TRIP LEADER GUIDELINES FOR CLUB SPONSORED TRIPS

Transcription

1 Table of Contents I. Organize Your Trip II. Determine Price III. Prepare a Proposal IV. Prepare Your Advertisement V. Begin Taking Reservations VI. Managing Your Trip VII. Post Trip Activities VIII. Trip Proposal Form

2 (Revised and approved by the OSC Board of Directors 5/1/01; Revision II 8/12, Revision III 12/16, Revision IV 5/17) This is a guide for leading an OSC sponsored trip, as defined in the "Trip Committee Organization, Responsibilities and Procedures". OSC policy is shown in Bold Print. Prior to any contractual commitments, your trip must be submitted to the OSC Trip Committee with the attached Trip Proposal" form. Organize Your Trip Begin planning early a year or more in advance is not too early 1. Choose a co-chair Consider someone who might have a different set of skills. o Consider things like who is good with organization/keeping records and spreadsheets, who is good with people, enjoys organizing social activities Co-chairs cannot be spouses or significant others Split the duties of organizing and running the trip with your co-chair Consult with your co-chair - discuss your ideas, if issues arise, consult with him/her - Work as a team! 2. Choose a destination do your research Consider degree of difficulty at ski area ratio of beginner, intermediate, expert trails. Is it a good match for our ski members and their abilities? Number of ski areas available one mountain, two, three or more o If one mountain, make sure it has a good ski area and variety for 5 days of skiing o Multiple mountains can mean skiers must acquaint themselves with a new area every day Is the ski resort easy to get to? How many layovers will there be? How long is the ride to the resort upon arrival? Are there other off slope activities? Is there a town nearby for shopping and dining if folks choose to do that? 3. Determine type of transportation needed Air transportation is usually included in a quote from a tour operator on Western and International trips

3 Bus transportation requires obtaining quotes from a reputable bus company, i.e. Birnie Bus or other motor coach company International trips could require air only or bus and air o A bus can be used to take participants to a major airport for departure to their final destination o Weigh the pros and cons (additional time, cost) of this versus flying there directly. Weekend or days trips can use car pools or bus transportation depending on number of attendees, cost of bus vs individual driving, mileage to destination. 4. Determine dates you want to go Consider what month might be good for the area you want to ski Try to avoid holidays and other busy times at resorts Check calendar to see if other OSC trips are scheduled Determine days you will travel will you leave weekend or midweek? o Length of stay will depend on whether you are taking a bus trip or traveling to the Western US, Canada or an International destination. o Western US & Canadian trips are normally 8 day; bus trips are typically 4 days; International trips can be longer For bus trips, make sure one is available during the time you want to go on your trip. Once your trip is approved, reserve the bus. 5. Determine number of people to take May be limited by airlines and seats on plane If using bus transportation: o Different companies have different seating sizes. o Do you need under carriage storage? All large vehicles have this standard, most small vehicles don t. o Allow for any refreshments that may be taken with you. You don t have to fill every seat available. Twenty people on a trip are usually needed to receive a comp from the tour operator Consider ratio of leaders to participants 6. Obtain quotes from tour operators. Select a reputable one that knows the destination and is willing to answer questions. The trip committee maintains a list of approved tour operators/vendors. Select a tour operator that specializes in your destination of interest o Western: Ski.com, skigroup.net, Sports America o International: Ski.com, Alphorn, Holidaze o Bus: SnoSearch, Ski 93

4 For bus transportation: Ask for a quote for your trip. They will be able to help you with departure times for your travel destination. Buses now come with Wi-Fi, DVD players, bathrooms, and some even have power outlets for your devices. Once you pick your bus company, contact them and set up contract. You can request any driver you want, provided they are available. 7. Choose Lodging type condos or hotels Ski in/ski out, other accommodations at mountain or in town Motels generally have breakfast; condos have kitchens to cook meals as needed What are the amenities? Is there a hot tub, pool, lounges/large meeting room (for group to get together), on site dining, free wi-fi? Transportation at destination o If transportation is required, is stop close to lodging? o Is it free or is there a fee to ride? Are there restaurants nearby? Determine Price Review contract to determine what is included in trip cost quoted by tour operator o Typically airfare, lodging, skiing, ground transportation and taxes are included o Occasionally welcome receptions are included in price. If not, try to schedule one upon arrival. A lot of information on the area can be learned from these and sometimes the resort will give special discounts on lessons and/or non-ski activities at these get togethers. o For Western, Canadian & International trips, ground transportation from the airport to the destination requires a driver tip. Check to see if you need to charge extra for this or it s included in the contract. o If lodging is secured in condos, calculate a pillow cost, not a room cost. For Canadian and International travel there will be exchange rate considerations. o Determine if the rate is locked in or will change from when the price is quoted to you. o If it s not locked in, the Trip Leaders will have to determine at what time they want to do this. It usually happens when a certain amount is paid to the tour operator. Find out what this amount is and consult with the operator periodically to monitor the rate changes. For bus trips, the cost of the bus is separate from the contract. Be sure to include it in the price of the trip to participants. o When you receive your quote for the trip, you need to add in Drivers room, if needed, and tip. Never set the price based on a full bus, use 70 to 75% capacity. If using a 55 Passenger bus divide the cost between 38 and 41 passengers to set cost. Tip is usually $2 a day per person.

