This year's Tournament of Roses parade celebrated Inspiring Stories. (Photo by Staff Pro)
It was a brisk New Year’s Day in Pasadena, Calif., where more than 700,000 spectators and 88 entries enjoyed the 126th annual Rose Parade. This year the parade theme was “Inspiring Stories,” selected by Tournament of Roses President Richard L. Chinen. The theme, Chinen explained, was about ordinary people who do extraordinary things.
Last year’s Rose Parade was watched on TV by 54,800,000 individuals and 37,100,000 households nationally, as well as 25,000,000 viewers internationally in 115 countries and territories. Numbers for this year’s parade are expected to be even higher.
What distinguished this parade from previous years was the inclusion of chapter banners. To bring the “Inspiring Stories” theme to life, Chinen created chapters including Courage & Honor, Heritage & Vision, Community Spirit & Relationships, Perseverance & Hope and Imagination & Joy to tell a story as the parade unfolded. Each chapter included participants who embodied the theme.
Behind the Scenes
Incredible people weren’t only featured in the parade, but behind-the-scenes as well. In fact, 935 volunteers contributed over 80,000 hours to make the parade possible. According to the official Rose Parade Program, “Each volunteer is assigned to one of 31 committees, with responsibilities ranging from selecting parade participants to directing visitors on New Year’s Day, to serving food to band members at the end of the parade route, to giving presentations about the Tournament to community groups.”
Christine Susa, director of Marketing & Communications at the Pasadena Convention and Visitors Bureau, explained “planning is year-round and begins with the theme selection in January.” What’s more, most floats take nearly a year to construct. While some are still built exclusively by volunteers from sponsoring communities, most are built by professional float-building companies like the Phoenix Decorating Company and Fiesta Parade Floats.
When it came to security at the parade, Staff Pro, along with the Pasadena police and fire departments, were there to ensure guest safety. Thushan Rajapaksa, VP of Staff Pro, said that above all else, he held his team to their company philosophy. “We want to create magical moments and memorable experiences for live audiences.”
Staff Pro employee John Colasas surveys the crowd, which numbered more than 700,000. (Photo by Staff Pro)
Hundreds of Staff Pro employees were given orientation, guest services, and leadership training. Additionally, along with Rose Parade volunteers, firefighters and police, they completed a site walk-through before the event. “We wanted to ensure the safety and integrity of the event,” Rajapaksa explained, “Making sure all fans had that guest experience and that nothing disrupted the flow.”
As for challenges at this particular event, only one stood out: the weather. “It was freezing,” Rajapaksa recalled, especially at 2:30 a.m. when the Staff Pro team had its show call. Otherwise, there were no incidents. Due to Staff Pro’s multiyear deal and issue-free performance, they plan to continue working the Rose Parade for many years to come.
Working with the City
Since the parade has been taking place on New Year’s Day for 126 years, the Tournament of Roses Foundation has developed a special relationship with the City of Pasadena.
Fans who camped overnight kept warm with bonfires and entertained with mobile devices. (Photo by Staff Pro)
According to Andrea Fox, Manager of Public Relations at the Tournament of Roses, “The Tournament of Roses has a long-standing and positive relationship with the City of Pasadena – including the Pasadena Police Department and Pasadena Fire Department.” In fact, due to 2015’s parade being the coldest in 50 years, the Pasadena police and fire departments in collaboration with the Tournament of Roses put out a public statement offering reminders to parade goers about wearing layers, bringing extra water, using sunscreen and generally using common sense for people planning to camp overnight. These reminders were shared on social media, through traditional media, on websites and generally any other way they could share the information.
Additionally, the City of Pasadena owns and operates several low-cost parking facilities for Rose Parade attendees and cooperates with the Tournament of Roses to shut down streets for the parade.
The City is happy to cooperate; after all, the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl game bring in more than $400 million to the Southern California economy each year. According to an interview with William B. Flinn, executive director of the Tournament of Roses Association, the Tournament of Roses translates into more than 6,000 jobs throughout Southern California.
After the Parade
The parade isn’t over once every float, band, and equestrian unit has made its final march down Colorado Boulevard. A Showcase of Floats is a Tournament of Roses Post Parade event that allows people to see the artistry of the floats up close and personal for a few days after the parade.
This year the event ran from Thursday, Jan. 1 through Saturday, Jan. 3. Tickets were $10 and attendees could view over 50 floats. Last year, approximately 75,000 people attended the event. Tournament of Roses volunteers, also known as “white suiters,” were available to answer questions and share details about the design and workmanship of the floats as well as the float-making process.
Other Tournament of Roses events, other than the parade and Rose Bowl game, include the decorating of floats or “Decorating Places” event, Bandfest and Equestfest, which together drew 101,551 people in 2014.
Interviewed for this story: Christine Susa, (626) 395-0211, Thushan Rajapaksa, (714) 465-7448; Andrea Fox, (626) 817-9325.