Parade of Homes Planning Checklist: 7 Off-Season Tasks to Set You Up for Success

Light planning today saves a lot of time later

Creating a Parade of Homes planning checklist during the off-season can make next year’s event smoother, less stressful, and more successful. Once it’s wrapped, it can be tempting to close the laptop and not think about it again until a the month before your big event. But the off-season is actually the perfect time to knock out a few easy planning tasks so you’re not starting from scratch later.

Here are a few smart things you can do now to make next year’s parade smoother, less stressful, and even more successful.

1. Review Your Builder List (Outside the Dashboard)

Now is a good time to start organizing builder info for next year’s outreach.

• Make a separate list of builders who participated this year
• Note which builders you’d like to invite back
• Track new builder leads or companies that expressed interest

This list can be used for early marketing, packet planning, and sponsorship opportunities.

NOTE: Just be sure not to delete any builder records from your ParadeSmart dashboard, since that would also remove all of their homes and data.

2. Look at Ticket Types and Sales Patterns

Take a few minutes to review your ticketing setup.

• Which ticket types sold best?
• Were there too many options or not enough?
• Did digital or printed tickets get used more often?
• Would you like to go fully digital?

Your ParadeSmart reports can help you spot trends and simplify or expand offerings next time.

3. Start Drafting Next Year’s Builder Packet

If you already have a general sense of dates and pricing, now’s a great time to sketch out your 2026 builder packet.

• Outline pricing tiers
• Define your due dates for builders to participate
• Consider offering extra marketing exposure in the app or on the website

 Even a rough draft now will save hours when it’s time to launch registration.

4. Rework Your Sponsorship Tiers

Use this quiet season to revisit your sponsor structure.

• Are you offering clear visibility at different budget levels?
• Do your top-tier sponsors get exposure in the app, on the website, and in printed materials?
• Can you offer ad placement, featured listings, or tiered options?

You don’t have to finalize anything yet. Just jot down ideas while this year is fresh in your mind.

5. Refresh Your Website

Even a quick clean-up makes a difference.

• Remove outdated dates, images, or messages
• Add a placeholder for your next parade, even if you don’t have details yet
• Review any builder, sponsor, or restaurant pages and mark what needs updating next year

This helps you keep momentum even between events.

6. Export and Archive Key Reports

Now is the time to download and store reports while everything is fresh. Save these reports to support your Parade of Homes planning checklist:

• Ticket sales and scan reports
• Responses to demographic questions
• Lists of scanned builders and visitors (if opted in)

 Backing these up now makes comparisons easier next year and gives you a head start on planning.

7. Lock in 2026 and Save 10%

If you already know you’ll be using ParadeSmart for your 2026 event, we’d love to get you on the calendar.
Commit before December 31, 2025 and put down your 50% deposit to receive 10% off next year’s total.

Just reach out to support@paradesmart.com and we’ll get your event reserved.

This Parade of Homes planning checklist gives your team a head start before the rush begins.