Playground

What Playground does

Playground Event is a Paris-headquartered sports event engineering firm founded in 2017, organized into four operational divisions: Play Services (population services management covering transport, accommodation, catering, accreditations, logistics, and uniforms for major sporting events), Play Outdoor (design, promotion, commercialization, and production of outdoor events in cycling, trail, running, and triathlon), Play Experience (organization of competitions in emerging sports disciplines on behalf of federations, public authorities, and corporations), and Play Travel (sports travel packages). The firm operates the ELEMENT platform, a proprietary nine-module event management software system with back-office, front-office, customer app, and driver app components used to coordinate transport, accommodation, accreditation, delivery, fleet management, and meal services for mega-events including the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, Rugby World Cup France 2023, and Ryder Cup 2020.

The company generates revenue primarily through B2B professional services contracts with sports federations, event organizing committees, public authorities, and corporations, complemented by transaction-fee revenue from proprietary outdoor event production (La Grande Course RATP du Grand Paris, Marseille-Aix Trail Métropolitain, Reims Champagne Run, 10KM UNICEF) and consumer sports travel packages. Pricing is project-based and determined by event scope, duration, and services required, with no public pricing disclosure. Sales cycles are 1-2 years for major events, anchored by a tender-driven enterprise field sales motion and reference-driven credibility from flagship engagements. Headcount stands at 50 collaborators across 8 offices in France, Switzerland, and Italy, with FY2024 revenue of €15M.

Since 2022, Playground has operated as a core subsidiary within Citec Group, a Geneva-founded mobility and transportation engineering group with 30+ years of experience, 120 employees, and 12 agencies. The integration provides Playground with access to Citec's transport planning and regulatory expertise, combining mobility engineering depth with sports event management capabilities. The firm holds ISO 20121 certification for sustainable event management and has delivered 300+ projects since inception, welcoming 500,000+ participants across its events.

Name

Playground

Legal name

Playground Event

Website

https://playground-event.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Playground Event is a French sports event engineering firm that designs, plans, and operates population services (transport, accommodation, catering, accreditations) for major sporting events via its proprietary ELEMENT platform, serving federations, public authorities, and corporations across France, Switzerland, and Italy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Event Management Services

NAICS

Other Spectator Sports (711219), Spectator Sports (71121), Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (7139)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKADAD

Mass Participation Race Organizers (Runs, Triathlons, Cycling)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Event & Tournament Organizers (Tours, Championships, Meets)

SECONDARYMPAKAIAE

Obstacle Course & Adventure Races (OCR, Mud Runs, Adventure Racing)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Endurance & Mass Participation Events (Marathons, Triathlons, Cycling Events)

SECONDARYMPAKAIAG

Endurance Stage & Destination Challenges (Multi-day Tours, Charity Challenges)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Endurance & Mass Participation Events (Marathons, Triathlons, Cycling Events)

Keywords

• Sports event engineering
• Event management software
• Fleet management systems
• Sports travel packages
• Event accreditation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Engineering & Consulting Services: Professional services revenue from advising and supporting major sporting events in design, planning, and operational management of population services (transport, accommodation, catering, accreditations). Revenue is generated through project-based contracts with event organizers, federations, and public authorities.
2. Outdoor Sports Event Production: Design, promotion, commercialization, and production of outdoor sporting events (cycling, trail, running, triathlon) for the general public. Includes proprietary events such as La Grande Course RATP du Grand Paris, Marseille-Aix Trail Métropolitain, Reims Champagne Run, and 10 KM UNICEF.
3. Sports Experience Event Production: Organization of sporting competitions in emerging sports disciplines as producer and/or on behalf of federations, public authorities, and companies. Includes events such as European IFAF Flag Football Championships, World Festival of Padel, French Darts Fest, and FusionFest.
4. Sports Travel & Packages: Design, commercialization, and organization of sports trips and packages through an innovative and responsible approach. Revenue from package sales to sporting event attendees and travel packages.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Playground Event is a French sports event engineering company that provides consulting, planning, and operational management of population services for major sporting events. It operates through four divisions—Play Services (transport, accommodation, catering, accreditations, logistics, uniforms), Play Outdoor (running, cycling, trail, triathlon events), Play Experience (emerging sports competitions), and Play Travel (sports travel packages)—and supports operations with the proprietary Element software platform that centralizes nine modules for event coordination.

