Written by Melissa Withaeger

For the past three years, I have served as the Booster Board Travel Coordinator for the Braswell High School Band in Aubrey, TX, under the direction of Aaron Snipes III. In this role, I have coordinated 19 trips from initial planning through execution, including day trips, in-state overnights, and out-of-state travel. Five of these trips were organized through Director’s Choice (The Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference, New York, Jazz Education Network, Percussive Arts Society International Convention, and Hawaii).

A common misconception is that using a travel company eliminates the need for director involvement during the planning process. In reality, successful trips rely on consistent communication and collaboration between the director and the travel provider. That is where I come in: I serve as the liaison between the director and the travel provider, ensuring that communication remains clear, details are accurate, and plans are executed smoothly.

I manage the logistical details from initial planning through implementation while keeping Mr. Snipes in control of all major decisions. For out-of-state travel, our band regularly partners with Director’s Choice due to our strong working relationship with Jon and his team. Once a destination is selected, I provide Director’s Choice with projected travel participant counts, a targeted trip budget, and destination priorities; then, maintain ongoing communication to ensure the trip aligns with the director’s vision. When participation counts fluctuate, I update rosters and relay those adjustments to the travel provider.  

Throughout the process, I prioritize consistent communication with our families. After district approval of the trip, Mr. Snipes creates a trip page in the Band App for all trip communications, which I maintain throughout the process. This platform serves as the central hub for all information related to the trip including timelines, FAQs, rooming and transportation sign-ups, and payment reminders. I also track participation and payments, providing updates to Mr. Snipes when follow-up is needed. To minimize payment delays by the families, I post payment reminders one week prior to and on the due date for each payment. I utilize tools such as Signup Genius and Google Forms for room and bus assignments, flight manifest data gathering, meal selections, and apparel orders. Any of this information can then be easily provided to Director’s Choice.

Collaboration with the travel provider is ongoing throughout the entire planning process. Communication with Director’s Choice is frequent, often involving multiple emails each week as details are refined. Mr. Snipes is included on all correspondence, and I highlight items requiring his input, while also providing regular updates during monthly Executive Board meetings. When an initial itinerary is provided by Jon and his team, I immediately flag it for Mr. Snipes’ review so that he can let me know of any itinerary adjustments he would like, which I then provide to Jon. Prior to departure, I work with Mr. Snipes to pre-assign chaperones to student rooms and assign one student per room as the room captain. Mr. Snipes’ hotel preferences (male and female rooms on separate floors, chaperone room placements, etc.) are provided by me to the travel agent for submission to the hotel.

In the weeks leading up to departure, I prepare a comprehensive trip packet for the families, which is reviewed and approved by Mr. Snipes prior to publishing. The packet includes behavior expectations, travel requirements (including TSA Real ID and airline baggage policies), procedures for submitting medications/allergy information, optional expenses, a detailed packing list, chaperone contact information, the itinerary, and rooming and transportation assignments. I also organize and lead a mandatory pre-trip meeting to review the trip packet and expectations, and distribute the provided luggage tags and trip shirts.

For the trip itself, I prepare a detailed trip binder for the lead chaperone with all essential documentation, including rosters, itineraries, medical information, and travel confirmations. On departure day, I support logistics at the school or airport, allowing Mr. Snipes to focus on students and program needs.

Serving as Travel Coordinator for the Braswell Band has been a truly meaningful and rewarding experience. With my senior graduating at the end of May, my time in this role will soon come to an end. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to support our students and directors while helping to create well-organized and memorable travel experiences.

If you’d like to reach out with any questions, I’m happy to help—my email address is [email protected].

Photo courtesy of Melissa Withaeger.