Posted by NTDNYC on 16 Apr 2012 /
3 Comments
Thank you to all who took part in a wonderful Parade on Saturday, April 14 - in splendid weather! Our Grand Marshal, Scottish Government, pipers, drummers, societies, organizations, committee, volunteers, supporters, sponsors and thousands of spectators all played their part and contributed to a wonderful day out for all. And Scotland!
See many more pictures on our Facebook page already. Roll on 2013!
3 Comments
Had a wonderful time and the parade gets better every year. We need more media exposure. Is there noone out there who has a contact with the TV stations??? i am sure they would be delighted to have pipers & dancers on their morning shows. I cannot tell you how many people asked me what was going on.
My sister and I want to learn more aboujt the Scottish communiity in New York City. The parade sounds like a wonderful way to meet our Scottish friends and maybe relatives. Please send me any information you have for next years parade and other adtivities that will be taking place in the City. Thank you,
Joan
Similar to John’s inquiry, how about online video coverage of the parade, to include the pre-parade activity on 44th and 45th Streets (the real party) and perhaps the post parade parties? I have come up twice from North Carolina with my adult children and we have had a ball (just wander out of Stout! over to Penn Station for the trip home…) but not something to be done on a regular basis.
I am now pulling together our citiy’s first annual Tartan Day gig for 2013 in a large British (sorry…) themed micro brewery and it would be great to stream in some live coverage from NYC during intermissions (to mix with Amy McDonald singing Flower of Scotland and Runrig’s Loch Lomond) — and I think that there are many places across the US and Canada where this would catch on. I would also expect that it would not be too hard to round up some sponsors — Walker’s Shortbread, a few of the single malt distilleries, VisitScotland, etc., come to mind. You are also going to need a US based sponsor that markets at the US pub level, for example, Samuel Adams (who trained Edinburgh based brewer Steve Stewart). And, if you invest a little in promotions outside of the city you might just stimulate others to come and celebrate their heritage up and down 6th Avenue (or at least wee bit of it). Hey, there is another potential sponsor, the NYCVCB.
Elsewhere on this site it is noted that the From Scotland With Love fashion show garners as much as 95% of all media attention during Tartan Week. Not begrudging the lovely lassies one bit, but there is something wrong with this — even if the media attention discrepancy is not nearly as great as claimed. Nothing grabs folks attention like pipes & drums on parade. The Tartan Day organization/association need some media savvy or most of the week’s effort is going to waste, especially the parade.
Get with Amtrak marketing and promote strongly in the NEC, and Keystone and Empire Corridors. They have an onboard publication (Arrive) that is just begging for the kind of color that only bagpipes, kilts and highland dancers can produce. Penn Station is well situated for Tartan Week and is an easy walk (for Scots) to many activities.