Travel coordinators, our secret super power

Incredible trips begin with incredible itineraries, customized for every group, every trip, every time. But without many weeks and months of handling details and getting every aspect of that crucial document nailed down, the itinerary is just a piece of paper.

While our clients understand the role of our sales team and those first trip development steps, they’re often less familiar with the travel planning process itself – the critical work of our travel coordinators. To put it simply, travel coordinators manage every detail of the trip, bringing itineraries to life – from processing payments, working closely with our vendor partners and answering parent questions. But who are these superheroes, behind the mask? Today, we’re ready to reveal not only their identities, but their super powers as well.

Every day is different

Jennifer Charboneau explains some of the day-to-day work she handles, “Creating a trip is truly unique each time, so my day may bring booking Broadway shows and performance venues for a choir in New York City – or it may be finding a clinician to work with a band heading to Orlando that wants to stop along the way to see a university.  Some days are more “housekeeping” duties, like creating invoices or finalizing rooming arrangements with hotels.  We handle every aspect of each trip from planning to paying vendors.”

“We’re also working through each booking of the trip to make sure we have anticipated any potential problems,” shares Kim Mikitka. We’re interacting with vendors and taking calls from parents trying to find ways to pay for their students’ next adventure.”

Kimberly King says it best, “We’re there to make sure all the pieces of the puzzle come together, to make sure once the trip is out, everything is executed perfectly.”

Behind the mask

So what makes travel coordinators tick? Why choose a career in travel? Here’s what Jamie Glomp had to say, “First and foremost, I love to travel. A career in the travel industry is, of course, going to be exciting. I also love to organize and plan. This career is all about planning ahead.”

Like so many of our team members, several of our coordinators have a background in education – like Kimberly. “My love of travel, education and music make this a perfect fit.”

For others, the challenge of constantly changing logistics is all part of the fun. “Having one hundred people ready to go to a baseball game that is cancelled due to weather means quick thinking and troubleshooting, but knowing that you have great resources and people to support you makes that more exciting than daunting,” says Jennifer.

While their motivations are all unique, one common inspiration for each of our travel coordinators is the impact their work has on students. Vicki Laws shares her personal understanding of how travel changes lives. “As a child growing up in a family of six children, we didn’t have the ability to travel often. Because of this, when I do travel, I am very appreciative of every facet of the trip. I want my clients to feel the same way regarding their trips, whether it’s a trip to Chicago or a four-night stay in New York. Big or small, I hope the trip leaves lasting memories for the students to carry with them forever.

Secrets revealed

We asked our travel coordinators to share a surprising facet of their work that our clients may not know. Kimberly shares how broad our travel options are – “The variety of places that our groups travel and the fact that we can truly customize any trip to your needs. I currently have groups traveling to Hawaii, New Orleans, Nashville, Los Angeles, New York and Las Vegas, just to name a few.  The possibilities are truly endless.”

Marybeth Coyne jokes “My love of sushi! Just kidding! Our clients would be surprised by the amount of time that we spend talking and working with parents, walking them through their questions and resolving issues that come up.”

Kim noted time spent as well, “Our clients probably don’t know how much time is spent on each and every detail.  Thinking through each day’s events over and over to make sure we have thought of everything so that they don’t have to.”

Our travel coordinators create travel magic every single day – we couldn’t offer amazing trips without them. If you’re ready to learn more about their bulletproof itineraries and dozens of other superpowers, reach out today.