Ball State

University

MUSED 360

How to Plan a
Successful
Performance Tour

MUSED 360
www.blueprinttours.com
How to Plan a Successful Performance Tour
Sequencing
A. Pre-planning
B. Destination selection
C. Tour Planning
D. Tour Enrollment
E. Tour Execution

MUSED 360
www.blueprinttours.com
A. Pre-planning
1. School administration approval
a. School boards and/or administrators (principals,
deans, department chairs)
b. Liability issues, waivers, liability insurance
c. Travel precedent within school, district, area
2. Tour company selection process - potential minefield
a. References, references - reputation is essential
b. the numbers game (extras, taxes, enrollment fees,
program fees, gratuities, surcharges, etc.)
c. the sales pitch (calls, glossies)
d. escorting
e. chemistry and responsiveness
3. Ensemble type - choir, band, orchestra

MUSED 360
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B. Destination selection
1. Educational versus leisure destinations
a. Culturally significant performance venues
b. Opportunity for music education (history, professional
ensembles, clinics)
c. Opportunity for personal enrichment
d. Dovetail with general curriculum (social studies, arts,
humanities, language study)
2. Domestic versus foreign travel - small steps
a. School demographics
1. Economic hardship shouldn’t exclude opportunity
2. Trip fundraising options
b. Airline travel issues (vs. bus trips)
1. Instruments
2. Travel delays
3. Less flexible re: cancellations, personnel changes

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C. Tour Planning
1. Determine destination, trip duration and venues
2. Plan scout trip (if possible)
3. Decide on variables
a. Staffing
1. Number of “free places” available (1/12, 1/10, 1/7)
2. How are chaperones selected (faculty)?
3. Are parents welcome? How are they selected?
4. College-aged sherpas
b. Additional Activities
Symphony, theater, sightseeing, river cruise
c. Meals
d. “Free time”
e. Additional expenses (instrument rental, transport, t-shirts)
4. Liability waivers and medical permission slips

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D. Tour Enrollment
1. Tour brochure production (operator)
2. Tour announcement and brochure distribution (director)
2. Acceptance correspondence (operator and director)
3. Billing and collections (operator)
4. Final packet of information – maps, baggage tags, hotel info,
flight info, hourly itinerary (operator)
5. Plan a parent meeting – (most of this work should fall on tour
operator)
6. Rooming Lists
7. Emergency contact information

MUSED 360
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E. Tour execution
1. Coordinate pickup/transfer of instruments to airport
2. Bring lists (rooming, flight, chaperone)
3. Heed medical information
4. Coordinate transport of music folders and stands (wire)
5. Uniforms
6. Performance promotion
7. Divide and assign kids to chaperones
8. Discipline issues
a. Alcohol
b. Curfew
c. Groups of three

MUSED 360
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Some Recommendations
– Domestic Destinations
• Washington, DC
• Chicago
• New Orleans
• Boston
• New York
• San Francisco
• Seattle
• Denver
• Nashville/Memphis
MUSED 360
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Some Recommendations
– International Destinations
• Quebec
• Toronto
• Ireland
• United Kingdom
• Austria and the Czech Republic
• Italy
• Germany and Switzerland

MUSED 360
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 Questions?

MUSED 360
www.blueprinttours.com