Bowl travel packages provide engagement possibilities

Two Big Ten schools heading to BCS Bowl Games are setting up Bowl Tours for donors and alumni. Ohio State has created the Exclusive Buckeye Club Rose Bowl Tour for its first trip to the Pasadena bowl game since 1997. Iowa has set up two different packages for its Orange Bowl appearance, UI Alumni Association Tour and another through the Winebrenner Red Carpet Travel Tour.

Ohio State’s Exclusive Buckeye Club Rose Bowl Tour is a trip designed for Buckeye Club members that will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. The package includes flight from Columbus to Los Angeles, hotel accommodations, tickets to the Rose Bowl Game and Parade, and exclusive tours on-site. The tour also includes tickets to Buckeye Bash Pep Rally and a New Year’s Eve Reception. Uniglobe Travel Designers is organizing the trip for the Buckeye Club.

The Hawkeyes’ second trip to the Orange Bowl since 2003 is being accompanied by two packages aimed at two groups. The UI Alumni Association Tour is targeted at Iowa alumni. The Alumni Association Tour is serving alumni throughout the state with three different departure cities (Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Moline). The Winebrenner Red Carpet Travel Tour is positioned more towards the average Hawkeye fan. This package allows travelers to choose from seven Miami-area hotels and includes rates for both air and land travel.

Many schools do bowl packages to some extent for donors and alumni. Some schools use bus trips while other plan out every detail of the trip. Bowl games provide a great opportunity to encourage donations from enthusiastic supporters, the key is setting up the best travel accommodations to do so.

by Sean Phifer