Hosting a parent meeting

Hosting a meeting is a crucial step in your tour-planning process. Your excitement about travel will be contagious and can be one of the most important things that inspires travellers to go.

Before the meeting

Invite a large group of students and their parents to your meeting. To help you prepare, your Tour Consultant will provide you with a customized meeting agenda that walks you through everything you should cover. After highlighting the cultural experience and discussing what’s included in the price, be sure to communicate your enrollment deadline.

At the meeting

As students and parents walk in, have them enter their contact information directly into your Tour Enrollment Page as interested travellers. If you don't have Internet access, provide a sign-in sheet and log into your account later to enter the details on the "Interested" list in your Group tab.

1. Open your meeting with the benefits of travel

Travelling is more than an educational experience—it's an investment in a student's future.

Start by introducing yourself. Share a personal story about why you've put this tour together. Next, explain that:

  • Educational tours let travellers connect with their lessons in a whole new way. By discovering amazing sites and cities, their interest is sparked like never before.
  • Students acquire valuable life skills during their experience and they recognize their abilities to make a positive contribution to the world.
  • Universities and employers are placing increased emphasis on international experience when it comes to admissions and jobs.

2. Tell them why you chose EF

EF is the world leader in international education, and EF Educational Tours offers teachers and students an opportunity to discover the world on safe and affordable international tours.

  • Discuss EF's focus on safety and support, and also your own approach to safety.
  • Review EF's worldwide presence, 24-hour emergency on-call service, full-time Tour Director, Global Travel Protection Plan and over 50 years of experience.
  • Review your own rules that you expect travellers to abide by.
  • Explain how travelling with EF works. Play the Travelling with EF video, which explains everything there is to know about how group travel works.

3. Talk about the tour

Once all the background has been covered, it's time to talk about your adventure of a lifetime:

  • Talk about the tour you chose. Highlight the exciting places you'll see and go over the itinerary and map of where you'll be going.
  • Discuss everything that is and isn't included in the price.

4. Encourage travellers to enroll

Now that you've reviewed the benefits of travel, your partnership with EF and the details of your specific tour, it's time to tell travellers how to sign up:

  • Take sign-ups at the meeting directly on your Tour Enrollment Page or by taking paper applications.
  • After your presentation, hand out materials that you received from your Tour Consultant (the day-by-day itinerary, Enrollment Handbook, and the Payment Options & Global Travel Protection Plan pamphlet.)
  • Remember to communicate your enrollment deadline.

After the meeting

Ask your Tour Consultant for any email templates that you may need.

  • Make sure to send a follow-up email to attendees thanking them for coming. Include a link to your Tour Enrollment Page and remind them of the enrollment deadline.
  • Touch base with any students on your interested travellers list who couldn’t make the meeting to remind them about the enrollment deadline. Steer them toward your Tour Enrollment Page and EF’s Traveller Support team for details.
  • If you’re interested, our Traveller Support team can also help contact anyone who came to the meeting but hasn’t yet enrolled. Ask your Tour Consultant for more information.
  • Continue to promote your tour in school leading up to your enrollment deadline.

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