What is a segment?
A segment is a saved audience: a reusable group of people or records that match rules you choose. Think of it like a saved search. You set the rules once, such as "entered a half marathon", and Eventrac finds everyone who matches.
For example, you could create a segment for:
Everyone who has run a half marathon with you
People who haven't entered any of your events for two years
Everyone entered in this year's 10K who hasn't collected their race pack
Donors who gave more than £50 to your charity partner
Segments stay up to date automatically. As people register, cancel or change status, they move in and out of your segment. Your audience is always current, with no lists to rebuild.
Why use segments?
A first-timer, a loyal regular and someone you haven't seen for years all want to hear different things. Segments help you:
Send emails people actually want to read. Relevant messages get opened and clicked more.
Keep people on your mailing list. Fewer irrelevant emails means fewer unsubscribes.
Win back past participants with a personal "we miss you" message.
Promote the right event to the right people, such as your trail race to trail runners.
Save time. Build an audience once and reuse it again and again.
Customer or participant segment?
Most organisers use one of two kinds of segment. Which you need depends on what you're trying to do.
Customer segments are for marketing. They look across everyone who has ever dealt with you, over all your events and years. Use them to promote events, win people back or build loyalty. Example: everyone who has completed a half marathon with you in the past.
Participant segments are for running a specific event. They look at the people entered into an event. Use them for practical messages about that event. Example: everyone entered into this year's 10K who hasn't bought a T-shirt.
The simple rule: Promoting or marketing? Use a customer segment. Organising an event? Use a participant segment.
You'll also see other options, such as Orders, Donations, Members and Subscribers. These are covered in "Choosing an entity type" below.
Where to find segments
Click Segments in the left-hand menu to see every segment you and your team have created. You can also open Segments from the area of Eventrac that relates to the people you want to reach, such as CRM > Customers, All Sign Ups, Event Sign Ups, Sales Orders or Donations.
Organising segments with views
Views let you group related segments so they're easier to find. For example, create a view for each event, or one for fundraising segments and another for marketing.
Tip: If you run several events a year, a view per event keeps your segment list tidy as it grows.
How to create a segment
Start with one question: who needs to receive this message? If you're promoting your 10K, there's no reason to email people who only ever do your marathon. Then:
Go to Segments and click + New segment.
Give your segment a clear name, so your team knows exactly who's in it, e.g. 026 Half Marathon – unpaid entries.
Add a short description explaining what the segment is for.
Choose an entity type: what the segment is built from (see below).
Add one or more filters to define who belongs in the segment.
Click Save segment.
Choosing an entity type
The entity type is the kind of record your segment is built from. It decides which filters you can use, so pick the one that matches the group you want to reach. For marketing to your wider audience, choose Customers.
Entity type | Choose this to segment… | Example |
Customers | People who have bought from you | Customers who booked two or more events |
Participants | People entered into an event | Everyone running the 10K |
Orders | Individual purchases or bookings | Orders that used a discount code |
Donations | Donations made through your events | Donations over £50 |
Members | People with a membership | Members whose membership expires this month |
Subscribers | People subscribed to your communications | Newsletter subscribers |
Marketing Contacts | Contacts you can market to | Contacts who opted in to marketing |
Good to know: One person can appear in several entity types. Someone who buys an entry for themselves and a friend is one customer with one order, but two participants.
Adding filters
Filters are the rules that decide who is in your segment. Each filter has three parts:
Field – what you want to check, e.g. Event, Registration category or Status.
Operator – how you want to compare it, e.g. is or contains.
Value – what you're comparing against, e.g. Half Marathon 2026.
Put together, a filter reads like a sentence: Event is Half Marathon 2026. You can add as many filters as you need.
Choosing an operator
Operator | What it does | Example |
is | Matches the value exactly | Status is Confirmed |
is not | Leaves out anyone with that exact value | Status is not Cancelled |
contains | Matches if the value appears anywhere in the field | Email contains @nhs.net |
does not contain | Leaves out anyone where the value appears in the field | Team name does not contain Test |
is empty / is not empty | Checks whether the field has been filled in | T-shirt size is empty |
greater than / less than | Compares numbers or amounts | Donation amount greater than 50 |
before / after | Compares dates | Registration date after 01/01/2026 |
Combining filters: + Add vs Or Group
There are two ways to add more filters, and they change who's included in different ways.
Quick rule of thumb: Use + Add when you think "and also…". Use Or Group when you think "or alternatively…".
+ Add (AND) – narrows your segment
Click + Add to add another filter to the same group. People must match every filter in the group, so each one makes the segment smaller and more specific.
Example:
Event is Half Marathon 2026
AND Status is Confirmed
AND T-shirt size is empty
Result: confirmed Half Marathon runners who haven't chosen a T-shirt size yet.
Or Group (OR) – widens your segment
Click Or Group to start a new, separate group of filters. People only need to match one of the groups, so each group you add makes the segment bigger.
Example:
Group 1: Event is Half Marathon 2026 AND Registration category is Charity place
OR
Group 2: Event is 10K 2026 AND Registration category is Charity place
Result: everyone with a charity place in either the Half Marathon or the 10K.
Ready-made ideas to try
These customer segments are ones organisers use again and again. For the exact filters, plus more ideas, see Useful Email Marketing Segments to Get You Started and Useful Participant Segments to Get You Started.
Win back lapsed participants. Customers who haven't entered for over 12 months. Send a "we miss you" email, perhaps with a returning-runner discount.
Turn first-timers into regulars. Customers who have only entered one event. Invite them back with a friendly next-step suggestion.
Reward your most loyal fans. Customers who have entered three or more events in the last 12 months. Give them first access to entries or an exclusive offer.
Promote the right event. Customers who have entered a 10K. Tell them about your new 10K, or suggest they step up to a half marathon.
Using your segment
Once saved, your segment appears in your Segments list. Choose it as the audience whenever you create a new email or communication. Because segments stay up to date, you can reuse the same one every season without rebuilding it. See Turbo Charge Your Marketing Lists.
Tips for building great segments
Start simple. One or two filters is often all you need. Add one at a time and check the results before adding the next.
Name segments clearly. Include the event and year, e.g. Lapsed – no entry in 12 months is far more useful than Segment 3.
Use the description. A one-line note on why the segment exists helps your teammates reuse it.
Frequently asked questions
Do segments update automatically? Yes. A segment is a set of rules, not a fixed list, so it always reflects your latest data.
Can I edit a segment after saving it? Yes. Open the segment, change the name, description or filters, then save it again.
Why is my segment empty? Check that you've chosen the right entity type and that your filters aren't too strict. Try removing filters one at a time to find the one excluding everyone.
Can I change the entity type after creating a segment? We recommend creating a new segment instead, as changing the entity type changes which filters are available.
Related articles
Useful Email Marketing Segments to Get You Started
Useful Participant Segments to Get You Started
Sending a communication to a segment
Turbo Charge Your Marketing Lists
Contacts vs Customers: what's the difference?
Understanding participant statuses
Registration categories explained
Avoiding Duplicate Communications
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