Parasport aims to reach new generations in Roblox
In the lead-up to the 2023 European Para Championships (EPC2023), creative sports marketing agency TDE will launch the Paraverse in cooperation with the EPC2023. The Paraverse is an interactive metaverse within Roblox, a platform that is popular among young people. The metaverse is entirely dedicated to the European Para Championships that will take place from August 8 to 20 in Rotterdam Ahoy.
The EPC2023, a para-sports event bringing together ten European Championships, marks the start of the Paraverse. The Paraverse will remain active after the event and will continue to be developed ahead of new Parasport events.
“We plan to further develop and refine the digital world, making it a permanent part of future parasport events,” said Ruud Dankers, responsible for innovation at TDE. “More and more sports events have a virtual way to visit the event. By making this digital world accessible through Roblox, we want to inspire and involve a new generation in the parasport community.”
Gamification
In addition to the many digital opportunities to follow the event (live), the Paraverse also provides the opportunity for fans to interact with each other as well as athletes. “They get the opportunity to meet each other and learn about various parasports thanks to gamification.”
Athletes in different parasports, from wheelchair tennis to para judo and from para-cycling to boccia, compete for the European titles at seven different locations in Rotterdam – with Rotterdam Ahoy as their home base. In addition, athletes have the chance to qualify for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
“With great enthusiasm, we threw ourselves into the development of the Paraverse together with TDE,” said Jeroen Straathof, tournament director at EPC 2023. “This digital world enables us to achieve two of our main goals. Firstly, we want to introduce parasports to the widest possible group of sports fans. Thanks to the Paraverse, it is possible to plant a seed in the sports fan of the future, a unique opportunity. In addition, we want to put Paralympic sports on par with Olympic sports as much as possible. The Paraverse is an ideal tool for that, because together we are literally creating a world without limitations!”
The Paraverse was developed from Sportinnovator’s Challenge Top Sport Events program: www.sportinnovator.nl
