Whether you’re a school or community ensemble, you’ll probably be needing to get approval from the board for your tour. (If not, skip ahead to Step 3!) Knowing Your Board What is the most important aspect of getting the tour approved with your board? Are they most concerned about budget? Safety, security and liability overseas? Educational opportunities for students? Outreach and service projects? Or something else? After you find out what is important to them, talk to your Encore Tour Consultant. If necessary, revise or craft the itinerary around their goals. Or ask your tour consultant to provide you with more details on the things that matter. For example, if the board is most concerned about overseas safety, ask your Encore Tour Consultant to provide you with resources about overseas safety to bring to your meeting. Perhaps you will need Encore’s insurance documents or safety policies. Simply ask us and you will receive! Gathering Resources for Your Board Meeting Your Encore Tour Consultant can help you gather any resources you will need from Encore to present to the board. We recommend obtaining the following: Your formal Encore proposal with tour dates, itinerary, prices per person and inclusions Encore’s safety and security policies Information about Encore’s red-card and 24/7 duty officer system Encore’s included insurance coverage and upgrade options Testimonials or references from other traveling directors General information about the touring destination – gather any “must-knows” about the destination in advance If you need further “back-up” help to present the proposal to the board, ask your Encore tour consultant to schedule a conference call with them or to attend the meeting in person. Check out our “Guide to Getting School Board Approval Kit” for more information!
May 12, 2026 David Solar Join Us at the 2026 Chorus America Conference We’re excited to be heading to Minneapolis, Minnesota for the 2026 Chorus America Conference, taking place June 3–6, 2026. Backstage Blog
May 12, 2026 David Solar Join us at the 2026 League of American Orchestras Conference We’re excited to be heading to the 2026 League of American Orchestras National Conference in Baltimore, taking place June 1–3, with pre-conference sessions beginning May 31. Backstage Blog
May 4, 2026 Encore Tours How to Customize Your Boston Symphony Hall Experience There are certain stages that change how students think about performing, and Boston Symphony Hall is one of them. Backstage Blog