North Carolina Holiday Flotilla cruises into the digital age
The text to vote feature for the boat parade people’s choice award is only one aspect North Carolina Holiday Flotilla committee members are using to get more in touch with the digital age.
Pres Davenport, who is in charge of public relations and media, said he recently finished adding interactive maps to the website, www.ncholidayflotilla.org.
The website went live with changes earlier this week.
The maps are customizable Google maps that show the parade route and highlight parking and viewing locations.
Davenport said there is a lot going on with public relations and media for the weekend event, which will kick off Friday, Nov. 23.
He also asked committee members about the possibility of releasing the names of boat parade winners Saturday evening to both the winners and the media instead of waiting until the awards breakfast Sunday morning as has been tradition.
“It is something to think about, but it would change the whole awards ceremony,” chairwoman Linda Brown said.
After further discussion, committee members decided to look into the topic more seriously in the coming month, before the committee’s last meeting takes place on Oct. 22.
Davenport will report back with details about how social media updates and email blasts of the winners’ names would work.
“It sounds like we’re going to be OK with it,” Brown said.
The text to vote is also in the final stages of the organization process for the new people’s choice award.
“You literally text boat and then the number,” Davenport said.
The boats will display numbers and then onlookers can shoot a text to 24587 with the word ‘boat’ and the number immediately following with no spaces. For example, boat24.
“We will come up with some stuff to hopefully make it really simple,” Davenport said.
Rick Crowder said there could also be a boat leading the rest of the parade with a sign stating how to text to vote. Committee members are going to look into those logistics.
Most of the other pieces still coming together will also be finalized before the October meeting.
Brown said she is waiting until flotilla weekend gets closer to meet with Wrightsville Beach town, fire, police and parks and recreation officials to discuss more operation details.
