BRINGING THE KREWES TOGETHER...
History
In the summer of 1992, Carl Hall – a member of Ye Mystic Krewe of Neptune – brought together Tampa Bay's six major krewes for a planning luncheon, and the Inter-Krewe Council was created.
Those founding members were:
- YE MYSTIC KREWE OF NEPTUNE
- KREWE OF THE KNIGHTS OF SANT’ YAGO
- YE MYSTIC KREWE OF GASPARILLA
- 1ST USV CAVALRY REGIMENT - ROUGH RIDERS
- KREWE OF VENUS
- LATIN AMERICAN FIESTA ASSOCIATION
From the beginning, the Council’s purpose has been to foster a spirit of cooperation and camaraderie among the member krewes and to provide a forum for information about the parades and other krewe-related activities.
Today
There are around 67 Krewes/ Organizations that make up The Inter-Krewe Council. IKC hosts a quarterly meeting that each krewe/ organization's representative and/or Krewe President attends.
Why should my Krewe be involved with the Inter Krewe Council?
The Inter-Krewe Council (IKC) is an organization that serves as a unifying force for the various krewes in an effort to increase cooperation. The IKC provides numerous benefits to its member krewes, including:
Networking Opportunities: The IKC provides a platform for krewes to network and collaborate with each other. This allows krewe members to share ideas, resources, and best practices, which can help them to improve their events and activities. The IKC calendar allows krewe leaders to plan their events with minimal conflicts with other krewes' events.
Increased Visibility: By joining the IKC, krewes can increase their visibility. The IKC promotes member krewes and their events through various marketing channels, such as social media, local news outlets, and other promotional materials.
Community Involvement: The IKC is actively involved in the local community and member krewes have the opportunity to participate in a variety of community service and charitable events. This allows krewes to give back to the community and to make a positive impact in communities they serve.
Access to Resources: The IKC provides member krewes with access to a variety of resources, such as event planning tools, vendor contacts, and legal and accounting advice. IKC member krewe's past and present leaders are also resources- they may have solved problems with their floats, vendors, and/or membership and may have some great advice! This can help krewes to save time and money and to operate more efficiently.
Recognition and Awards: The IKC recognizes member krewes for their achievements and contributions to the community. Member krewes have the opportunity to win awards and recognition for their events, floats, and community service activities.
Overall, joining the Inter-Krewe Council can provide numerous benefits to krewes, including networking opportunities, increased visibility, community involvement, access to resources, and recognition and awards.