5 o If you get more participants than the number used to set the price, a refund can be given at the end of the trip. o If you undercharge, you most likely will have to ask for more money before you leave on your trip. o Determine if you will purchase food for the trip to the resort or if there will be a stop where people can purchase their own food. Serving refreshments is an option. All sponsored trips must use JotForm. When using the form and the option to pay using PayPal or check is offered, you must include a 3% fee to the trip to cover the fee. This applies to all participants per our agreement with PayPal. If collecting checks only, this fee is not required. How will you and your co-chair distribute the comp received from the operator: o Split the comp value o Put towards the trip to help defray costs Establish a payment schedule for attendees. o Make sure payments are collected in advance of interim deposits and the final payment. o Payments over $2k require two signatures of OSC representatives and mailing can take some time to reach the destination. Include any extras (tips, dinners, Happy Hours) in the final cost you advertise. o Happy hours and a group dinner is optional. Should they be provided, the number is up to the leaders o Will you include pre-trip or post-trip party costs? See more on this under Managing Your Trip Contact Trip Committee Chair to see if there is money budgeted for your trip. To ensure commitment, determine a cancellation fee that will be charged to participants after days of beginning reservation date. Cancellation fees should be at least $50 for weekend carpool or bus trip and at least $75 for trips longer than a weekend. This fee is separate from the vendors nonrefundable deposits and cancellation fees and goes toward trip expenses if collected. Prepare your proposal for the Trip Committee that includes: Destination Dates Cost per person; price for person not using OSC air package Tour operator Number of people on the trip Lodging name, type Activities at destination other than skiing Amount of deposit required Cancellation policy

6 Liability of club if trip is cancelled Advise TC chair of proposal and ask to be invited to a meeting to present your trip Make copies of contract The committee will review your proposal and contracts and approve or disapprove the trip. The committee will inform the Board and the Trip Leader of its decision. If approved, and the trip is equal to or greater than $2,500, the contract must be signed by an officer of the club after the appropriate committee officer who has oversight for the project has provided him/her with detailed information in order for the Club officer to knowledgeably be able to review and approve the financial commitment. A copy of the signed document must be sent to the tour operator, the Treasurer and Trip Committee Chairperson. Once approved, prepare your advertisement: Destination Dates Type of trip downhill, cross country, etc Cost and what s included Cost for person obtaining own air (land only) Activities at destination other than skiing Amount of deposit required with signed trip agreement When you will begin taking reservations How you will take reservation o Sponsored trips will use online registration (JotForm) o Other trips: to Trip Leader followed by deposit/trip agreement mailed to leader. Include where to send payments and signed trip agreement. Trip Leader contact information and/or phone numbers Cancellation policy and fees If International or Canadian trip, note there could be change in price due to exchange rate fluctuations if applicable. Coordinate advertisement with other Trip Leaders o If more than 1 western/international trip is offered for the season, advertise trips at same time so members know all options available to them. o Do not send out information to select OSC members before it goes to the general membership. Begin taking reservations on date advertised Confirm person wanting to go on trip is a current OSC member

