kevin sacerdote mandarin high school jacksonville, fl ef pre-tour talking-points madrid, spain
TRANSCRIPT
Kevin SacerdoteMandarin High School
Jacksonville, FL
EF Pre-tour Talking-pointsMadrid, Spain
Travel: Awakens & Instructs
To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday
things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so
familiar it is taken for grantedBill Bryson
Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh,
eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we
may even become friendsMaya Angelou
Group Travel: In a Nutshell
STRESS FLEXIBILITY on *Everything EXCEPT TIMING
Remain POSITIVE 110% of the TripParticipants Will Feed Off of Your Words & Body
Language
Smell The Roses!
*Food, Rooms, Traffic, Early Wake-up Calls, Roomies, etc…
Recruitment24/7 EffortWork Very Closely With Your EF Tour
ConsultantHave a question, Ask Your ConsultantAs Soon As The Current Tour Deadline Passes, WHERE ARE WE GOING NEXT YEAR?
HS Class students & their friends v. School-wide “cattle-call”
Parents – MUST ConversationsGroup AdventureBus = Approximately 51 people
Several Groups “Assimilate”Student Tour (Helps to like Teens)Exercise…Walk, Walk, Walk, and Walk
Recruitment: EF Tour Consultant
They Exist To Assist!Experts, One-on-One Relationship With You
What do you Need…ask!Selecting the Right Tour, PricingGentle Reminders: Rooming, Vegetarians, Peanut Allergies, Tour Extensions etc…
PowerPoint PresentationPostersBrochures
Recruitment: EFTOURS.COM
You Will Become Addicted Constantly Evolving!Visit Your Tour Website: See What Those
Interested Can Access http://www.ef tours.com/preview-tour.aspx?pt=SA-1184484
Contact Your Tour Consultant: Vanessa Marchica (Mine)
The BEST! Others Come Close
Participants pay on-line Via a Credit Card
Recruitment: EFTOURS.COM
Access All of the Following/Keeps Me Organized!
E-mail all Participants, Stay in Contact for Any ReasonFinancial Status of Each Participant …Updated
“Plus Three Thinking” (Don’t Get Comfortable) Active Tours: Always have two irons in the firePrevious Tours : Great Source of “Just In Case…”Price Quotes: A Must for Continuous “First Meetings”“My Rewards” Not Just Conventions, BOSE, APPLE,
Delta… Edit Your Profile“Manage Your Group”Plus So Much More
Recruitment: “Free Spot(s)”
I have found out there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them
than to travel with them.-Tom Sawyer Abroad
Recruitment: “Free” Places
This May Be For You, Be Sure it is For the Free Spot(s) Curfew ChecksWake-up Knocks“Good Cop/Bad Cop”Female/ Male “Chats”“Drama Stopper”Room AdjustersDuval County School Board Does Not Sanction the
TripsYet Principals, and Teachers Travel With Me15% Discount Participants Do Not Count Towards
Free-SpotFundraising – Some Do I do Not
Communication & Organization
Always Register On-line, Auto-pay!!!EF Handles 99.9%
ONLY Touch Money if it is Tip Money!$7, 2, 1 or $6, 3, 1 ALWAYS BeforehandInsurance
Get a “wing-person” (If Possible)Can Get “touchy”Explain Points versus Responsibility up-front
Attends EVERY MeetingDelegate Duties
Communication & Organization
Optional Excursions: Can Be added into the Price if Participants sign-up on-lineOptional Excursions cut down on free time
Perfect if “Free-time” makes you nervous
Many Are A Great Deal: Greece: Sardonic Island CruiseItaly: Sienna
Educational Content
After the Sign-up Deadline Passes, I have Three Mandatory Meetings
Collect Tip Money, Copy of Passport, Insurance Card, Update Emergency Contacts
Highlight One Major Location and What We Will Be Seeing in Each MeetingMuseums, Foods, Weather, Historical Significance, etc…
Educational ContentDiscuss Free-Time, Offer Three Options For That Day (i.e. Museums, Walking Tours, Shopping, )
Spring Tour Deadline is Before Winter Holidays…Tour Books, or Book as a Gift Idea
Distribute Hotel and Flight Information
The Accreditation Angle I do Not Sell it Enough Because Our County does Not Endorse the trips : “Liability?”
County makes it difficult to earn credit for HS
Random ThoughtsPassport versus Visa
Touch it, check date of expirationPassport Holder – Vertical Neck?
Stress a Routine, Participants are responsible not you
Good for 6 months?Constant Group Reminder via EF.COM always include this
If an Item is too valuable to lose, leave it home!
Random ThoughtsAll Participants should think twice about loaning
out moneyDebit Cards- Contact your Bank and tell them the
dates you will be abroadCell Phones- Call for International Calling and
Texting PlansUse the photo option to take a picture of your
passport, hotel names, Street Signs where you will meet
Try to set meeting times using the same ¼ of an hour (15, 30, 45, 00)
Always Collect Tips BEFORE you leave your home country at one of the mandatory meetings
Random ThoughtsTips- $7- $2- $1 or $6, $3, $1Extra Cash For an “Optional on-the-run”
Catacombs on the Apian WayRome at NightPlay in London
Parents/Adults Touring MUSTSLike Teens, Walking, Challenges of Group Travel
Assimilating with the other groups, Be CordialRooming- Stress Flexibility, and possibility of
“fair” Rotations
Random Thoughts“Less Popular” Tours MAY require even more
flexibilitiesStay over in Newark, but the first flight outYOU MUST turn this into an Positive experience! (i.e. It
will help us all conquer jetlag before getting to our final destination)
Large groups will probably have a few Flight PlansMake sure you have assistants on the various flightsMake emergency plans for What if… you flight leaves
Atlanta and Mine is cancelled out of D.C.Alcohol MUST be discussed up front with Parental
Units in Attendance at a MeetingReview Tour Consultant, Tour Director, Lead-teacher,
and Participant Responsibilities
Any Additional Questions?