For one thing, have you ever tried to put on an event in the City of Miami? It costs an arm and a leg and it's getting worse and worse. With the Bed Race taking place in the Center Grove, five streets were closed down -- Commodore, Grand, Fuller, Matilda and Virginia. Do you know what that costs? On top of that, there are many other city services. The city demands you have a bunch of police, while maybe two or three will do, the city demands you have 20! They demand you pay them $35 per hour or whatever the going rate is.
The city demands you pay for garbage clean up and other fees. The barricades were $280 each to rent the last time I looked. Have you ever counted how many are used to line the track, pit crew and other areas? They are required by law.
The stage costs money, some workers cost money, closing parking lots costs money, advertising and promotion costs money. In the past, the street banners that hang over Main and Grand and even the Key Biscayne bridge overpass were written off by the BID, now they are charging for this and each side of the banner is now charged for separately. I can't remember the figure, but I think it is $500 per side, so 3 banners are $3000.
The costs go on and on. Oh yes, rain and hurricane insurance, that is quite expensive for just one day. There is also insurance for casualty since it's not a tame event. Look up insurance rates for one day for a large event like this. Yes, it's still Hurricane season in November, but it's not the peak and also it's cooler, nicer and more people are around. November 3 is basically the first weekend of the winter season, and there doesn't seem to be any other events that weekend, where they do start piling up later in the month.
With the new date and new location, more sponsors are coming in, why I don't know, but they seem to like the whole new concept.
As for sponsors, the main beer sponsor dropped out because a local business did something they weren't supposed to do. So there went a large chunk of change.
As for people losing business in the Center Grove by this move to the Peacock Park area, let's put it this way -- the Bed Race was always on the turn at the end of McFarlane, the new incarnation five years ago brought it up to the Center Grove, with all its added expenses and logistics so as to bring business to the merchants, and it did, it brought thousands of dollars in to the local businesses at the end of the slow summer season, but in turn, the local businesses did not give back. Oh, the first year or two, they were in. But in following years, when asked to help with funding the goose that was laying the golden egg, the Bed Race committee was turned down. Heck, I had to fight with businesses to donate prizes last year, I'm still not speaking to some of them out of embarrassment on both parts.
I have even had to fight with businesses in the past to put up the poster in their windows. We would get flat out "no" responses! For the poster!
The BID has cut funding for every event, the money that was easily handed out to events, is no longer being handed out. I sat at meetings where people who were given thousands of dollars in the past were given a flat "no" now. The poor economy is affecting everyone.
Businesses in the Grove don't seem to have the money to help fund the event. And I am not saying they are responsible for paying the bills, but if you only have $2000 a month, you can't move to a $10,000 per month house. So in this case, the Bed Race is moving to where it's affordable.
And so all these different costs and logistics have caused the Bed Race to be moved to its original location, which to be honest, many people have requested over the years. It's cheaper since only one side of S. Bayshore Drive is going to be closed, it's wider, more open and vendors can even be brought in since they are not competing with businesses in the Center Grove streets.
More businesses can participate in the actual race, since people are in town and not away for Labor Day weekend or still gone from extended summer vacations, which was the case in the past.
As for the $5 entry fee, I believe that may be just a suggested donation where all the money, every penny is going to the Dress For Success charity and the gimmick may be if you donate a piece of clothing to the Dress for Success cause, you get in free.
The event is still being worked on (by the way, it takes six months of work or more to plan this) and more changes will be coming. But for those of you leaving bitter and nasty comments here and on Facebook and emailing me and the others involved, grow up. We're lucky to have this event. If you don't want to attend, then don't. But enough with the bad mouthing. This event can easily move to the Gables or Brickell or South Miami (like Snow Days did) were it would be very appreciated and whole heartily supported.
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