Livy Irizarry
Livy Irizarry
Growing up in Puerto Rico, my parents emphasized the importance of travel and opportunity to learn and experience other cultures and places. This early found passion let me to the travel industry back in 1993 where I started working in Orlando area hotels. From there I moved on to convention and group events. However, I found my true passion for group travel planning when I started working with student groups.
I truly enjoy planning and organizing details for each of our groups. I take pride in not only meeting our group’s expectations but surpassing them. I am always looking for that unique experience that I can provide our students. I am proud to have the opportunity to share my love for travel with groups across the country. The favorite part? I love when I have the opportunity to travel with groups and watch students see and experience a tour that I have planned.
Jeff Lepera
Jeff Lepera
Living and working in New York City allows me the opportunity to show a side of the city that can only come from a New Yorker. My goal, is to provide students with a trip that they will not only enjoy but that they will remember always.
I’ve also had the opportunity to experience the culture of great countries such as Italy, France, Ireland, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Mexico and Brazil, just to name a few. At UR Tours and Events I am able to share my personal travel experiences while planning tours for all of our groups and family reunions.
We are constantly working to find new and innovative ways to enhance our customer experience and create lifelong memories for all of our groups.
Lisa
Lisa
Originally from Philadelphia I started my career of planning trips during college where I interned for a student travel company and fell in love with the industry. Orlando has been my home for the past 12 years and although I took a hiatus to follow my dream of working in the fitness industry I am happy to be back working with Livy & Jeff.
My favorite part in planning trips is that I enjoy researching attractions and restaurants for our groups. Giving each group a unique and unforgettable experience is something I strive for. It makes me happy seeing students having fun and creating memories and knowing I had a part in making their trip a huge success!
Susann
Susann
With 29 years of dedicated service as the Director of Bands at Ann Simpson Davis Middle School and Woodwind Specialist for Dublin Scioto High School, I am thrilled to bring a wealth of personal experience to the realm of student group travel planning.
My passion for travel and adventure has now led me to the rewarding field of organizing student group travel. Throughout my extensive career, I’ve witnessed firsthand how embarking on music tours has enriched the lives of my students, providing them with unforgettable experiences they otherwise wouldn’t have had the opportunity to encounter.
In my role as the director of four Taiko Drumming ensembles, I’ve had the privilege of guiding my students on transformative journeys across Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia, Florida, Japan, and the UK. These immersive travel experiences have not only allowed my students to showcase their musical talents on international stages but have also broadened their cultural horizons and fostered a deeper understanding of the world around them.
Beyond fostering musical talent, I have also served as a guest conductor, leading festival bands in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. My experiences as a three-time conductor at the Wooster Music Camp, coupled with my leadership roles within esteemed organizations such as the Ohio Music Educators Association and ASBDA (American School Band Directors Association), have honed my skills in organizing and coordinating travel experiences for groups of all sizes and interests.
With my extensive travel background, meticulous attention to detail, and unwavering passion for creating unforgettable journeys, I am thrilled to join the dynamic team at UR Tours & Events. I am eager to share my personal experiences and expertise with fellow educators as they plan their own enriching student trips. Together, let’s inspire the next generation of adventurers and global citizens.
Nydia
Nydia
Being a teacher myself I get to experience first hand what a great company UR Tours is not just for students, but for teachers. Teachers can trust UR Tours to do an excellent job with all arrangements. From transportation, workshops, hotel, theme park tickets, etc. Everything is carefully planned by the amazing staff giving teachers and chaperones time to focus on getting ready for what they came to do!Nick
Nick
Nick is a retired Texas band director who taught in the Houston area for over 20 years and served as a Fine Arts Director for nine years. He continues to be actively involved in student life by assisting student groups in enjoying meaningful and well-organized tour experiences.
Nick brings firsthand experience from planning and leading multiple student trips with his own high school band over the years. His background as a band director provides valuable insight into the unique needs of traveling with students and chaperones, ensuring trips are both educational and seamless.
Whether you’re looking to travel with your students across the country or around the world, we’re committed to delivering a unique, meaningful experience for you and your students. Let UR Tours and Events be part of your next travel experience.
