Sampling at HYROX London ExCeL for ESN.
Elite Sports Nutrition (ESN) partnered with iMP to deliver a large scale product sampling activation during HYROX London at ExCeL. HYROX is one of the fastest growing global fitness events, attracting thousands of athletes, spectators and fitness fans across multiple days. With people arriving and leaving the venue constantly, the opportunity for high volume product sampling was huge.
iMP was tasked with placing ESN directly in the flow of HYROX foot traffic, capturing attention, driving trial and ensuring products landed in the hands of the right audience at the right moment.
Sampling at Hyrox.
HYROX London proved that when product sampling is placed in the right environment, it stops feeling like promotion and starts feeling useful. With athletes, coaches and supporters moving in and out of ExCeL throughout the day, the setting was perfectly primed for sports nutrition sampling. Energy, hydration and recovery were not abstract ideas here. They were immediate needs. This activation met people exactly where they were, both physically and mentally.
Positioned on key arrival and exit routes, the sampling became part of the HYROX rhythm. People arrived focused and fuelled by adrenaline. Others left tired, buzzing and thinking about what came next. In between, ESN products landed naturally in hands that understood why they mattered. There was no need to over explain. A bar, a sachet or a gel made sense in that moment, and that is what made the interaction work.
What made this activation powerful was its simplicity. Fast conversations. Easy handovers. A steady flow of product that matched the pace of the event. Over four days, tens of thousands of samples were distributed to a highly engaged fitness audience, many of whom tried the products immediately or saved them for their next training session. The scale was significant, but the experience still felt personal.
HYROX sampling opportunity.
HYROX London is not just a race day. It is a multi day fitness movement with competitors, coaches, gym communities and spectators moving in and out of ExCeL from early morning through to evening. That constant flow made it the perfect environment for product sampling at scale.
People were arriving pre race, leaving post race, or spending hours around the venue supporting others. This created natural moments where energy, hydration and recovery products were highly relevant and genuinely useful.
The ESN activation setup.
iMP delivered a four day product sampling activation positioned on key routes leading to and from ExCeL London. The setup was designed to be visible from distance while staying quick and efficient for people on the move.
An inflatable branded ESN X-gazebo and sampling bins clearly communicated the product benefits, with messaging focused on fuel, hydrate, energise and strengthen. Our team of trained brand ambassadors worked in rotation to maintain pace, clarity and consistency across the full four days.
Rather than slowing people down, the activation worked with movement. Short conversations, fast handovers and clear product explanation meant sampling stayed high volume without feeling rushed.
ESN sample products.
Across the four days, ESN sampled a broad mix of sports nutrition formats that matched different moments in the HYROX journey. Athletes heading in were looking for fuel and energy. Those leaving were thinking about recovery and hydration. Spectators wanted convenience and taste.
Products sampled included protein bars, whey protein powder, electrolyte sachets and energy gels, allowing ESN to showcase the depth of its range rather than a single hero product. The scale of sampling achieved meant ESN reached tens of thousands of potential customers in a matter of days, with genuine relevance to their lifestyle and goals.
Why sampling worked at HYROX.
HYROX audiences arrive with intent. They care about performance, recovery and what they put into their bodies. Product sampling in this context feels helpful rather than promotional.
By positioning ESN on the main arrival and exit routes, the brand became part of the HYROX experience rather than a distraction from it. People trusted the products, tried them immediately or saved them for training later, and many stopped to ask follow up questions about flavours, formats and usage.
Sampling results.
- 4x days product sampling activation at HYROX London ExCeL
- 44,921 total samples distributed
- 11,230 average samples per day
- consistent demand from morning through to late afternoon
- highly targeted fitness audience focused on performance, training and nutrition
- 10x 1000’s of potential customers reached within a single event window
Want to put your product directly in front of the right audience?
iMP designs and delivers product sampling experiences that fit naturally into busy environments, whether that is city centres, events or high footfall locations. We take care of the planning, staffing, vehicles, equipment and on site delivery, making sure each sample reaches people at a moment when it actually makes sense to them.
If you are considering how live product sampling can support brand visibility, encourage trial or complement online and retail activity, explore our Sampling Services to see how we approach it.
When you are ready to move from planning to delivery, we’re ready to make it happen.
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Yes. iMP regularly delivers product sampling activations positioned outside, near or around major fitness events like HYROX. We understand crowd flow, arrival and exit patterns and how to place sampling teams where they naturally meet athletes and spectators without disrupting the event itself.
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HYROX attracts a highly engaged fitness community. By sampling on key routes and peak movement times, we reach competitors before and after races as well as coaches, supporters and gym communities. This ensures products are placed in the hands of people already interested in performance, recovery and nutrition.
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Absolutely. The format is built to scale. Sampling at HYROX can be delivered as a single event or rolled out across multiple cities and dates with consistent setup, staffing and messaging. iMP manages logistics, teams and scheduling so brands can activate at scale with confidence.
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CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
David and team at iMP are the real deal - kind, personable, dependable, professional, and offer a craftsmanship that rivals any agency I've encountered in my career. We will absolutely be using iMP again for any future UK activations (if they will have us) and highly recommend for any companies seeking an incredible experience - ESPECIALLY if you're a US-based team like us, and need an expert on location.
Brand Director
Life360
Had a wonderful experience working with David and the whole iMP team for an event this summer! David went above and beyond to help wherever possible and the branded ice cream van turned out beautifully. Hope to work with iMP again soon!
Brand Manager
ETTG
We worked with iMP for our event stand and staffing of the Ideal Home Show. David and the team were fantastic, our stand was incredible and we had so many compliments on it. The staff were great, they are really high energy and engaged our consumers at the stand. I would highly recommend if you are looking to run any sampling or experiential events for your brand.
Brand Manager
Snuggledown
Hiring iMP for an event I was leading on for a new client was a great decision. They turned around a high quality sampling event and promo vehicle with a very short turnaround time, and their staff on the day were incredibly enthusiastic and professional. They made the process easy and the client very happy, we'll definitely be working with them again.
Brand Director
Lee Kum Kee
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