These brave souls are the heart and soul of the parade operations the night of the event. Stationed every 50-100 yards along the parade route, the parade marshals keep the parade moving forward at the recommended pace. They are responsible for maintaining spacing between the participant attractions/entries. They are responsible for ensuring the participants “perform” for the judges. They are responsible for “stopping” the parade to allow cross-traffic or emergency personnel to cut through the parade as necessary. This committee operates the parade – starts, stops and everything in between.

This committee is in charge of notifying all parade participants of where to go, what time and how to get there the day of the parade in order to be staged in parade order. This committee is also in charge of putting all participants in parade order and troubleshooting any issues arising regarding floats, groups, bands, etc. This committee is solely responsible for ensuring the correct participant is at the “starting line” of the parade at the appropriate time and in the right order!

This committee takes over at the end of the parade route, directing groups, bands, autos and floats participating in the parade to the de-staging area to break down and disperse. This committee assists participants in de-staging, even helping to coordinate with the transport committee to get registered personnel back to the original staging area to retrieve vehicles, props, etc.

Committee is Full
This committee is in charge of recruiting six qualified judges to judge the entries in the parade. The committee will be responsible for generating a judging procedure, providing judges with their judging sheets, communicating time/place/way of things prior to the parade, assisting the judges in arriving at the judging platform, working with the judges during judging, compiling results and communicating to the end entertainment committee for announcement and assisting judges in departing after the parade.

This committee is in charge of soliciting bids and making a determination regarding all staging, bleachers, tents, tables, communications and lighting for the entire parade route. This committee is then responsible for coordinating set-up and teardown with these vendors, in addition to ensuring all is in working order for the duration of the parade…all within budget!

This committee is responsible for ensuring adequate “facilities” for parade-goers and participants alike. From scouting the route to find permanent facilities that will be accessible for use during the event to soliciting bids and selecting vendors to provide temporary facilities at convenient locations throughout the route, this committee deals with all aspects regarding human waste management!

This committee coordinates all food and drink vendors, soliciting their presence, coordinating setup and teardown, communicating and coordinating with the Equipment and Power committee to ensure tents, tables, and power, selecting those who will be allowed to participate, working out the details on payment, communicating with beer/sodas vendors during the event to ensure refill/restock of product. This committee also ensures vendors are well-stocked with ice, paper goods, etc.

Committee is Full
This committee ensures adequate site lines of the parade for any and all media broadcasting or reporting on the event. This committee also works with equipment and power committee to ensure sound systems for announcers along the parade route, as well as at the judging stand and end entertainment area. This committee will also ensure adequate lighting and power, as well as accessibility (working with parking/transport) for the media.

Committee is Full
This committee will work closely with the Gazette staff to ensure consistent branding and information distribution. It is also responsible for all interaction with businesses along the parade route to solicit their involvement and develop a solid and positive relationship with them. This committee will help solicit participants, create artwork and distribute posters, banners and signs, coordinate advertising, send press releases and create media reports for all coverage.

Committee is Full
This committee will help select a grand marshal and that coordinate their schedule for the event. This committee is also in charge of hospitality for the grand marshal of the parade. They will plan the afterparty & concert at the close of the parade. This committee will communicate afterparty information directly to the crowd and will be responsible for getting paradegoers to attend the afterparty.

This committee is our incident report and crisis management team. This committee works with police, fire and medical personnel to ensure adequate, timely coverage of the crowd during the event in order to provide the best security and safety possible. This committee is also responsible for monitoring and reporting any incidents after the parade to the steering committee for insurance purposes. (NOTE: High Stress Committee)

With Gazette staff, this committee is responsible for generating revenue at the event with vendor booth rental and the sale of merchandise. This committee is also in charge of recruiting sales volunteers and making rounds (with the help of the transport committee) with police escort to collect cash generated through the event’s own revenue-generating activities the day of the event.

Committee is Full
This committee is responsible for soliciting sponsorships for the event. Levels are preliminarily created by the steering committee, and this committee is responsible for identifying solid prospects, making appointments and selling the sponsorships to them. This committee is responsible for getting all paperwork, payment, logos, etc. and passing them along to steering, finance and marketing respectively. This committee is responsible for communicating with the sponsors up until the event, providing information and support regarding sponsor appreciation events, escort to their VIP viewing area during the event and following up with thank you notes/photos/value reports after the event.

This committee is responsible for identifying designated parking for participants and spectators, and conveying said info to marketing for signage. This committee is in charge of barrier coordination with vendors and the city in order to block off the parade route, staging areas, etc. as well as coordinating the rolling barricade for the last part of the parade. This committee is also responsible for ensuring adequate locations for load-in and load-out of vendors, drop-off locations for costumed revelers, access for media (in conjunction with media committee), transport of fundraising committee to collect money, transport of parade personnel to other locations along the route, transport of parade participants back to staging area if needed, transport of judges, vendors and suppliers, etc. This committee is also responsible for soliciting bids and selecting a transport vehicle vendor (golf carts, etc?)

Committee is Full
This committee solicits and selects applicants for the parade. This committee also plans the parade order of participants. This committee communicates with all participants, giving information about their place in the parade and time/location of expected arrival and staging. This committee assists the staging committee before and during the event. This committee also communicates with the costumed revelers on site, ensuring they are interspersed throughout the parade.

This committee is responsible for spreading the word and soliciting groups and individuals to volunteer their time and resources to making this thing happen! This committee must work to match volunteer’s aptitudes and interests to the committee work most suited and suitable. This committee must keep in contact with all committee chairs to determine which areas need more volunteer help, steering potential volunteers in those directions after volunteerism at critical mass. This committee’s work is done at the front end and has no responsibilities at the actual event unless they recruit themselves for other committee work!