“To all my music educator friends….you would be crazy not to use Livy with UR Tours for any trips you might be planning! This past weekend was the third time I used her and she is the best. Thanks for taking care of us the weekend Livy. We had a blast!”
“Teacher friends, or anyone who wants to plan a trip for a group I cannot express how amazing Livy and UR Tours and Events is to work with to create a wonderful experience. I’ve worked with Livy for twelve years including five performance trips to Walt Disney World and two workshop/Broadway show trips to New York City. Simply THE BEST!”
“To all my music educator friends….you would be crazy not to use Livy with UR Tours for any trips you might be planning! This past weekend was the third time I used her and she is the best. Thanks for taking care of us the weekend Livy. We had a blast!”
“I couldn’t have asked for a better trip. I was nervous about traveling as a chaperone with 30+ high schoolers, as I have been on badly organized trips, but this was amazing! Enough information was handed out before hand and, as unexpected things came up (Covid-19 national crisis) . . . . Thanks for a great trip!”
“I wouldn’t recommend any other company to plan our trips. They are well organized and always have my student’s best interest in mind. The trips I have taken with them (Hawaii, California and Florida) have always run smoothly. I can’t recommend them enough.”
TOP DESTINATIONS
New York City
New York City is a popular destination for both performance and educational trips for students. From Broadway to SoHO, Wall Street and Central Park, with a visit to this one city, you can inspire your students to pursue a career in theater, fashion, finance or the arts. It’s why so many school groups choose to hit The Big Apple every year as part of their program. Whether students are performing on stage or being wowed from the seats, dreams are born once the curtain rises. Inspire your students to follow their dreams in New York City!
Highlights
- Rockefeller Center
- Radio City Music Hall
- Top of the Rock
- Lincoln Center
- Museum of Modern Art
- Central Park
- Cathedral of Saint John the Divine
- NBC Studios
- USS Intrepid
- Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
- 9/11 Memorial and Museum
Freedom Tower - Broadway Shows and Workshops
- New York Philharmonic Concert and Workshops
- The Brooklyn Tabernacle
- Brooklyn Bridge
- Veteran’s Day Parade
- St. Patrick’s Day Parade
- Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
- Carnegie Hall Tours and Performances
Orlando
THE most popular destination, Orlando offers great theme parks, educational programs, performance opportunities and of course perfect weather. Orlando is a city unlike any other with amazing beaches within an hour drive, endless activities outside of the main theme parks not to mention great college visits and educational activities across Central Florida. Our groups can’t get enough traveling year after year
Highlights
- Walt Disney World® Resort
- Universal Orlando Resort™
- SeaWorld
- Cocoa Beach
- Kennedy Space Center
- Visitor Complex
- Disney Performing Arts
- Workshops and Performances
- Universal STARS Workshops and Performances
- Festival Disney
- Disney Youth Educational Programs
- Universal Programs and Tours including Special FX Tour
D.C. | Williamsburg
Washington D.C.
History, Art, Theatre, Government: there is only one place that you can find all this and more, in Our Nation’s Capital, Washington, D.C.
Whether it is a high school band trip to Washington D.C., a musical ensemble, orchestra, or a choir – the excitement of performing in our Nation’s Capital will entice your students.
Each year thousands of student groups visit Our Nation’s Capital to see the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the Smithsonian Museums, President Kennedy’s gravesite, the changing of the guard at Arlington Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknowns and many other monuments and memorials. If a show is what you’re looking for, D.C. has it. Washington has been described as the second best theater city in the United States.
From historical attractions to theater performances, from outdoor activities to the best in international cuisine, D.C. has it all.
Williamsburg
Bring your students to the largest living museum in America! Step into the past and join in the creation of a new nation at Colonial Williamsburg where the 18th century lives on!
Your band and/or choir members can see over 500 original and carefully reconstructed public buildings, private homes, taverns and shops, and 90 acres of gardens and public greens comprise the Williamsburg Historic Area.
