Bring It Promotions, LLC
F.A.Q.'s About University Tours and the
International Recruiting Service

Section 1. University Tours
Section 1.1 What is included in a University Tour managed by Bring It Promotions?
	Bring It Promotions handles every aspect of your European tour except, in most cases, airfare. At your specific request we will agree to organize your airfare, but we have found through experience that most schools prefer to arrange their own air transportation. All Bring It Promotions University Tours include: all hotel accommodations, all meals/per diem, unlimited matches/training sessions, all ground transportation overseas, and team sightseeing arrangements and fees.
Section 1.2 Why should we use Bring It Promotions rather than organize our own tour or employ another tour management company?
	First of all, Bring It Promotions is based in Europe and has been since 1997. Because of that, we have a vast network of connections to federations, teams, and service industries. Secondly, BIP deals solely with volleyball. Other tour management companies do not have the same appreciation for the specific needs of volleyball teams and coaches, nor the same access to National Teams or European professional teams. Thirdly, BIP turns your organizational nightmare into one of the easiest and most rewarding road trips you will ever take. Your all-inclusive tour means that we handle all logistics once you arrive in so you don’t have to.
Section 1.3 Are there specific countries we visit, or can we customize our trip?
	Customize, of course! We have established relationships with teams throughout Europe, South & Central America, Australia and the South Pacific, Asia and the entire volleyball world, and can arrange matches virtually anywhere you want to go. We have countries that we recommend and are worthwhile from competition, sightseeing, and recruiting standpoints, but you are free to make requests based on your own individual preferences. The number of places you can go is limited only by the amount of time you plan to spend overseas and the amount of money budgeted for the trip.
Section 1.4 What time of year can we take our University Tour and how far in advance do we need to contract Bring It Promotions to manage the trip?
	Your University Tour can be taken anytime throughout the year as long as you are not in school, and as long as you're back from your tour 30 days before your first practice date of your season. Check with BIP or your compliance advisor if you have any questions about these dates. Otherwise, the timing of your trip is entirely up to you. We suggest not only from our standpoint, but also from your program’s fundraising standpoint, that you contract BIP at least 3-6 months in advance of your desired trip to receive an early price quote. Securing BIP as your tour management company well in advance of the trip also locks in your preferred trip dates.
Section 1.5 Will a member of the Bring It Promotions staff be on tour with us at all times?
	Yes. We will never run a tour without a member of Bring It Promotions along to ensure that the itinerary is followed and everything is running smoothly.
Section 1.6 What type of accommodations should we expect?
	Lodging throughout the tour will depend entirely on your budget. In the past we have used hotels, sport lodges, pensions, hostels, and even gymnasiums themselves. Regardless of the lodging you choose, sometimes the least expensive accommodations turn into the best cultural experiences. In general the quality of the lodging may vary from city to city as some places give you more for less.
Section 1.7 What type of meals will we be having?
	Just as is the case with accommodations, meals will in large part depend on your budget, as well as the daily schedule of the tour. Sometimes meals have to be fast as we go from sightseeing to a competition or from city to city; other times we can afford to sit down and take our time. But by and large, meals will be held in restaurants, most of which we have already used on previous tours. The food ranges from pasta and pizza to more traditional local foods. In some cases a pre-determined menu with, say, four possible choices will be given. In other cases the restaurant has pre-prepared meals (such as large pasta dinners). And, of course, there are times where you will be free to choose off the restaurant menu or given per diem for meals on your own. If you have extremely picky eaters in your group, there are grocery stores, convenience stores, and McDonald’s throughout Europe.
Section 1.8 How good will the competition be and how often will we play?
	You can pre-determine your desired level of competition. If you are a strong team and would like to play against some of the top professional or National Teams, we can arrange for high caliber matches. If you are not a strong team and would rather play mid-level matches, we can also accommodate you. In addition, you may determine the frequency of play and practice sessions. Previous tours have ranged from nightly matches to matches every couple of nights. Some coaches wish to have practice sessions on their own, some don’t. It’s entirely up to you.
Section 1.9 Are we permitted to bring family, friends of the program, or university administrators on our Tour with us?
	Yes. Bringing family, boosters, or administrators along is common and of course we will simply include them in the number of your travel party. However, it is imperative that all non-volleyball participants understand up front that volleyball—and the team in particular—is the priority.
Section 1.10 What is the average cost of a Bring It Promotions University Tour?
	The cost of any University Tour is entirely dependent upon the number of people in your travel party, the number of days you plan on touring, the number of countries you’d like to see, and the time of year you plan to travel. Costs can range from $1200 to $3000+ per person, not including airfare. (Airfare usually ranges between $500 and $1200 depending on the time of year.) Remember, while Bring It Promotions can give you a quote up front, we can also work within any budget you present to us.
Section 1.11 How do we go about paying Bring It Promotions for our University Tour?
	We require 10% down to secure your desired tour dates. After your down payment has been made and your dates have been locked in, the balance will be due before you depart for your tour. University-issued checks are the most standard form of payment, and we will happily send you an invoice or bill as required by your administration. In the event that your travel party includes family members or outside friends who will not be covered by the university for their trip costs, we will deal with them directly and have them on a special "Booster Package" with BIP. Please contact Tim or Cory if you have any questions about this.
Section 1.12 Do you have a list of the coaches who have previously used BIP for their tour management so that I can gather references first?
	We invite you to ask around first. The following is just a short list of the many coaches that have been on previous BIP Team Tours: Joe Sagula (North Carolina), Debbie Brown (Notre Dame), Devin Scruggs (Reno), Brian Gimmillaro (Long Beach State), Andy Banachowski (UCLA), Al Scates (UCLA men), Reed Sunahara (Cincinnati), Russ Rose (Penn State), Mary Wise (Florida), Jerritt Elliott (Texas), Tom Hilbert (Colorado State), and Dietre Collins (Cornel). Additionally, journal entries from previous Tours can be found on our website at www.bringitusa.com/tours/university.php, as well as links to university websites for their respective tour information.
Section 2. Recruiting Foreign Athletes
Section 2.1 Can BIP help me recruit foreign athletes for my university team?
	Tough question these days. We ran an International Recruiting Service from 2000 to 2003 and helped about 100 girls get scholarships in the USA during that time. We tried our best to run the service in a fair way for all coaches, but with stricter NCAA regulations popping up, the prevalence of information on the internet (and the advent of google.com) and our friendships with several coaches in the NCAA ranks, it became too difficult to keep up with demand and also contain the conflicts of interest that constantly plagued our little business. We also just don’t have the time to check the "legality" of every girl as well as we once could. At this point in time both Cory and Tim still spend between 100-150 days a year on tour and/or watching volleyball matches in Europe and Central/South America. Many of the teams that we visit or see have good players in the age range of 15-20, and some of these players do speak English. In some cases they are 100% "legal" and in some cases they are less so. Some are "pros", some have played with "pros", and some are 100% amateur. Some are interested in playing in the USA, and many have no idea that the possibility exists. The problem lies in the fact that we just don’t have the time or inclination to find who is who anymore, and unless they actively pursue us for information about going to the USA, this "resource" goes untapped by us. Therefore, the best way for us to assist coaches in finding foreign players is to have them ON TOUR with us meeting these players and their coaches and/or managers to set up relationships for the future as well. Please see our Tours Section on this site for more information about the tours.