Homecoming budget breakdown

Budget up from previous year, $64,500 allocated for concert

Over $76,000 will be spent on this year’s Homecoming week, an increase of around $5,000 from the 2010 budget. An additional $2,600—left over from Hanging of the Greens—has also been dedicated to Homecoming.

“(The Homecoming budget) always fluctuates a little bit,” said SGA President Zach Mullins. “We did increase (the budget) a little, but for the bands we got and the impact on the campus, it will be good.”

According to Mullins, the additional $2,600 will increase the concert’s length.

The majority—78 percent—of the allotted budget is set aside for the Homecoming concert. Only $60,000 was allocated for the concert, but the actual cost will be around $64,500. The difference will be covered by ticket sales to the community and students from other schools, and the additional funds will be added.

Of the concert budget, $48,600 will go the bands for performing—$45,000 for B.o.B., $1,000 for Playboy Tre and $2,600 for Stokeswood—and an additional $4,500 will be spent on agent fees.

Sound and lighting for the concert will cost $9,400. The remaining allocations are for logistical items such as security, transportation and tickets.

Students had mixed feelings about the money being spent on the concert.

“I think the money was better spent this year on B.o.B. than it was last year on Sean Kingston,” said sophomore management major Tyler Kemp. “I know it is going to be a great concert.”

“They are just blowing money and then tuition just keeps going up,” said junior psychology major Jared Blackwood.

The other $16,800 that makes up the Homecoming budget will be used for the rest of Homecoming week.

“Some of that is into marketing and so we can have…free goodies to give away,” Mullins said. “It’s also to cover the overhead of Tent City…and prizes and that kind of stuff.”

Almost half of the $16,800 is set aside for Homecoming marketing. Mr. & Ms. Georgia College, the College Trivia Bowl, Intramural events, the Bobcat Ramble, the Homecoming parade and Tent City are budgeted at around $3,500.

New banners for Front Campus were purchased with the $3,000 allocated in the budget. According to Mullins, the banners will be longer lasting and have air holes to prevent the wind from destroying them.

The Homecoming budget comes directly from the $81 Student Activities Fee paid each semester. Eight percent of those funds were dedicated to the events this year. That percentage is the same amount SGA is given from the Student Activities Fee budget.

“To an extent it’s how much we can give at Spring allocation. We have made efforts to solidify a percentage for next year,” Mullins said. “I’m trying to move more and more to that method because it takes out the guess work.“

According to Mullins, the effort to cement a percentage of the budget for Homecoming is just waiting for approval from the president and vice president of Georgia College. Mullins expects the percentage to be in effect next year.

Posted by Matt Chambers on Feb 3 2011. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.