý.’, will join the discussion alongside , sharing insights from the Belfast case study.
The conversation will highlight how sustainable messaging and travel planning approaches have been used to influence visitor behaviour and shift mindsets.

Attendees will gain insights into:

• Practical strategies for managing visitor movement in destination
• Insights into how sustainable transport planning can enhance visitor experiences and reduce environmental impact
• The role of technology in creating efficient and eco-friendly transport solutions that capture and respond to visitor travel data
• Inspiration from Belfast’s success story to apply to their own destinations

Date: Thursday, 16 April
Time: 10 am (UK)

Speakers:

• Emma Gibbons, Head of Client Development, Ģ����ý
• Gavin McKenna, Head of Marketing, Visit Belfast

Moderator:

• Amanda Lee, Senior Marketing Manager, Simpleview, a Granicus Company

Join the Session

YST Exhibiting at Bus and Coach Expo

The YST team will be exhibiting throughout the event, sharing how smarter travel demand management and clearer passenger information can support better journeys across bus and coach networks.

At the event we’ll also be showcasing SmartCoach, our research project exploring how accessible passenger information can improve the experience of rail replacement services. The project focuses on delivering clear audio and visual passenger information displays to support passengers during disruption – particularly those with accessibility needs.

Date: 21 – 23 April 2026
Location: NEC Birmingham | Co-located with: Commercial Vehicle Show

Audience sectors include:

• Public transport operators
• Fleet operators and coach companies
• Local authorities and transport planners
• Passenger transport technology providers

Come Say Hello

YST Speaking in the EIT Special Session

Our CEO, Chris Thompson, will be speaking as part of the EIT Special Session: Connecting the Dots – Towards an Integrated Mobility Ecosystem. The session will explore how technologies such as AI, digital twins and big data are helping cities and regions better understand and manage travel demand – creating more connected mobility ecosystems and improving journeys for people.

About The Event:

Intertraffic Amsterdam is firmly rooted as the world’s leading event on smart, safe, and sustainable mobility. Discover emerging trends, experience innovative solutions, and connect with business leaders and government decision-makers shaping the future of mobility.

Time: 11:45 – 12:30
Date: 12 March 2026
Location: Summit Theatre 2

Speakers:

• Willem-Frederik Metzelaar – EIT Urban Mobility
• Dario Deserranno – WeRide / Espaces-Mobilités
• Sam Li – Transport for Greater Manchester
• Ydze Rijff – Johan Cruijff Arena
• Chris Thompson – Ģ����ý.

Come Say Hello

YST Exhibiting at the STARS Summit

The 2026 summit theme, “Optimising Travel Plans,” will explore how organisations can strengthen travel planning across multiple sectors, supporting better everyday journeys for staff, visitors and communities.

Alongside the summit sessions, the STARS National Travel Awards will recognise organisations delivering outstanding work in travel planning and behaviour change.

Event details
Date: 18 March 2026
Location: The Royal Society, London

Come Say Hello

Help shape SmartCoach

SmartCoach is currently being tested on rail replacement services to better understand how passenger information is delivered during disruption.
If you’ve recently travelled on a rail replacement coach, your feedback will help inform how accessible, clear, and consistent passenger information can be improved.

About Innovate UK
, part of UK Research and Innovation, is the UK’s innovation agency. We work to create a better future by inspiring, involving and investing in businesses developing life-changing innovations. With an annual budget of over £1billion we provide businesses with the expertise, facilities and funding they need to test, demonstrate and evolve their ideas, driving UK productivity and economic growth.

From planning to impact

Across and , personalised, event-specific travel planning was deployed at scale – generating 38,000+ personalised travel plans and providing clear insight into how audiences actually travelled to each event. Rather than relying on static travel advice, the case studies explore how clear, tailored information and strong pre-event communications can actively influence audience behaviour, supporting tens of thousands of journeys, nudging audiences towards public transport and lower-carbon options, and translating engagement with travel information into measurable insight that closely aligns with post-event reporting.

