Tour Presentation Guidelines
Introduction
This manual presents information about the procedures required to set up and run a Tour Presentation from your Quest Specialty Travel branch. Three principal topics relate to the organization and running of a Tour Presentation. You need to identify the appropriate personnel, advertise the event, and arrange the physical space.
Refer to the summary to view a chart that shows the top five destinations featured at tour presentations.
Advertising and Promotion
The QST branch that hosts a Tour Presentation can use several methods to advertise and promote the presentation. Described below are three principal avenues: printed materials, media advertisements, and the Web site. You are encouraged to use additional methods such as special sales and joint marketing ventures with neighboring businesses related to the travel industry.
Printed Materials
Printed materials include those used for mail-outs, counter items, and posters.
Mail-outs
Prepare a special mail-out to people who have already taken a QST tour from your branch or include a brochure describing the Tour Presentation with a quarterly or seasonal mail-out. Simple six-panel brochures can include tour guide profiles, tour itineraries, and information about the topics covered in the Tour Presentation.
Counter Items
Counter items include brochures, bookmarks, and flyers that anyone inquiring about a QST tour is encouraged to take. Your branch can also distribute these items to local travel agents, travel clubs, and airline offices. Bookmarks are a particularly good choice for advertising a Tour Presentation because they are relatively inexpensive to produce and many customers will wish to either use them or keep them as reminders.
Posters
Your QST branch can distribute posters throughout your target area. Good venues for posters include community centers, schools, and libraries.
Online Venues
Local radio and television stations may provide your QST branch with relatively inexpensive air time to advertise a Tour Presentation. Your media representative can also contact local community programs to obtain free advertising in the form of an interview with tour guides and tour participants. Local newspapers may also be interested in carrying a feature article on specific tours.
Web Site
Your area of the QST Web site should advertise the Tour Presentation and include links to information about featured tours and interviews with tour guides and tour participants. You can also include links to an online shopping cart that enables customers to book a tour directly from the Web site.
Social Media
Ensure that your event is posted on the various social media Web sites, particularly Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Explore options for other social media sites. Make sure that people who attend the event can rate it through the various user review Web sites.
Personnel
A successful Tour Presentation draws on personnel from three areas: branch management, tour guides, and branch staff. The responsibilities associated with each of these areas are described below.
Branch Management
As the branch manager, you make it all happen! Your principal duties are selecting the tours to feature in the Tour Presentation, setting up a Tour Presentation committee, determining a date and time for the Tour Presentation, and managing the presentation. Following is a description of each of these duties.
Tour Selection
Your first and most important duty is selecting the tours you plan to feature in the Tour Presentation. The most successful Tour Presentations are those that focus on a specific theme or area of the world. For example, you could feature all your Africa tours or all your tours for singles, families, or couples. You can select tours you have offered in the past, or you can select new tours. The criteria you apply to select the tour or tours you plan to feature in the Tour Presentation depend on your own preferences and on your data-driven understanding of your local market.
Tour Committee
Some managers set up a Tour Presentation committee that includes QST staff, tour guides, local educators, representatives from airlines, and interested members of the public. The committee reviews tour descriptions and interviews tour participants.
Date and Time Selection
As the branch manager, you select an appropriate date and time for the Tour Presentation. Most presentations are held on a weekday evening from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. For most branches, this time period attracts the greatest number of potential customers. Another successful time period for some branches has been 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon.
Presentation Management
Once you have selected a theme, a date, and a time for your Tour Presentation, you are responsible for coordinating and supervising all the people involved in the presentation. Ultimately, the success of the presentation will depend upon your ability to make sure that all the required tasks are completed. Some QST managers handle Tour Presentations by putting together a team of staff members. Each team member then takes responsibility for one or two tasks related to the presentation. Regular team meetings keep everyone informed and uptodate.
Tour Guides
Every Tour Presentation needs the include input from tour guides who have either led the tours being presented or have experience with similar tours (in the case of new tour offerings). You should select tour guides that have a proven record as dynamic and engaging presenters.
Branch Staff
Depending upon the popularity of the tours, the Tour Presentation may require from one to ten staff members to be on hand to manage crowd control, distribute refreshments, and take tour bookings. In addition, the branch may need to hire agents if increased tour sales are anticipated.
Presentation Organization
Presentation organization relates to three principal activities: setting up the presentation, booking tours, and providing refreshments.
Presentation Setup
Most QST branches book space at a local theater or school for a Tour Presentation. The venue should have sufficient seating for a maximum crowd of approximately 100 people.
Presentation Delivery
The Tour Presentation requires a professional quality projection and sound system, a lectern or podium for the presenter, and a good supply of tour brochures. Additional seating onstage may be required if the presentation features multiple speakers such as tour guides, tour participants, and QST managers.
Presentation Schedule
Most Tour Presentations last for two hours with one short break. The presentation may also be combined with a tour launching party, particularly for new tours.
Tour Bookings
During the intermission and following the Tour Presentation, audience members may wish to purchase a tour. Ensure that sufficient staff is on hand to meet individually each customer who wishes to book a tour. Staff should be equipped with laptops so they can confirm availability and enter bookings on the spot.
Over Booking
If a tour becomes fully booked at the Tour Presentation, branch managers should be prepared to offer additional tour times. Prior to the Tour Presentation, be prepared by selecting additional tour times and confirming tour guide availability. You should also be prepared with a list of alternate tours. Many QST branches have reported phenomenal success with Tour Presentations and been “caught out” when tours filled up much more quickly than anticipated and alternate or additional tours were not available.
Refreshments
Your QST branch can choose to offer customers free coffee and a selection of cookies or baked goods. Your decision on whether to offer refreshments will depend upon the size of the crowd you expect.
Summary
If you plan to sponsor a Tour Presentation, make sure you have sufficient personnel to assist you, a tour or tours that will attract customers in your target market, appropriate space, and sufficient brochures. Many QST branches regularly hold successful Tour Presentations that contribute significantly to tour bookings. The chart below shows the top five destinations featured to date. For more information, contact other branch managers or call Ron Dawson directly at head office.