Section III: Professional Relevance
Meet with an individual currently in a position similar to the position you identified in Section II - Professional Position, or an individual you believe could provide insight about the position you identified. Discuss three (3) insights you gained from this meeting.
Photo Description: Disney on Ice Presents: Magic in the Stars Show Staff for 2024-2025; featuring myself in the furthest left position, and Kat Stuart and Katherine Diegnan in the center.
Photo Citation: Olivier Poupart, 2025.
I was able to meet with two people in relation to this position, Kat Stuart and Katherine Diegnan. Stuart is a current Tour Coordinator with both international and domestic experience. Diegnan is a current Tour Manager; rising to this position after years as a Tour Coordinator. Please see reflections from both conversations below.
Kat Stuart
A major insight about the position I learned from this conversation was the idea of being flexible due to how much things change (K. Stuart, personal communication, July 27th, 2026). The position of a Tour Coordinator consistently has changing tasks and situations thrown their way – such as an earlier flight time or something changing in the moment during an early morning public relations session with the media (K. Stuart, personal communication, July 27th, 2026). It is important to remain flexible to achieve the overarching goal for the show itself. This was an important insight for myself, because while I have always tried to remain flexible in my current position, this conversation made me realize how much more flexibility would be required.
Another major insight was to have confidence in your decisions. As previously mentioned, there are times when things will change quickly in this position. Stuart also brought up the idea of having no one around to assist when things change quickly (K. Stuart, personal communication, July 27th, 2026), leading into the idea of being confident in your decisions. This was an insight to me because I can relate to making decisions alone in regards to the preshow Magical Pass I am responsible for; but my decisions do not impact more of the show unit than my two performers. As a Tour Coordinator, my decisions would impact the entire unit, and it is important to have confidence and be able to back up my decisions.
Finally, the third insight from this conversation was to enjoy the little things and remember the reason everyone at Feld Entertainment is there. Stuart said, “We are here to bring the Disney magic to people all over the world, while also exploring the world with people who become friends and family” (K. Stuart, personal communication, July 27th, 2026). This idea was very important for me to hear because I sometimes become lost in the day to day with Feld Entertainment. Hearing this thought process from a fellow colleague – and someone who is in my identified position – was an important reminder of what we are lucky enough to do every day in the sport and entertainment industry.
Katherine Diegnan
An aspect of this conversation that was insightful for me was the idea of being proactive. Diegnan said that this applies to the workload of a Tour Coordinator; but also in predicting issues (K. Diegnan, personal communication, 2026). There are always problems in relation to delays on travel days, hotel problems, and within the unit’s day to day lives that the Tour Coordinator would want to be aware of in order to make their lives easier (K. Diegnan, personal communication, 2026).
This was insightful to me due to the idea of consistently thinking ahead. While this is important in many positions – especially those in a touring aspect – it is incredibly important as a Tour Coordinator. Being proactive will help those as a part of the show unit and yourself be strong throughout all aspects of the position.
Also mentioned was the idea of emotional regulation. With a position that has a major effect on people’s day to day lives, the Tour Coordinator is dealing with the mood swings of the unit – whether that’s good or bad (K. Diegnan, personal communication, 2026). A Tour Coordinator will need to be able to put their personal feelings aside and be able to do the job well with a smile on their face (K. Diegnan, personal communication, 2026).
It was insightful to me to have a better understanding of how much that is a part of the Tour Coordinator’s position. When you are responsible for so many things; it is important that the show unit is able to see the Tour Coordinator as a strong leader no matter how they are feeling.
For becoming a Tour Coordinator, Diegnan gave the advice of working on yourself before starting in the position (K. Diegnan, personal communication, 2026). Having a strong organizational system, public speaking skills, and making sure you will not take things personally are all things you will want to have in check ahead of time. The position requires you to work under pressure and stress, and you would not want to give yourself any extra work by not having the factors listed above squared away ahead of time (K. Diegnan, personal communication, 2026).
As discussed in other parts of this portfolio, the organizational systems are something I will need to work on before stepping into this position. I have had somewhat of an idea of how important all of these aspects were to becoming a strong Tour Coordinator; and have a better understanding now how important it will be in this position.
Photo Citation: Brandyn Dyke, 2026.
Identify the three (3) skills/qualities/experiences you believe are MOST important to be considered a competitive candidate for the position you identified in Section II - Professional Position. Provide specific evidence from your experiences that you have each of these skills/qualities/experiences.
For myself, a skill to become a strong Tour Coordinator would be the skill of communication. On a travel day, during a public relations session, or assisting in visa appointments for international employees, it is important to have strong communications skills between yourself, the show unit, and any outside parties that may be included. This is especially important when you are the main liaison between the show unit and others.
My communication skills are at the moderate level. I try to be clear and decisive when communicating decisions to people I am supervising, and available for questions after the fact when they come up. Where I can improve is being able to communicate without anger when decisions are pushed back on – being able to come to a solution for everyone.
Another skill would be the idea of organization and time management. When you are responsible for so many things, it can be hard to stay on top of everything. Being able to stay organized and have strong time management is of vital importance for a Tour Coordinator to ensure nothing is forgotten.
This is an area where I still need to improve. Creating to-do lists and setting reminders in my phone have helped me massively, and this is something I will continue to do to grow in this skill. In transitioning to the role of Tour Coordinator, another tactic I will use is asking other Tour Coordinators how they stay organized, and apply those skills.
Finally, the skill of crisis management is one of the most important skills to be a Tour Coordinator. As Kat Stuart said in the previous section, you will sometimes be in situations where you have no one to assist and a decision needs to be made. This is when this skill is important, as members of the unit will be looking to you in order to stay calm and make the final decision.
My crisis management skills are strong. Throughout my time as a head usher at The Muny, things would change on the fly – such as the show stopping for weather or medical-related concerns. As one of the most visible staff members to the audience, it was up to me to remain calm, direct ushers, and answer questions from audience members in a professional manner. These skills and experience would translate well into the position of Tour Coordinator.
Professional Documents
To the left, please see my cover letter, resume, and LinkedIn profile.