7 o All OSC sponsored trip participants must be current OSC members unless waived by the Board of Directors. They must also sign and return to the Trip Leader an OSC trip agreement form. The committee chair is responsible for making certain these requirements are met. o A current membership list may be obtained from the membership committee. This list is only for OSC business in connection with your trip. The Trip Leader(s) shall not distribute any names, addresses or phone numbers to anyone without approval of the board of directors or the individual member. Be available to answer questions Reservations are taken on a first come, first serve. Using JotForm o If you choose to have participants register online, contact a website committee member to set up a form for your trip. o You will be asked to fill out a form with all the pertinent information for the form. This form can be found on the website. o You should have details regarding information needed from each participant, whether payments will be check, credit card or both, how many participants, the pricing breakdown for air, lodging, skiing, etc. o The information entered by participants can be downloaded to an Excel or csv file. o Allow a few weeks lead time to have your form set up and tested. Deposit and signed trip agreement reserves their spot o Both of these items must be received by the Trip Leader for a person to be considered a participant of the trip. o Online registration and payment with PayPal covers both these requirements immediately. Those paying by check will be given a deadline the Trip Leader must receive it to guarantee their spot. o Do NOT save spots for people. Online registration will prevent this. o The Trip Leader(s) will retain the trip agreement forms. The committee chair is responsible for making certain these requirements for membership and forms are met. Set a limit on number of days participants need to submit the deposit (i.e. 5 business days) and make potential trip participants aware of it. Failure to pay could jeopardize their ability to get on the trip. Land Package Only o Suggest to participants who leave from locations other than Syracuse or that are not able to get in on the Group reservation that they work with the tour operator (if approved by the operator), who may be able to better coordinate arrival times for connecting flights/buses, etc. o Ensure that land only participants connect with you for ground transportation or that they know they are responsible for getting to the resort on their own. Often

8 the tour operator will be willing to help them with their ground transportation if requested by the Trip Leader. Manage reservations to fill rooms based on the available configuration of the lodging o Hotels are normally two people to a room couples, two males or two females to a room o Condos may have 2, 3, 4 bedrooms with a mix of king/split king (preferred)/queens/doubles or twins. Find out the configuration ahead of time. o You need to know whether participants are singles, couples, or family, and ensure that the lodging bedroom arrangements will be able to accommodate everyone. o When a single person signs up for your trip, you will need to pair that person up with another person (the typical hotel room or condo room sleeps two people). If a roommate cannot be found, the single person in the room is responsible for the single occupancy charge. Make sure they are aware of this. Document participant information on a spreadsheet; o Include any information necessary for the trip. This may include, but is not limited to: names, address, phone number, DOB, payments made, extra activities they have chosen to participate in. o If using online registration, a spreadsheet is created automatically and can be downloaded by the Trip Leader(s). When trip is filled, take a waiting list o If there is a cancellation, those on waiting list get first choice o Person that is taken first depends on lodging available This person may not be first on the list; i.e. if a male cancels and is sharing room with another male, must be first male on list. o Continue taking waiting list until close to trip departure Trip Expansion o If the trip is filling up quickly and you have a large waiting list relative to your total participant number, check with the tour operator on getting additional airline seats and lodging. Trip Contraction o If the trip is not selling well, plan on decreasing your room and airline allotments as specified by the contract deadlines. Managing Your Trip If using bus transportation whether on a bus trip or an International trip that may require a bus to a major city for flight departure, secure a parking location (Wegmans, WalMart, etc) for participants to meet the bus on the day you depart and to leave their cars while they are away. Choose a location that a bus can easily get in and out. Contact the store manager for approval to park there.

9 Arrange a pre-trip party o The purpose is for fellow travelers to meet. It s also an opportunity for the Trip Leaders to present information on the ski area. Contact the ski resort or your tour operator to have maps or other information sent to you. o Determine date and location of party Will you have at someone s residence or at a restaurant? o Will people pay at the party or will you charge as part of the trip? Not all people will be able to attend especially land only guests. Take this into consideration when deciding how to manage this. Off Slope Activities o Select options for day off if group activity is desire, i.e. ski at nearby mountain, trip to National Park for xc skiing or snowshoe, other attractions (ex, Mormon Tabernacle in SLC) Try to have enough participants to get the group rate if applicable Advise participants of details of outing if equipment is included, what they will need to bring (if applicable), cost, taxes, cancellation policy and if additional tip is needed at time of activity o Select group dinner location (recommended, not mandatory) o Determine if you will have other ad hoc get togethers pizza party, SU game, visit to famous local restaurant or saloon Finances o Collect payments, keep record of payments for each participant on your spreadsheet o Make sure payments are timely and accurate o Throughout the selling of your trip, you are responsible for making the necessary payments to the vendors. Your contract will explain when and how much each payment should be. Plan ahead to fill out the Club's Request for Payment Voucher form and get it to your Treasurer far enough in advance to allow for mailing times. Checks larger than $2,500 require signatures from two designated Club officers. Remember to plan in advance so it does not become an emergency situation and you do not incur additional costs getting the payment to the tour operator on time. o If money is collected before the trip for extra activities to be paid by OSC Treasurer, keep track of these payments separately Communications o With participants: Make sure all participants are aware of the trip agreement and what they have agreed to. For Canadian and International travel, make sure participants have a current passport that has an expiration date greater than 6 months after returning from the trip or other requirements of airline.

