January 29, 2020
The 2019 ECU Homecoming Parade
Reeves Williams waves at parade marchers with his mom Jennifer. (ECU Photo by Cliff Hollis)
by SHL senior, Molly Roth
For the past four years, I have been a volunteer with the ECU Homecoming Committee. During my first year with the committee, I had little idea of my impact, if any. At that time, I had no idea that my participation on the Homecoming Committee would have such a large impact on my time at ECU.
It was in my junior year that I took on the role of parade lead. As the parade lead, I was responsible for planning the parade from beginning to end. I was still an elementary education major at the time and was unsure exactly of my true responsibilities. It quickly became something I was passionate about, however, and after some thought and research, I changed my major to hospitality management with a concentration in special events and conventions. Now, after three years of planning and running the parade, I have come to realize just how valuable my School of Hospitality Leadership (SHL) classes have been in preparing me to run events as I get ready to start my career.
Leaning on the SHL
2019 homecoming parade on Fifth Street. (ECU Photo by Cliff Hollis)
During my first year on the committee, there was a learning curve, especially when trying to comprehend just how many moving pieces there are in planning an event such as a parade. My SHL courses helped me plan the parade and to create a template for my successors to follow. Step one was creating a calendar of dates and timelines for specific jobs. This valuable tool entailed setting deadlines for participating organizations, such as bands, and reaching out to companies about donations. In addition to these tasks, I created spreadsheets with contact information for fire departments, dance studios, auto dealerships and local high school bands. These spreadsheets helped me — and the Committee — keep track of who had been contacted and their participation status.
Also, planning required working outside of ECU and with the City of Greenville and local law enforcement. Working with local government agencies has been an eye-opening experience. Coordinating with these organizations is necessary as the committee must obtain permits to shut down Fifth Street and to get help from police with traffic and crowd control. Barricades must be obtained by the police to ensure safety along the parade route, including participants and spectators, ensuring unauthorized vehicles and crowds don’t interfere with the parade.
2019 homecoming queen and COB senior Taylor Chappell (ECU Photo by Cliff Hollis)
Prepping for record numbers
Creating the lineup for the parade is a science I learned and perfected over the years. Color coding and ensuring a diverse selection of participants helped create an appropriate flow throughout the parade and keep spectators engaged. Also, of vital importance is planning for the “what ifs.” Planning for the unknowns is key and is something I have heard in my SHL classes over the years.
The parade includes several categories of participants: vehicles (convertibles and Jeeps), walking groups, organizations competing for the Spirit Cup, departments and organizations not competing for Spirit Cup, fire trucks and groups of performers. When reviewing the number of participants during my years on the committee, 2019 was the longest parade. In 2019 we had approximately 70 participants in a parade that lasted more than an hour. We had 15 vehicles that carried our Grand Marshal, Homecoming King and Queen candidates, alumni, and members of SGA. Walking groups, which totaled 15, included various ECU departments and organizations as well as community organizations from around Greenville.
Overall, we had about 25 floats participating in the parade in 2019, which included for the first time local dance studios. Additionally, we had a total of 10 performing groups, police cars and fire trucks.
The staging area for the parade was on the streets and on independently owned properties, including an elementary school, funeral home and church. In class, we have been taught that good vendor relationships are vital to an event’s success. To keep our vendors happy, we meet with them yearly to ensure their properties are used as they wish and to show appreciation for their assistance now and in the future.
2019 homecoming parade on Fifth Street. (ECU Photo by Cliff Hollis)
Growing at the College of Business
Growth is important to every annual event and is something that has my focus. Each year after the event is over, the committee meets to discuss the event, including the pros and cons. My SHL classes have emphasized the importance of wrap-up meetings to improve for the future. Each year has gotten noticeably better, whether it be more engaging in the eyes of the spectators, or to the committee with the organizational aspects behind the scenes. The committee is made up of the individuals who help run and put together the parade as well as the events throughout the week of homecoming. About 20 volunteers helped me run the parade, showing up at 6 a.m. to give their time and talents to ensure a successful parade.
I am proud of how I have been able to improve my event planning skills personally and how I have been able to grow the event for the university. Grace Faller, SHL freshman, has been learning and preparing to take over for years to come. Her enthusiasm to learn is apparent, and I believe that since she is starting so early into her time here at ECU, she is going to grow the parade tremendously.
Molly Roth, left and Grace Faller