BLUE RIDGE SKI COUNCIL

ACTION GUIDLINES

Upon being named BRSC Western Carnival or Eurofest coordinator you will need to follow a timeline in order to provide the maximum experience for all ski clubs, their travelers and guests. Continuously (throughout the process) keep the BRSC President aware of the progress.

In referring to dates as minus 2-years or minus 1-year we are talking about the steps needed in the two years prior to the actual departure of the trip.

BRSC Spring Meeting – Apr./May, minus 2-years from the ski trip date.

1. Selection of trip coordinators.

2. Selection of 3 vendors, by BRSC, for trips.

3. Obtain information (vendor's name, contacts, address, etc.) of vendors chosen for bid by BRSC.

4. Prepare a bid letter and proposal request; send out by June with requests for returns by the end of August. (This bid request is to have a $5 BRSC fund for unforeseen events, and/or funds to come back to the BRSC) (On Western Carnival there are 3 comps, Coordinator, President, and Race Coordinator) (The 2^nd comp in Eurofest is to go to the BRSC fund)

5. Contact vendors prior to and after sending bids to insure that the bids get to the correct person.

6. Upon receiving bids back provide copies to BRSC President for back up. Later provide adjusted

contracts to BRSC President. Bring the contract and copies to every BRSC meeting,

7. Evaluate bids and contact vendors for any alterations, questions or follow-up information.

BRSC Fall Meeting – Sept./Oct., minus 2- years from the ski trip.

1. In September you will need to evaluate the bids and prepare to deliver overall impressions of each bid to the BRSC meeting in Sept./Oct. Include cancellation policies and penalties to BRSC and clubs; plus the who, what, when, where, how much and other prominent or peculiar items to each contract.

2. The vote at the September/October BRSC meeting will determine to whom the contract to be awarded. Contact the winning vendor and let them know they were selected, also contact the others and thank them for their participation and cooperation.

3. Contact BRSC clubs and inform them of the vendor's information and solicit their participation.

4. You are requested to attend vendors FAM trip to your destination.

BRSC Trips – Feb./Mar., minus 1- year.

1. Coordinator should be getting a feel for clubs and their commitment. Make sure you stay in touch with each club’s ski chairperson. Contracts are still at club’s ski committee level.

2. The vendor should be contacting each club, providing updates and options for each contract.

3. Each club will be blocking off properties. Keep a record of the properties each club has obtained.

4. Begin to gather sponsorships for give-a-ways. (Dinner nights door prizes).

5. You should also monitor any side trips negotiated by clubs. All of this will run through June of year minus 1.

BRSC Spring Meeting – Apr./May, minus 1- year

1. Clubs should be assigning trip leaders. Request the trip leaders information from each club.

2. Be prepared to report progress at council meeting, including each club's participation.

3. Invite the vendor to this council meeting to answer BRSC representative's questions and ask vendor to stay for the afternoon break out sessions.

4. Invite club's trip leaders to attend the meeting with the vendor, in the afternoon, of the BRSC spring meeting, to meet and answer their questions and to provide a better understanding of the trip.

5. Coordinate with the Webmaster, set-up and link event to BRSC website. To be completed by June or when all clubs have established their contract/trip leader.

6. All clubs should be selling trips by July. Assist the club's trip leaders by answering questions and/or referring them to the vendor.

7. Continue to gather give-a way items for raffles for both trip dinners. You may need to ship items to site ahead of travel. Don’t forget to ask the mountain(s) for items, also.

8. Prepare the tentative trip agenda and send to clubs ski committee chairperson and the trip leaders. This gives them more information to sell their trip.

BRSC Fall Meeting – Sept./Oct., less than 6 months

1. Check with clubs that need to expand their trip or need help in selling trip. Clubs with “Wait Lists” can be placed on trips with other clubs if person chooses.

2. Be prepared to report on the trip status, number of clubs and number of persons participating.

3. Stay in close touch with the vendor; make sure information is getting to clubs.

4. Remember to forward all pertinent contract information to BRSC president.

5. December/January establish final details of trip, side trips, trip extensions, agendas, parties, race events and special offers.

6. Make sure club's trip leaders have information before their pre-trip parties.

7. Advertise the Nastar website for registration for the ski races to all clubs.

Trips – Feb./Mar. – current year

Contract disputes, during trip, are settled by the BRSC president.

1. At the Mountains, the coordinator has these responsibilities:

A. Coordinate the 3 main parties making sure they go smoothly. Get to the events about 1 hour early. Hints: Find and introduce yourself to lodging staff, head of sales, front desk manager, head bellman, catering manager, and bar manager. These are the people that will make the scheduled parties a success. Unless the vendor is on site you will get faster results dealing with people on site. Know and carry your contract with you.

Remember the BRSC president, treasurer and race coordinator will be with you on the trip for support.

B. Request from the front desk manager a Condo List of the room and phone numbers to distribute to all trip leaders and BRSC representatives. Get Cell phone numbers of each club leader.

C. Get 2 sets of name & club cards for each event and take them with you for the drawing of door prizes at both dinners.

D. You will check or help the catering manager by assigning the tables for each club. It is a good idea to change the seating for the second dinner, rotating the clubs in the back at the first dinner to the front, etc.

E. Check your sound system. Be ready to introduce BRSC President, the race coordinator, pull tickets for door prizes and close the dinner, with announcements.

F. Remember – you must make sure everyone on the trip knows to wear their BRSC credentials (neck wallets) for entry into the dinners. Request a volunteer from each club to help at the door.

G. Don’t forget to coordinate with the race coordinator before the trip and during the trip. Request a volunteer from each club to help with races.

H. If you are using buses to mountains, remember you are moving about 250 people. Each club that brings enough people to fill a bus prefers to use their own bus to and from mountains and not mix with others. Smaller clubs must share.

2. We have found that it is helpful to have vendor-receiving clubs at destination airports and assisting with the transfer to the buses before continuing to the lodging. Cell phone coordination is helpful at this point.

3. European trips need a translator on site.

4. Each club is responsible for their own medical needs and air evacuation to and from mountain.

5. Coordinator may need to “foot the bill”, on their credit card if problems occur. Reimbursement will be within your financial statement. But try to leave this problem to each club’s trip leader.

6. Upon completion of the trip, submit your financial statement to BRSC treasurer. Be sure to keep your receipts and other expenditure items for the report.

7. Arrange and account for the comps with the treasurer before and after the trip.

BRSC Spring Meeting – Apr./May – post trip

1. At this time all the paperwork and finances should be completed.

2. Be prepared to give a final report about the trip at this meeting. Include the completed items and any uncompleted items, such as refunds due.

Thank you for all you’re hard and diligent work in making this another successful BRSC ski trip.