It has been a while since I've made a post. Looking at the Google Analytics I can see that people have been reading my blogs from multiple countries. It is about time that I gave them something new to read.
I have been busy since the last time I made a post. I organised a trip for a group of international students. I took the group to see the power plant and mine that supplies electricity to most of the state. I had not organised a trip before and so I learnt many lessons that will help me become a better leader.
Ensure that you get commitment
Send out the invitations well in advance so that people can have time to respond and also be able cancel other activities that they may have planned that day. Also make it clear that a person needs to let you know if they have changed their mind and won't be coming. On this trip some people were polite enough to notify me a week in advance they were no longer able to come. Unfortunately the group were delayed waiting for latecomers who did not show. This not only meant that people had less time for activities. The people who came on the trip had to pay extra to cover the cost of the people who did not turn up. It is recommended that the organiser collects a non-refundable deposit to cover costs.
Plan, Plan and Plan!
Planning is very important. It took about a month to plan the trip. Make sure that the destination will open on the day, double check the prices and estimate the travel time required. It is also important to ensure to plan the best ways to get to the destination, and have an alternate route. From the Navigational aspect, I already knew how to get to the destinations of the trips so focused more on getting transportation.
Check for hidden fees when hiring a minibus
Hiring a minibus and driving was the best option in this situation. Public transport options were limited for the area and hiring a tour bus with driver would of cost several thousands of dollars. When hiring a minibus it is important to shop around and look for the hidden costs. Each company has their own rates and hidden fees. You will have to pay extra for insurance if you are under the age of 25 years. Also, remember it is part of the contract to fill up the fuel tank before returning the bus. I paid $1.06 per litre for fuel by filling up at an independently owned petrol station. It would of cost $2.60 per litre if I were to fill up the bus with the fuel supplied by the hire company. It is also important to mention that there will be a processing fee added to cost of speeding fines and for not paying for the tollway.
Get to know people
At the beginning of the trip make sure you know all the people and then make sure everyone knows each other. I forgot that, even though I knew most of the people, half the people on the trip never met the other half so I did not introduce people to each other. Fortunately everyone introduced themselves and got along well.
Conclusion
Overall, the most important components of the trip are planning and communication. Ensure that you know what all the costs are and that everyone else also knows the costs so that there is no argument. Also remember to notify the group about any changes.
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