Now that you’ve made the decision to organize a trip and crafted your itinerary, it’s time to start recruiting your group! At Encore Tours, we believe that travel should be an enjoyable and stress-free experience from start to finish. We aim to simplify recruitment by offering a variety of fantastic benefits, including fundraising tools, exciting incentives, and basic protection plans at no extra cost. Our dedicated team takes care of every detail, from meticulously planning your itinerary to handling all logistical arrangements, ensuring a seamless and worry-free journey. Our full customization options allow you to tailor the experience to your group’s needs, while our expert local guides and extensive overseas network provide peace of mind throughout your trip. Additionally, we reward directors for their dedication with a unique suite of benefits, such as Prelude, our annual professional development weekend for ensemble directors. When recruiting a group, there are a few key points to remember: The Snowball Effect: It gets easier and easier the more groups you lead. Once word spreads about the inspiring, valuable, and fun trips you take, next year’s group will already start forming. That’s why average repeat groups are roughly 26% larger than first-time groups. It’s a Process: The first step is hosting a recruitment meeting, but that’s not the only step. We’re here to help! Your Program Consultant has a wealth of knowledge on best practices and is more than happy to advise and coach you until your group reaches its desired size. Plus, keep reading. We’ve got loads of tools to help you reach your numbers. Schedule a Meeting Where and When Select a meeting space that is convenient and accessible for your group. For student groups, ideal options include school auditoriums, classrooms, or computer labs. For non-school or adult groups, consider community spaces like libraries or community centers. Ensure the venue has adequate parking or public transport links and can accommodate your presentation and attendees. Optimal meeting times are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays between 6-7 pm. For student groups, teachers will often need to hold multiple sessions to accommodate extracurricular activities. You might also consider a brief student-only meeting after class to gauge interest. Choose the arrangement that best suits your group! Promote Your Recruitment Meeting When it’s time to spread the word about your tour and upcoming recruitment meeting, simply follow our tried-and-true strategies for guaranteed success! For youth groups, send a letter home with an RSVP request to ensure a larger turnout. For adult groups, you can hand out the invitation at the end of rehearsal. For youth groups, follow up with an email to parents a couple of weeks before the meeting to remind them to attend. For adult groups, scheduling an email reminder or posting a note to your ensemble’s message board is never a bad idea! Send a thank-you email to participants and parents who RSVP. Send a reminder to everyone who RSVP-ed, as well as those who showed interest or should have, with all the meeting details. Hosting a successful recruitment meeting isn’t difficult, but it does require some preparation. Your job here is to generate enthusiasm about your tour, explain our safety and security measures to provide peace of mind, and explain the cost. By focusing on those first two items, the third becomes easy. We have loads of resources at your disposal, and our tour consultants are happy to join your meeting to help ensure its success! Make Sure to Follow Up! You just hosted a successful recruitment meeting. Time to sit back and let the registrations roll in? Not just yet. With a little follow-up, your chances for recruitment success shoot up dramatically. Here’s what to do: Thank everyone for attending, provide links to all relevant information, and reiterate your registration deadline. Personalize the email by highlighting inclusions the participant expressed interest in or following up on questions asked during the meeting. Schedules are busy, and a missed meeting may not indicate a lack of interest. Reach out to those who RSVP-ed or initially expressed interest but missed the meeting to see if they would like more information. Celebrate your first traveler by sharing the good news. This inspires others to register, showing that the tour is no longer just an idea but a reality that people want to join. Send a reminder about one week before the registration deadline to ensure interested participants and parents don’t miss out due to losing track of the date. Follow up with those who initially expressed interest but haven’t taken action. Remind them why they were interested and offer any additional information they might need to make a decision. Hosting a successful recruitment meeting requires ongoing effort. Keep the momentum going with strategic follow-ups to maximize your recruitment success! Leverage Our Recruitment Tools! We understand the challenges of recruitment, which is why we empower ensembles with scholarships, information sessions, and a wide breadth of exceptional fundraising tools to ensure your group’s success and growth. We don’t just help promote your concerts overseas; we also offer extensive support in publicizing your tour and upcoming recruitment meetings. Before you get started, make sure to take full advantage of all our unique tools and resources. Encore’s Fabulous Fundraiser We make fundraising easy with our Fabulous Fundraiser! Qualifying international groups with 30+ travelers receive a complimentary 5-day trip for two to Paris or London, including airfare, breakfast, and central hotel accommodations. Use this trip as a raffle prize to boost your fundraising efforts. Groups traveling within the US or Canada get two domestic airline tickets for the same purpose. This program has helped groups raise over $35,000! Learn More Personal Fundraising Pages Fundraising for a performance tour just got easier with Personal Fundraising Pages! Each participant can create a customized fundraising page to share with family and friends. Set your fundraising goal, personalize your appeal, and upload a photo to make your page unique. Share the link via email or social media to gather support for your life-changing tour. This tool has already helped many participants raise significant funds, making their dream trips a reality. Learn More Fundraising on a Major Scale: Free eBook Discover hundreds of innovative fundraising ideas for your ensemble with our free eBook! Whether you’re raising money for new uniforms, expanding your music library, or planning a performance tour, this guide is packed with tips for planning an annual fundraising calendar, creative event ideas, success stories, and recommended partner companies. Download your free copy today and elevate your fundraising efforts! Learn More