Updated December 28, 2021
All destinations and suppliers have their own rules related to COVID-19. For example, you may be required to quarantine upon arrival in some locations. Some locations may require masks or social distancing, or they may require you to provide proof of vaccination or negative testing. While Forum Educational Travel will try to assist you in understanding these requirements, you are responsible for understanding these requirements and must not rely on any representations made by Forum Educational Travel. Should you be denied entry to any destination or attraction, Forum Educational Travel will not be responsible for any such denial, or any cost associated therewith.
All medical costs associated with a COVID-19 infection during the trip are the responsibility of each individual traveler.
Updated August 15, 2020
It’s mid-August. Ordinarily, we would be circulating our annual brochure, generating our pricing, and looking forward to speaking with you who are anxiously planning festivals and trips. But these are unusual times, as we all know.
We understand that music educators are working through their own teaching schedules and, in many cases, distance learning conditions. We’ve shared some ideas and arts opportunities on our social media platforms in hopes of being helpful to students and educators. A survey will be emailed next week so we may plan some best next steps for 2021 festivals. When you receive that survey, we would be grateful if you would take a few minutes to let us know what is going on in your program.
Above all, we want you to know that we are still here – strong, steady, and ready to start planning with you when the COVID-19 situation allows. We are monitoring community and school closures as well as the CDC guidelines, to help us define how we will safely and effectively move forward with our festivals.
Refunds from the 2020 season were processed as promptly as possible. If any questions still remain about 2020 refunds, please contact us at office@forummusicfestivals.com.
As a company that supports school music programs, there is no question that this health crisis has impacted Forum as well as our many business partners. But be assured that when students are ready to travel and perform, we will be ready to welcome them with open arms and with our longstanding commitment to music education.
For now, we encourage you to keep safe and healthy.
o Observe instructions released by local health officials.
o Practice social distancing and wear a mask when in public.
o Minimize any chance of contracting respiratory infections.
o Do not touch your face without washing your hands.
o Avoid contact with persons who are already ill.
o Limit touching public surfaces, where possible.
o Wash your hands frequently with soap and water.
o Carry hand sanitizer (60-95% alcohol) for conditions where hand
washing isn’t possible.
Take care and we will see you soon!
Your Friends at Forum Music Festivals and Forum Educational Travel
Updated July 10, 2020
Our registration for the 2021 Festival Season is NOW OPEN. Although we know there is still much uncertainty for the future, we hope to have a great festival season and get to see many of the faces we missed in 2020. We will be introducing new safety and sanitation policies and will share them once available. We are closely monitoring this ever-changing situation and making our decisions with the health and well-being of our clients at the forefront. Our partners are also hard at work to develop new protocols and ensure the safety of their guests, and we will be sure to share any and all information for trips you may be planning. In the meantime, stay tuned and we’ll see you soon!
Updated April 22, 2020
As we’ve said goodbye to our 2020 festival season (with barely a chance to say hello), we want to give you an update on what we’re doing and where we go from here.
Like many of you, we are monitoring the status of the Coronavirus and the guidelines from the State of California. If you were planning on participating with us during the 2020 festival season, we are providing the following details.
- All 2020 festivals are now cancelled. Although we were hoping to re-schedule groups, it just isn’t possible during this spring season. Above all, the health of our participants and our staff is what matters most.
- We have suspended our usual cancellation deadlines due to the pandemic.
- School refunds are nearly complete. We’d like to extend a shout out to our many valued partners (hotels, restaurant, bus companies, etc.) for assisting us to refund so many of our client’s funds.
- We continue to advocate for our groups with our corporate suppliers to expedite the remainder of funds paid on behalf of schools. Wherever possible, we are offering partial refunds now so needed monies can be returned to the hands of students and their families. Once the remainder of the refund comes back to us, we will refund the balance to the school.
- If you wish to have your 2020 funds carried over for a festival in 2021, please notify us. We are accepting registrations now for the 2021 festival season – visit Festival Registrations.
- We are working remotely. The best way to reach us is by email – office@forummusicfestivals.com. You may leave a message at our office phone, but it may take longer to retrieve and answer those messages.
- Hotels, theme parks, charter bus companies, and restaurants are also under lockdown orders. This may delay refunds and correspondence as they are facing the same situation as many of us.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate through this difficult time. We are here to answer any questions you may have. Most importantly, we encourage you and your school community to adhere to local guidelines for best practices to stay safe and healthy.
