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Rayburn Tours at the EVC Conference: Inspiration and Meaningful Connections

Last updated: Jun 29th, 2026


Earlier this month, Rayburn Tours was delighted to attend the EVC Conference, joining education professionals and industry partners for what proved to be an engaging and highly valuable event.

Representing Rayburn Tours at the conference were our Marketing Manager, Nicky Astle, alongside our Key Account Managers, Lucy Simson and Lauren Evans, who welcomed delegates to our exhibition stand throughout the event.

A Conference That Truly Delivered

Having attended education and subject-specific conferences for more than two decades, Nicky was particularly impressed by the quality of this year’s event.

“In my 20 years of representing Rayburn at a mountain of subject-specific conferences, I’ve never experienced an event of such high quality and so perfectly targeted at our industry. High quality, perfectly targeted, and quite frankly unmissable!”

Nicky Astle

The conference provided a fantastic opportunity to connect with school leaders, educational visit coordinators and industry colleagues, all sharing a common passion for delivering meaningful experiences for young people.

 

 

Valuable Conversations and New Connections

Throughout the day, our stand was a hub of conversation as Lucy and Lauren spoke with delegates about educational travel, school trips and the challenges and opportunities currently facing the sector.

We were delighted to meet so many attendees who were eager to discuss their plans, share experiences and learn more about how Rayburn Tours can support their educational visits. We also welcomed a number of sign-ups to our new EVC newsletter, allowing us to continue sharing guidance, updates and inspiration with the educational visits community.

As well as reconnecting with familiar faces, the event gave us the chance to build new relationships and exchange ideas with fellow industry providers, creating valuable discussions around shared challenges and future opportunities.

 

 

Learning from Expert Speakers

One of the highlights of the conference was the programme of workshops and speaker sessions. The afternoon featured an excellent lineup of presenters who generously shared their expertise and experiences with delegates.

Amongst the sessions attended by our team was a particularly insightful discussion focused on supporting parents in helping children manage anxiety. As educational travel specialists, we understand that confidence-building and personal development are often among the most valuable outcomes of a school trip.

Hearing practical advice and strategies for supporting young people and their families reinforced the important role that educational experiences can play in helping students develop independence and self-belief.

We were also proud to see our Operations & Customer Relations Director, Kelly, deliver a session on Managing Safety and Safeguarding on Overseas Educational Visits. Drawing on her extensive experience in educational travel, Kelly explored why overseas visits remain so valuable for young people, alongside the practical measures needed to keep them safe. Covering topics such as safeguarding, student wellbeing, cultural differences and overseas risk management, she shared real-world case studies that highlighted the importance of careful planning and experienced support.

 

 

Looking Ahead

We left the EVC Conference with a notebook full of inspiration, new contacts and exciting ideas for the future. Most importantly, we came away even more committed to supporting schools in delivering safe, enriching and memorable educational visits.

A huge thank you to the organisers for delivering such a fantastic event and for making us feel so welcome!

 

 

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Start planning your school trip!

Taking students abroad on educational trips is more important than ever before – and our award-winning team are here to get you started with the planning!

From 24/7 on-tour support to tailored itineraries that meet both your curriculum links and group’s needs, our specialist staff are there every step of the way. Get in touch today to begin your journey!

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