The costs to budgeting a Parade are for more expansive then you would have realized, luckily we are here to help. Things to take into consideration when planning a budget; permits, security, clean up, advertising, sponsorship funds, responsibility for floats (yours or sponsors), how many participants, registration deadlines to confirm involvement, signs to be made, etc.Parade Cloud has a ‘Financials’ tab which will break down every sponsor, business, or organization’s involvement and what funds are coming in, as well as where they are going out to. When you pair this with the ‘To Do’ tab, you can quickly see what still needs to be spent or obtained. All of these features are included in the program at no additional cost to you.
It is essential to get as many volunteers as you can to offset the costs you will incur while planning your parade. Instead of paying the city extra to clean up after the festivities, volunteers can do this for free. Similar to security, volunteers are an excellent solution to having to pay local officials or a security firm to protect your spectators and participants. We suggest double-checking with your local city admins and insurance policyholder for what is acceptable though as every municipality is slightly different in how they operate. By reaching out to your local municipality and creating a great partnership with them is what will keep future parades successful and available.
Permits range from city to city, but the permit prices are usually non-negotiable. Reach out to get your permit prices from the city admin to know exactly what expenses you can prepare for. Some municipalities do not require a permit, but it is always a requirement to check.
Signs, banners, and all promotional marketing needs to be factored into your budget as well. All marketing avenues have different rates. Print marketing is far more expensive than social media marketing, but depending on your community and demographic, it may be the most effective way to promote your event. Fantastic alternatives to print marketing are social media marketing.
We are firm believers in the expansive reach and affordable rates that social media marketing offers. Regardless, exploring your options in advance will help guide your agenda and budget.
The majority of your income will come from the sponsorships and registration fees from participants, should you choose to have registration fees. One hundred float registrants at $50 will net you $5,000. That may seem like a lot, but when it all boils down to brass tax, you will ultimately use these numbers to factor in how to market appropriately to make your event the best that it can be.
Having strict registration deadlines in place will allow you to know exactly how many participants you have at the designated time to start marketing. The best way to know you have all of your ducks in a row is by using Parade Cloud’s software and inviting the participants to join in as well, which is free for them. We suggest starting the planning process six months in advance to the event to maximize efficiency and to ensure the parade goes off without any hiccups.
Reach out to us today for a demo of Parade Cloud https://www.paradecloud.com/ and the features that guide you while you are creating the ultimate experience so you can see just how easy it is to put on a great event. Make sure to Like and Follow us on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ParadeCloud/ to stay up to date on all of our upgrades and to absorb the infectious parade culture.
