General Information - Spring 2008

The Asia Travel Program provides venues for school representatives to meet students interested in attending a college preparatory boarding school. The itinerary also affords ample time while providing the appropriate setting for representatives to conduct important business with graduates, current and former parents, and other friends of their schools.

School representatives making this trip should be experienced admission staff members, teachers or administrators— knowledgeable about their schools’ current admission and financial aid policies; international student programs, concerns and issues; and academic and extracurricular offerings. Alumni/ae are welcome to join schools’ representatives during the fairs; however, our experience has proven that it is usually not in the best interest of either schools or families to have graduates as the sole representatives.

The fairs, designed exclusively for boarding schools and families interested in boarding school, form the backbone of this trip. School representatives are assigned tables to set up their displays. A typical display might include a table drape with a school’s logo, inquiry cards, view books or brochures, photo albums, a battery-operated laptop with the school’s video, and small, inexpensive gifts to give to inquiring families. Tabletop displays should be simple, lightweight, and easy to transport.

There is plenty of time before and after the fairs to conduct school-related business (and many admission interviews!). We strongly recommend that schools advise graduates and current and past parents about school representatives visiting their area. Families and alumni/ae usually consider it an honor to host visitors from their respective schools. For schools striving to develop a new market in Asia, TABS provides list of consultants and agents with whom their representatives may make appointments.

Travel Planning
ITABS has negotiated reduced rates at outstanding hotels—at locations appealing to prospective families and school constituents, and offering the Western-style amenities crucial for business travelers.

Preparing for a major trip can be daunting. For that reason, TABS provides numerous resources to help travelers with their preparations, and all travelers are automatically added to the Asia Travel Listserv on the TABS website. School representatives are responsible for arranging their own hotel accommodations, transportation, and meals. To coordinate travel with the TABS representative and other group members, please contact Steve Banks, Director of Operations, at banks@schools.com, or at 828-258-5354 ext. 308.

Fee Structure
Fees (payable in US dollars only) cover the cost of space at each fair, advance lists of suggested contacts and country information, and fair promotion and logistics.

The fee structure has changed for 2008. In the past, one fixed price applied to each fair. However, the cost of doing business in each city varies quite widely, and the differences have been compounded in recent years by significant currency fluctuations. For example, hotel event space is now roughly five times pricier in the tour’s most expensive city than in the tour’s least expensive destination. Our new fee structure incorporates tiered pricing to better reflect these variable costs. Some of the fairs are actually a bit less expensive for 2008; some are more.

© 2004 The Association of Boarding Schools, All Rights Reserved
2141 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite H
Washington, DC 20007
Phone (202) 965-8982  Fax (202) 965-8988
Privacy Statement | Terms of Use