Bob Rogers Travel

What Bob Rogers Travel does

Bob Rogers Travel is a U.S.-based, family-owned group travel agency founded in 1981 by a high school band director and headquartered in Naperville, Illinois. The company specializes in fully customized travel for student performance groups — primarily marching bands, concert bands, orchestras, and choirs — plus general educational student travel. Over more than 45 years it has completed more than 10,000 trips carrying roughly 750,000 students to all 50 U.S. states and 30-plus countries, anchored by long-running relationships with the Tournament of Roses (since 1986), Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (since 2013), St. Patrick's Festival Dublin (since 2014), Walt Disney World, Broadway, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Music for All / Bands of America.

The service stack is high-touch and relationship-driven. Travel consultants customize each itinerary — transportation, accommodations, performance venues, daily plans, and on-tour tour directors — and price each trip on a custom-quote basis with service economics built into the package. The proprietary technology layer is modest but functional: a Salesforce CRM for trips, vendors, and clients, a BRT Payments System that lets families pay online with director-level payment visibility, and a BRT Trip Assurance Program that formalizes cancellation advocacy with tiered refund terms. Supporting infrastructure includes the BRT Cares safety/wellness program, the BRT Gives Back philanthropy initiative (Pledge 1% inspired, including a Moments That Matter Scholarship), and a content marketing footprint (TravelNotes Blog, planning guides, video library).

The business model is a sales-led, direct travel agency monetized through service margins on fully bundled, multi-year customer relationships. GTM is a hybrid of consultant-driven outbound to school music programs, inbound via website quote requests, and content-led nurture. The company holds a 97% stated educator retention rate and has membership/partner status with SYTA, NTA, CSTO, and Music for All. There is no disclosed revenue, no parent company, no outside investment, and no M&A activity on record.

Name

Bob Rogers Travel

Legal name

Bob Rogers Travel, Inc.

Website

https://bobrogerstravel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bob Rogers Travel is a family-owned, U.S.-based travel agency that has organized fully customized trips for student marching bands, choirs, orchestras, and educational groups since 1981, serving over 10,000 trips and 750,000 students across all 50 U.S. states and 30-plus countries with itinerary planning, tour directors, and proprietary payment and cancellation tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Performance Group Travel Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Travel Agencies (561510)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Student & Youth Educational Tours (THAKAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Educational & Student Multi-Day Tour Operators (THAKADAJ), Group & Small-Group Custom Itinerary Planning (THAKAOAF)

Keywords

• Performance group travel
• Student travel services
• Educational group tours
• Marching band travel
• Music education travel

Headquarters

HQ city

Naperville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Student Performance Group Travel Services: Full-service travel planning for student performance groups including transportation, accommodations, performance venue bookings, itinerary customization, tour directors, and on-trip support. Revenue generated through service fees built into trip packages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Bob Rogers Travel plans and operates fully customized group travel experiences for student performing ensembles (marching bands, choirs, orchestras, dance teams) and educational student groups. Services include transportation, accommodations, performance venue bookings, itinerary customization, on-trip tour directors, and dedicated travel consultants managing each trip end-to-end. Revenue is generated through service fees built into each customized trip package.