What the case study uncovers

Rather than presenting travel advice as a static add-on, the case study explores how clear, event-specific information, shared at the right moments, can shape audience decision-making at scale.

They look at how personalised travel planning was embedded into pre-event communications, how audiences engaged with that information, and how organisers gained clearer visibility of travel patterns across two large, complex live events.

Why it matters

For organisers, audience travel is one of the biggest contributors to impact – and one of the hardest areas to influence meaningfully.

This case study shows how clearer information and better timing can support more confident journeys for audiences, while giving organisers the insight needed to plan, evaluate and improve future events.

To explore the full data, insights and outcomes from Glasgow and Edinburgh Summer Sessions, access the complete DF Concerts & Events case study below.

EnRoute: Turning the Journey Into Part of the Cultural Experience

‘Ģ����ý.’ has launched EnRoute, a first-of-its-kind, content-driven travel innovation developed in partnership with Birmingham Hippodrome and delivered with Innovate UK through the DCMS Create Growth Programme.

EnRoute was created to bring travel, culture and sustainability closer together. Audience journeys account for the largest share of emissions at live events, yet they’re rarely treated as part of the experience itself. EnRoute rethinks this by linking personalised, low-carbon travel planning with creative digital content, making the journey an active part of how audiences engage.

UTMB Configuration

‘Ģ����ý.’ has developed a suite of new features to support Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB)’s hugely popular registration lottery, nudging participants towards low-carbon travel. The UTMB GO Travel Assistant incentivises trips that meet UTMB’s low-carbon business rules by offering a boost in the ballot and uses YST’s carbon calculations to help define each participant’s carbon offset.

With this configuration, YST is establishing the platform as the travel planning system for major ballot-based events, giving organisers a practical way to influence the carbon footprint of their audiences.

Making the Most of the Travel Assistant

Throughout the year, clear and well-timed communication has made a real difference in how audiences engage with travel information across tours, festivals, venues and destinations. Sharing the travel assistant early, whether on a website, in pre-event emails or via social channels, helps audiences plan their journey and know what to expect. The Client Development team is always happy to support, from advising on timing and messaging to sharing examples of what has worked well for others.

Catalysing Sustainable Travel Behaviour Through Major Events

YST will be hosting a panel session at EPS 2026 focused on one of the most significant and often overlooked – challenges facing live events: visitor travel.

This panel session dives into the overlooked 80% of a typical event’s carbon footprint – the Scope 3 emissions generated by visitor travel.

Featuring multiple real-world case study examples, the discussion will explore how personalised travel planning and curated routes can actively nudge audiences towards new travel behaviours. The panel will examine how this approach can accelerate decarbonisation, improve visitor experience, and unlock additional operational and commercial value for events.

The session will also highlight the importance of collaboration between event organisers, local authorities and public transport operators in delivering practical, scalable travel solutions for live events.

Date & Time: Tuesday 25 February, 15:20 – 16:00
Location: Event Production Show, ExCeL London

Chair:
Alex Townshend — Head of Environmental & Socio-Economic Impact, Ģ����ý.

Panellists:
Kate Chapman — Head of Sustainability, London Marathon Events
Steve Gilholme — Events Transport Management, Transport for Greater Manchester

Additional Panel Contributions

Alongside chairing and hosting YST’s dedicated session, Alex Townshend, Head of Environmental & Socio-economic Impact at ‘Ģ����ý.’, will also be speaking on two further panels across the EPS programme.

These sessions will explore how sustainability, audience behaviour, and large-scale participation are reshaping the delivery of live events — with travel and transport playing an increasingly central role.

• Taking the Sustainable Journey: Reducing Travel and Transport Emissions at Events.
  26 February 2026 |  12:20 – 13:00

• Going Mass Market: What’s Fuelling the Rise of Mass Participation Events
  26 February 2026 |  14:15 – 14:55

Meet the Team

Learn More About the Event

To explore the full agenda and find out more about the Event Production Show, visit the official EPS website.

Make your journey to ExCeL London simpler and more sustainable.

