Utah Valley Home Builders Association

6 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 8 we sold 39,000 tickets, generating almost half a million visits from those ticket sales to the homes listed in that year’s parade.” The parade, which runs for three weeks, lists anywhere from 24 upward to 45 new homes ranging in price from half a million dollars to nine million dollars, which attendants can visit, explore, and even vote for to determine the People’s Choice Award. “One of our rules is that the homes must be new, and they must be fully landscaped and decorated,” explains Caldwell. “Most of the homes are presold and provide an opportunity for the builders, designers and landscapers to really show off, so they put in a little extra into each home like custom designs or new innovations, which enhances the show for attendants.” Due to COVID restrictions in 2020 and 2021, the association pivoted to a virtual Parade of Homes, which Caldwell admits, opened the event to a broader audience. “Although the virtual events did not perform as well as the previous physical ones, they presented a unique opportunity,” he says. “Last year we sold tickets to our virtual parade in 40 states and 20 countries, and so from this year, we have decided to retain the virtual parade and present a hybrid parade that is accessible in person and also virtually for anyone who wants to attend from out of state.” With so many tickets sold, the UVHBA raises quite a sizable chunk of change, which it channels into various initiative in the area. “In the last 14 months we’ve donated around half a million dollars in scholarship funds to local colleges like Brigham Young University, Utah Valley University, and Snow College,” avers Caldwell. “We also, every year, give scholarships to our member’s children, which amounts to around $50,000.” Mirroring other areas of the country, the building and construction industry in Utah is also facing challenges occasioned by the tailwinds of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The main challenge our members are facing is supply disruptions, which is making it difficult for them to deliver houses UTAH VALLEY HOME BUI LDERS ASSOC I AT ION