Williamsburg area also offers the fun and excitement of Busch Gardens and Water Country USA. Williamsburg performance opportunities are available at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Colonial Williamsburg and other attractions.
UR Tours and Events will customize and itinerary that will meet your performance objectives.
Nashville | Memphis
Memphis
Memphis, the birthplace of Rock-n-Roll, the Delta Blues and the one-and-only Elvis is the perfect destination for performing groups. Elvis Presley chose Memphis as the home of his sprawling mansion, Graceland. Elvis not only lived in Memphis, but it is also where he made his first recording at Sun Studios. Students can rock-out at Sun Studios and Graceland or visit the historic Stax Records Museum—the recording home of Aretha Franklin, Isaac Hayes and Otis Redding.
Highlights
- Memphis Rock ‘N Soul
- Museum
- Tour of Gibson Guitars
- Graceland
- Stax Museum
- Sun Studio
- Civil Rights Museum
- Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum
- Beale Street
Nashville
Nashville, a city where music LIVES. A city where students don’t just talk about music, songs and lyrics but can live them night and day. Nashville sizzles with American music, and Southern hospitality.
Just imagine the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum, Grand Ole Opry, Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage: home of the US 7th president, Bicentennial, Parthenon, visiting Vanderbilt, Belle Meade, just to name a few… all in one destination. Many of Nashville’s most popular attractions offer educational student tours.
When the sun goes down, Nashville, like any other city, offers a variety of things to do. Students groups will enjoy Nashville’s Ghost Tours learning more about the haunted heritage of music city. You might be interested in having your student group go out to see some live entertainment or board the General Jackson Showboat.
For more than 200 years, music has left a lasting imprint and is now waiting for your students to experience it, with UR Tours and Events.
Highlights
- Country Music Hall of Fame
- Hermitage
- Ryman Auditorium
- Grand Old Opry House
- RCA Studio B
- Nashville Parthenon
Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge
Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge, Tennessee are nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains and offers fun and excitement.
Spend the day at Dollywood theme park, where your students can enjoy thrilling roller coasters, sing along to a variety of shows or browse the shops. Your students are sure to be entertained in action-packed Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.
Experience all the Smokies has to offer your student group tours.
Chicago
Chicago is the ideal place for student and youth groups. Chicago has major bragging rights when it comes to some of the leading museums in the country, along with award-winning theatre and one-of-a-kind attractions. Find new ways to explore Chicago by attending open rehearsals for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, participate in Q & A sessions following one of Broadway in Chicago shows or attend a baseball game. And did we mention enjoying deep dish pizza during your visit? Chicago, a city that can inspire student tours across any subject.
Highlights
- Chicago History Museum
- 360 Chicago
- Millennium Park
- Cloud Gate (The Bean)
- Navy Pier
- Chicago Art Institute
- Willis Tower including Skydeck
- Broadway in Chicago
- Shedd Aquarium
- Sightseeing River Cruises
- Wrigley Field
- Baseball Game
- Field Museum
- Museum of Science and Industry
- Blue Man Group
- Broadway In Chicago
- Chicago Symphony
- Orchestra
- Music Festival Competitions
Atlanta
Home of the world’s largest aquarium and true southern hospitality! If you are looking for a festival competition, a performance at Centennial Olympic Park, or just some fun in Six Flags Over Georgia, Atlanta is the place for you! Enjoy a guided tour of CNN Studios, eat lunch or dinner at The Varsity, pet an animal at Zoo Atlanta, explore the world’s largest collection of Coke memorabilia at the exciting World of Coca-Cola, and visit the Georgia Aquarium with eight million gallons of fresh and marine water as well as home of the famous whale-shark exhibit!
Atlanta has something for every performing group. There is no shortage of exciting activities for student groups.
Highlights
- World of Coca Cola
- Behind the Scenes tour of CNN
- Stone Mountain Park
- Martin Luther King Jr Historic Site
- Atlanta History Tours
- Six Flags Over Georgia
- Centennial Olympic Park
- Georgia Music Hall of Fame
- Zoo Atlanta
- Georgia Aquarium
- Music Festival Competition