10 Communicate with participants re: rentals of equipment, trip insurance, air arrangements (when confirmed) Note: Trip insurance should be recommended, but do not tell them where they should purchase it. The tour operator usually has an option to purchase insurance. Other places are NJSSC and AAA Prepare a final letter with all information participants will need to be prepared for their stay Prepare a daily itinerary include HH times, lift times, lunches, dinners, ambassador tours, other activities o With the committee: The Trip Leader or co-leader must report monthly status update to Trip Committee prior to the BOD (usually 1 st Tuesday of each month) The Trip Leader must report any major changes in trip to the Trip Committee If an emergency arises and you need guidance, consult with an experienced committee member who has led trips. o With Tour Operators Monitor cancellation dates on contract for airfare, lodging. Make sure all extra slots that are not filled are cancelled to avoid additional charges. Should any unforeseen emergency arise before departure, consult with your tour operator on how to address the situation Let the operator know in advance Trip Leader names. Should the group be split on flights and require two groups, make sure the operator knows that one Trip Leader will go with one group and the other will go with second group. o A trip representative, chair or co-chair, must be at each monthly general meeting prior to trip departure. o Keep all your documentation on the trip in a folder or binder for ready access Have phone numbers of all vendors and necessary contacts available before you leave on the trip. Make copies of the trip agreements and give one copy to the Trip Committee chair; keep other copies for yourself. o Prepare flight documents for airline when asked by the operator (legal names, DOB, FF# of participants). This information can be collected at time of reservation if using online registration or via o Do not share any personal information with anyone other than your co-chair. o For bus transportation, you may want to have a seating chart, if you have a full bus. This will make it easier to tell who is missing. If you will be having food or snacks, use the last seats to set this up. You can also bring your own movies to watch. When storing items under the bus, put skies in one bay, you can also put boot bags in this bay after skies are all stored.

11 Day of the Trip: o Arrive at the airport early and make sure everyone is accounted for. Bus transportation: Ask the bus to arrive about one hour before departure. The Trip Leader should arrive before the bus so you can direct driver as to where you want then to park. Meet your driver and go over trip, where are you stopping for a break, make sure you both have cell numbers to contact each other once off bus. If going out of country, passports or enhanced license are required. Please check each person for these. Make sure they don t leave it in luggage under the bus. Also on returned trip, don t pack in luggage. Remember when crossing the border, keep all alcohol out of sight of customs officers. At final destination o Take care of any issues that you might have influence over o Act as group representative in case of transportation issues from flights or when arriving with bus or charter van at the lodging o Do not assume people read all your s or communications; answer any questions. Be available o Take advantage of Mountain Hosts and let your trip participants know when and where to meet them on the mountain. o Make sure everyone is aware of any group plans for the day; make sure daily itinerary is current. o Let participants know room numbers and cell phone numbers (if agreed to) of others in the group so they can easily contact each other. o Distribute lift tickets and vouchers from the resort to participants. o If lift ticket refunds are requested, act as representative for trip members Post Trip activities Conduct a survey of participants o An online survey is available Participants can give name or remain anonymous Data is collected in a spreadsheet for TLs to download to their PC o Summarize input and send to the TC chair Determine if there will be a post-trip party. If enough money is left, you may decide to share experiences and photos from the trip at a post-trip party. Prepare a financial report for the trip to submit to the TC and Treasurer within 2-4 weeks of returning from your trip o All expenses must be accounted for o Save all receipts and submit with your report

12 o Make sure the Treasurer is aware of any refunds that will require a check written from OSC o Any excess funds can be split among participants or remains in club funds this is up to the discretion of the Trip Leaders Prepare a final trip report and submit to Trip Committee within 4 weeks of returning from your trip o Include an overview, financial section, summary, TL comments/observations, positives and negatives

13 ONONDAGA SKI CLUB TRIP PROPOSAL DESTINATION: DATES: TRAVEL AGENCY & CONTACT PERSON: TRANSPORTATION: AIRLINE BUS COMPANY CARPOOL NUMBER OF PEOPLE NEEDED FOR TRIP: MAXIMUM MINIMUM LODGING: PEOPLE PER UNIT: PHONE NUMBER OF LODGE/FACILITY: COST PER PERSON: PRICE BASED ON HOW MANY PARTICIPANTS? WHAT IS INCLUDED IN TRIP COST: HOW MUCH MONEY IS NEEDED FROM THE CLUB FOR DEPOSITS AND TO WHOM? $ TO $ TO WHAT IS FINANCIAL LIABILITY TO OSC IF THE TRIP IS CANCELLED? CANCELLATION POLICY: OTHER INFORMATION: SUBMITTED BY: TRIP CHAIR PH # CO-CHAIR PH # P.O. BOX 8025 TEALL STATION SYRACUSE, NEW YORK 13217