About the SIREN RouteMAIT Initiative

The (ITEA sponsored and Innovate UK funded) SIREN UK Consortium proposes to develop a MAIT-based (Multi-Agency Incident Transfer protocol) routing tool, RouteMAIT, that gives emergency responders a live picture of debris hazards and road states. RouteMAIT responds to MAIT messages with adaptive routes that fuse models and sensor evidence to incorporate real-time constraints.

The payoff for emergency planners and incident responders is faster, safer reopening of priority corridors, fewer crossed wires between agencies, better evidence for debriefs and claims, and a practical cadence (e.g. sub-5-minute single-crew updates, ≤15-minute sector sweeps) that restores access and confidence sooner.

Professionals working in emergency planing and blue light incident response are invited to attend an in-person workshop hosted at the University of Leeds on 27 February 2026, to begin co-creation of this tool with the SIREN UK Consortium and to discuss options for pilot deployment.

Who Should Attend

The workshop is intended for anyone involved in emergency planning, incident response, highways, transport operations, flood recovery and multi-agency coordination in particular members of the Emergency Planning Society.

Event Details

Date: 27 February 2026 | Location: University of Leeds | Cloth Hall Court
Format: In-person workshop, online attendance available

Workshop Context

Why it matters for operations and routing

• Blockages: culverts and bridges clog, leading to road closures and increased upstream flooding.
• Road safety: sharp objects, mud and stranded vehicles result in “slow” or “closed” states.
• Follow-on hazards: contaminated debris requires PPE and specialist disposal routes.
• Logistics: clearance must be co-planned with waste sites and vehicle constraints (e.g. weight limits, water depth).

Flooding commonly generates significant debris

• Vegetation: trees, branches and reeds torn out by fast flow.
• Built-environment fragments: road surfacing, masonry, roofing, fences, signage and street furniture.
• Vehicles and appliances: cars, skips, bins, oil tanks and sheds.
• Sediment and drift: silt, gravel, cobbles and plastics.
• Hazardous materials (spotty): fuel, pesticides and sewage-contaminated waste.

SIREN models debris as a dynamic constraint

• Compute time-varying impact layers (flood depth / speed → road state) to derive route states (open / slow / closed / damaged) with validity time windows for the region enclosing the incident — based on confidence and certainty of input data, risk tolerance, and human-in-the-loop local managerial logic.
• Assign confidence levels to predicted route states, if possible at T+1, T+10, etc.
• Identify adjacent or secondary hazards and risks, such as those caused by water contamination.

How floods create debris

• Hydrodynamic force and scour detach and transport objects.
• Undermining of banks, foundations, culverts and bridge abutments causes structural break-up.
• Backflow and overland flow lift loose items (e.g. waste bins, garden objects) into carriageways and culverts.

Workshop Aims

RouteMAIT aims to turbo-charge post-crisis resource allocation

MAIT provides a common, real-time incident stream across police, fire, ambulance and local authority control rooms. By treating debris hazards, closures and clearance tasks as MAIT incidents, RouteMAIT can coordinate multi-agency crews, keep maps in sync, and continuously re-plan as conditions change.

Minimal data required

• MAIT feed (hub or point-to-point)
• AddressBase (UPRN / USRN)
• OS road base
• Flood depth and speed rasters (good-enough resolution)
• Tip sites and waste streams
• Vehicle and plant profiles
• MCP connectors (CCTV, traffic and sensors)
• JOSM authorisation mechanisms

Edge cases handled

• Re-blockage risk: add penalties to links with high floating-debris probability.
• Partial openings: encode lane-level states with speed penalties rather than hard closures.
• Uncertain geometry: push verification tasks and keep conservative defaults until confirmed.

Realistic Service-Level Objectives (SLOs) to aim for

• <5 minutes to issue or update a single-crew route after a new MAIT incident.
• ≤15 minutes to produce an initial multi-crew sector sweep.
• Rolling 30–60 minute re-plans while flood dynamics persist, with ≤60 second re-optimisations for urgent updates.

Register Your Interest

Places are limited to support meaningful discussion and co-creation.
We invite you to register your interest to help us plan attendance and share joining instructions closer to the even