Once your ensemble’s board is “on-board” (see what we did there?), it’s time to start recruiting your participants. Host a Meeting The first step to recruiting is to host a meeting with potential participants! Schedule a date during the middle of the week in the evening (or before/after rehearsal time for community ensembles). Send out an email to your ensemble members (and parents/companions, if applicable) and ask them to join you for the first tour meeting. (Tip: Meetings with snacks tend to have a higher attendance! #nomnom) Bring Your Encore Tour Consultant Once you have a date and time in mind, contact your Encore tour consultant to check their availability. If available, they can come to your meeting to help you promote the tour to your participants! They know your tour inside and out and are pros at “talking it up” and answering questions. Gather Materials If your Encore tour consultant is in attendance, they will bring all of the Encore materials you will need. If you are hosting the event on your own, here are some items you should bring to the meeting (all of which your Encore tour consultant will provide you): Tour itinerary and per person prices (at least 1 copy per person) Registration booklets (1 per person) Destination and itinerary powerpoint (which your Encore tour consultant can create for you) Tripsite URL & registration details – Every group receives an online account with Encore called “Tripsite.” Your participants can log on to register, view the itinerary, make payments, upgrade insurance and more! They can also use our “Tell Me More” button which allows them to fill out a survey with questions about the tour before registering. Their responses are sent to both you and your Encore tour consultant so you can help answer any questions or concerns they have prior to signing up! Contact details for Encore – Your Encore tour consultant is there to help you with your tour and while they may be able to answer some passenger questions, our Client Services staff are experts in handling insurance policies, alternate returns, rooming or dietary requests and more. For any passenger questions regarding Encore tours, participants may call our Client Services department at 877-795-0813 or email them at questions@encoretours.com. For more information about hosting your first meeting, contact your Encore tour consultant.
November 2, 2026 Encore Tours Venue Spotlight: Vienna’s St. Stephen’s Cathedral Explore St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna: its history, its deep ties to Haydn and Mozart, and what it’s like for your ensemble to perform there. Backstage Blog
October 27, 2026 Encore Tours Music Tour Planning Mistakes: 7 Horror Stories to Avoid Every music director has heard one. The tour where the price went up after families had already paid. The concert where the ensemble outnumbered the audience. Backstage Blog
October 21, 2026 Encore Tours Meet Encore Tours at the 2026 Midwest Clinic Encore Tours is heading to The 80th Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference, taking place December 16–18, 2026, at McCormick Place West in Chicago. Backstage Blog