Product overview

Bob Rogers Travel is a performance group travel company operating since 1981, offering a portfolio of travel planning and management services organized around its core travel products and technology tools. The core offering comprises Performance Group Travel, International Group Travel, and Educational Group Travel, supplemented by specialized parade and event travel (including the proprietary Thanksgiving Parade of Bands at Walt Disney World). Supporting technology includes the BRT Payments System for financial management and the Trip Assurance Program for cancellation protection. The company also offers BRT Cares (safety protocols), the Moments That Matter Scholarship (financial aid), and the BRT Gives Back Program (corporate philanthropy). Value-added resources include Planning Guides, Video Resources, and the TravelNotes Blog. The BRT Cares program provides health and safety infrastructure, while Travel Consultation and Tour Director Services deliver personalized support throughout the trip lifecycle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Performance Group Travel Fully customized travel experiences for student performing ensembles including marching bands, concert bands, choirs, orchestras, and dance teams, covering transportation, accommodations, performance venue bookings, itinerary customization, tour directors, and on-trip support.
• International Group Travel Organized international travel experiences for student performers and educational groups, including trips to destinations worldwide for performances and cultural exposure, covering all logistics end-to-end.
• Educational Group Travel Student group travel experiences focused on educational value and learning opportunities outside the classroom, designed for school groups seeking curriculum-linked travel.
• Parades, Events and Festivals Travel Specialized travel coordination for major parade and festival events including the Tournament of Roses Parade, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, St. Patrick's Day Parade, and Music for All/Bands of America championships.
• Thanksgiving Parade of Bands Proprietary annual event at Walt Disney World Resort featuring massed-band performances, clinician-led workshops, and exclusive extras including private performances and EPCOT experiences.
• Music for All Affiliate Regional Music Festivals Non-competitive, educationally-focused regional music festivals for concert bands, choirs, and orchestras, staffed with nationally-recognized evaluators and clinicians.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of educators served would travel with BRT again
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Music for AllcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBob Rogers Travel is an official partner of Music for All and their Affiliate Regional Music Festivals. These are non-competitive, education-focused events designed to improve musicality and artistry. BRT serves as Affiliate Regional Partner for music festivals held throughout the country.
• Walt Disney World ResortcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBob Rogers Travel partners with Walt Disney World Resort for the annual Thanksgiving Parade of Bands event. The event features performances at Disney parks with custom arrangements by Grammy-nominated composers and professional clinicians including the Gateways Brass Collective.
• Tournament of Roses ParadecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBob Rogers Travel has been leading trips to the Tournament of Roses Parade since 1986. The company organizes all details of the Rose Parade experience including performance logistics and special itineraries for family and friends.
• Macy's Thanksgiving Day ParadecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBob Rogers Travel has been leading bands through the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade experience for years. The company handles all logistics including parade participation, Broadway shows, and New York City attractions.
• St. Patrick's Festival Dublin, IrelandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBob Rogers Travel partners with Ireland's St. Patrick's Festival for parade participation. The company has been taking students to this event for over 40 years. Additional performance opportunities available in Limerick, Cork, and the St. Patrick's Choral Festival.
• Bands of AmericamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBob Rogers Travel is a partner for Music for All's Bands of America marching band championships. These regional and national championships are premier events for marching bands in the United States.
• BroadwaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBob Rogers Travel has been recognized as a top producer for Broadway performances and is authorized to arrange Broadway show experiences for student groups visiting New York City.
• Chicago Symphony OrchestracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBob Rogers Travel has been honored as a top producer for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, arranging educational performance experiences for student groups.
• Ronald McDonald HouseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBob Rogers Travel partners with Ronald McDonald House as part of their BRT Gives Back program commitment to giving back to communities.
• Feed My Starving ChildrenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBob Rogers Travel partners with Feed My Starving Children as part of their BRT Gives Back corporate philanthropy program.
• The Pledge 1% MovementminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe BRT Gives Back Program was inspired by The Pledge 1% Movement, a philanthropy model that inspires company-wide generosity through specific giving areas: 1% of time (volunteering), 1% of profits, and 1% of product (scholarships).
• Student and Youth Travel Association (SYTA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerBob Rogers Travel is an active member of SYTA, following their recommended insurance coverage and consumer protection plans. The company carries insurance coverage as recommended by SYTA.
• National Tour Association (NTA)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBob Rogers Travel is a member of the National Tour Association, the leading global travel organization for tour professionals.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• StudentUniverse: Online travel agency targeting students and youth with discounted airfare, hotels, and group bookings. Adjacent rather than directly competitive — serves the same end consumer but does not specialize in chaperoned performance group logistics.

Emerging players

• National Geographic Student Expeditions: Premium-brand student travel program targeting high school and college students for educational and service-oriented trips. Competes for the same parent-funded, educationally motivated travel wallet though with a different experiential angle.
• Travel For Teens: Teen-focused group travel operator offering performance, community service, and adventure itineraries. Partial overlap with BRT on the student-travel buyer and the emphasis on chaperoned group experiences.

Broad incumbents

• EF Educational Tours: Global leader in educational student travel with a much broader portfolio spanning academic, language, and cultural tours. Comparable because it competes for the same school-trip decision-maker and student-travel budget that Bob Rogers Travel serves, though EF is not specialized in performance ensembles.
• People to People Ambassador Programs: Long-established student travel and ambassador program operator with ties to educational institutions and performance-oriented itineraries. Comparable as a legacy player in the youth educational and performance travel space.

Direct peers

• Brightspark Travel: U.S. operator of student group tours including performance and educational trips for schools. Comparable in customer segment (school directors), product (custom group itineraries), and distribution (direct sales to educators).
• ACIS (American Council for International Studies): Mid-sized operator focused on educational student group travel, including music performance tours to international destinations. Overlaps with BRT on custom itineraries, performance venue access, and school-based group leaders.
• WorldStrides: Largest U.S. operator of student educational and performance group travel, offering band, choir, orchestra, and academic travel packages — the most direct head-to-head competitor to Bob Rogers Travel across K-12 and university performance trips.
• Explorica: Educational student travel company providing custom itineraries for school groups worldwide, including performance-oriented trips. Competes directly with BRT for the same band, choir, and orchestra directors and school travel coordinators.

Regional players

• Witte Travel & Tours: Michigan-based tour operator with a strong performing-arts group travel practice serving school bands, choirs, and orchestras. Comparable in niche specialization though primarily regional in scale relative to BRT's national footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BobRogersTravel
• Facebookfacebook.com/BobRogersTravel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bob-rogers-travel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bob Rogers Travel