Tours

A tour event allows prospective families to book a time to visit your school or organization. This is commonly used for school tours, campus visits, open day appointments, and facility walk-throughs.

Tour events are flexible and can be configured for registration only (just collecting information) or registration with bookings (scheduled tour times).

Choosing your tour format

Before you begin, decide which format works best for your tours:

Registration Only

Best when you:

• Just need to collect contact information from interested families
• Run drop-in style open days without specific time slots
• Want to gather preferences before scheduling tours

How it works: Families register their interest and provide contact details. No specific time slots are booked.

Registration with Bookings

Best when you:

• Have limited tour guide availability
• Want to control the number of families per tour
• Need to schedule specific tour times

How it works: Families register and book a specific date/time for their tour.

Step 1: Create your event

Event ManagersAdministrators

Sign in to Schoolea and select Start an Event from the Events menu.

1. Choose Tours as your event type
2. Select your format (Registration only or Registration with bookings)
3. Fill in the basic details:
   • Event name - e.g., "2026 School Tours"
   • Description - Information about what the tour includes
   • Location - Starting point for tours
   • Event dates - When tours will run
   • Booking open/close dates - When families can register/book

tip

Consider making tour events Public so prospective families can easily find and register without needing a code.

Step 2: Add staff and tour guides

1. Go to the Staff tab in your event
2. Add staff members who will coordinate or conduct tours
3. For each staff member, configure:
   • Their tour schedule (which dates/times they're available)
   • The starting location
   • How many families they can guide per tour

tip

Tour guides can include admissions staff, student ambassadors, or volunteers. They don't need to be full staff members in your organization.

Step 3: Configure time slots (if using bookings)

If you selected Registration with bookings:

1. Set your time slot duration (typically 30-90 minutes for tours)
2. Configure booking limits:
   • Set maximum families per tour time slot
3. Add breaks for tour guides if needed
4. Consider booking buffers between tours

Step 4: Set up your registration form

Customize what information you collect from prospective families:

1. Go to the Registration Form tab
2. Add questions to collect:
   • Parent/caregiver contact details
   • Child's name and current grade/age
   • Current school (if applicable)
   • Areas of interest
   • Preferred start date
   • Any questions they have

tip

Use the registration form to qualify leads. Ask about enrollment timeline, grade level interest, or specific program interests.

Learn more: Forms & Custom Fields

Step 5: Configure event settings

Review and adjust additional settings:

1. Event visibility - Choose public or private
   • Public - Recommended for tours so families can easily find it
   • Private - Use if you want to control who can register
2. Reminders - Set up automatic reminders for registered families
3. Follow-up - Consider configuring feedback forms

Step 6: Publish and promote your event

Once configured:

1. Change your event from Draft to Public or Private
2. Promote your tours:
   • Add the event link to your school website
   • Share on social media
   • Include in enrollment information packets
   • Send to your inquiry list

For public events, families can find the event at your event website.

Step 7: Manage registrations and bookings

As registrations come in:

• View all registered families in the Attendees section
• For booking-based tours, check the Bookings tab
• Tour guides can sign in to view their schedule
• Export data to your CRM or follow-up systems
• Send additional information to registered families

Step 8: Run your tours

On tour days:

• Tour guides can view their schedule and registered families in Schoolea
• Use check-in to track attendance
• Collect feedback or contact information for follow-up
• Note any families who didn't attend

Step 9: Follow up

After tours:

• Review attendance and statistics
• Export family information for enrollment follow-up
• Send thank you messages or next steps
• Track which families move forward with enrollment

Tips for successful tours

• Prepare your guides: Ensure tour guides know the route, key talking points, and how to answer common questions
• Limit group sizes: Smaller groups (3-5 families) allow for more personal interaction
• Follow up quickly: Contact families within 24-48 hours after their tour while your school is fresh in their mind
• Track conversion: Monitor which families who toured actually enrolled