Updated April 1, 2020
In light of the new recommendations from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (read letter here), Forum has made the difficult choice to cancel the rest of our festival season. We are as heartbroken as our many clients at this unfortunate situation but the health and safety of all our directors, students, families, and staff are at the forefront of our minds.
We are working remotely from home at this time. Please contact us at office@forummusicfestivals.com for options for funds paid in toward your 2020 festival participation.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your sincere and kind emails during this difficult time. We consider you all as close as family and will miss seeing you and hearing your students this year.
We excitedly look forward to our 2021 festival season! Registrations are NOW OPEN so lock in your preferred date today. Contact us for a no-obligation overnight quote for the lowest rates and best availability. We are hopeful that all public health concerns will be resolved long before our season will commence.
Take care, be well, continue making music and we will see you all in 2021!
Updated March 27, 2020
Our team at Forum is working diligently to process refunds and address this fluid situation on a case-by-case basis. At this point, we have not cancelled all of our May festivals. We are waiting for further direction from the CDC and state of California. If you are registered for a May festival, please contact us at office@forummusicfestivals.com to give us an update on whether your district will be in session or will allow travel in May or June.
Please note that registrations for 2021 open on April 1 and we anxiously look forward to welcoming each and every one of you back to Forum in the new year! Reserve your spot today and request your custom overnight proposal now for the best availability.
Updated March 20, 2020
Due to the shelter in place orders from the California government, we are no longer actively in the office. Our staff is monitoring email and phone calls. Refunds will be processed once we can get back into the office. Please be patient as we work through this together.
Updated March 17, 2020
Forum Music Festivals would like to express a sincere and heartfelt thank you to all of our clients and partners who have been so patient and understanding during this unprecedented and uncertain time.
We are currently holding to see if late May or early June festivals may be possible. Based on current CDC guidelines, we do not feel comfortable planning any events until this situation calms down. If you are interested in pursuing a later festival date, we ask that you reach out to us in early to mid-April to see what options may be available at that time. We appreciate your understanding as we wait for a clearer picture of what is to come.
Please note we have had to reduce our office hours due to the governor’s recent suggestions, so our team is working remotely and communicating as best we can to get refunds and changes processed. We also must wait for our partner organizations (theme parks, hotels, restaurants, etc.) to process refunds before we can move forward. We are doing everything we can to get these out in a timely manner while also considering the health and safety of our staff. Thank you in advance for your patience!
Take care and be well!
Updated March 13, 2020
As you may know, the COVID-19 coronavirus has forced the closures and cancellations of many venues and activities throughout the country. In accordance with the recommendations made by the state of California, we have decided to cancel our festivals through the end of March. We are saddened to make this move but believe it is in the best interest of our music teachers and students. We are also assessing our April dates and cancelling those as necessary. If you have an existing registration with us, we will inform you directly if this impacts your trip.
You have several options including:
- Reschedule at a later date – possibly May or June
- Request a refund
- Request the theme park tickets and we will refund the festival portion
- Roll-over all fees for a 2021 festival date. Registrations will commence on April 1.
Because of these extraordinary circumstances, we are processing many refunds on a case-by-case basis. We thank you for your patience in getting this information out to you. We have a high volume of calls at this time, so please email office@forummusicfestivals.com with any questions you may have.
We look forward to working with all of you and your talented students later this year and beyond in 2021 and appreciate your understanding during these difficult times.
Originally posted March 3, 2020
At Forum Music Festivals, our goal is to provide an experience that is not only educational and fun, but also an experience that keeps students well-being at the forefront.
At this time, there are no restrictions on travel anywhere in the United States. In addition, there’s no indication that travel plans within the United States should be altered for any public health reason. The CDC and other health organizations have advised that the current health risk to the general public is considered low. In addition, young people appear to be less susceptible to the Coronavirus.
Specific healthy habits always benefits student travelers – wash hands frequently, cough into your elbow and sneeze into a tissue, and consult your health care provider before traveling when sick. We also encourage group leaders to check official world and national health resources for the most accurate information. These include the Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Travel Association. Educating ourselves with guidance from legitimate health organizations will allow us to make the best decisions for our student travelers.
Although this is a developing situation, we currently do not foresee a change in our cancellation policy.