Product overview

Playground is a sports event engineering company organized into four operational divisions: Play Services (population services management), Play Outdoor (outdoor sports events), Play Experience (competition organization), and Play Travel (sports travel packages). The company operates the Element proprietary software platform, which provides nine interconnected modules for managing event services including accreditations, transportation, accommodation, and delivery. Element offers a back office for operations, front office for customer bookings, customer mobile app, and driver app for transport coordination.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Element: Event management software tool for organizers covering services to populations including accreditations, transportation, accommodation, and delivery.

Products and services

• Play Services Consulting and operational support for major sporting events in the design, planning, and management of population services including transport, accommodation, catering, accreditations, logistics, and uniforms. Targeted at event organizers, federations, and public authorities.
• Play Outdoor Design, promotion, commercialization, and production of outdoor sporting events (cycling, trail, running, triathlon) for the general public. Includes proprietary events such as La Grande Course RATP du Grand Paris, Marseille-Aix Trail Métropolitain, Reims Champagne Run, and 10 KM UNICEF.
• Play Experience Organization of sporting competitions in emerging sports disciplines as producer and/or on behalf of federations, public authorities, and companies. Includes events such as European IFAF Flag Football Championships, World Festival of Padel, French Darts Fest, and FusionFest.
• Play Travel Design, commercialization, and organization of sports stays and packages through an innovative and responsible approach. Sells sports trip packages directly to event attendees and traveler groups.
• Element Platform Proprietary event management software platform consisting of nine modules covering services to the public: Accreditations, Transportation, Accommodation, Delivery, and additional modules. Provides back office for system operations, front office for client bookings, customer app for transfers, and driver app connected to the transport module.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500,000+ participants welcomed on races and events
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Citec GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022In 2022, Playground joined the Citec Group, an international group specializing in mobility and transportation engineering with over 30 years of experience. Citec was founded in Geneva in 1994 and is a leading player in transport planning, management, development, and regulation. The partnership enables Playground to leverage CITEC's engineering expertise in mobility and transportation, combining CITEC's 600+ annual studies and 120 employees with Playground's sports event management capabilities. The group operates 12 local agencies in 3 countries.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Octagon: Global sports marketing and event agency serving brands, federations, and rights-holders. Comparable in delivering operational services around major sporting events and sponsorship activation.
• Atos: Global IT services company that has served as Worldwide Olympic Partner and IT integrator for major events. Comparable as technology-enabled service provider for mega-events, overlapping with Playground's ELEMENT platform capabilities.
• Live Nation Entertainment: Global live entertainment and event company operating festivals, concerts, and ticketed experiences. Comparable in running mass-participation ticketed events, though Playground's core is sports-specific event engineering rather than concert promotion.
• Reed Exhibitions (RX): Global events organizer (part of RELX) running hundreds of exhibitions, conferences, and consumer events. Comparable in event-engineering and operational delivery to event organizers, though Playground's focus is sports-specific.
• Sodexo Live!: Global event hospitality and venue services division of Sodexo providing catering, concessions, and population services at sports venues and events. Comparable to Playground's Play Services offering (catering, accommodation, hospitality).
• IMG (Endeavor / TKO Group): Global sports events, rights management, and hospitality business operating at a much larger scale. Comparable in delivering event services to federations and major sports clients across multiple geographies.

Direct peers

• ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation): French mass-participation sports organizer behind the Tour de France, Paris Marathon, and other flagship running/cycling events. Directly comparable to Playground's Play Outdoor division in owned mass-participation event production.
• Infront Sports & Media: International sports marketing company managing event operations, media rights, and services for federations and event organizers. Comparable to Playground's B2B sports event engineering model.
• GL Events: French-listed event services group providing venue management, event logistics, and live event services across sports, cultural, and corporate events. Direct peer in sports event engineering and integrated service delivery.
• SPORTFIVE (formerly Lagardère Sports): Global sports marketing and event management agency specializing in sponsorship, event operations, and rights for federations and rights-holders. Comparable as a sports event services provider serving federations and major events.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/playground-event

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Playground