It's a family affair
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| When Robert Campbell Sr. found himself in charge of his family reunion, he decided Waterloo, Iowa, his hometown, would be the best place to have the annual gathering. Waterloo offers several advantages. Its Midwest location makes it a reasonable drive for many. Its hotels have moderate rates. City parks are pleasant settings for picnics and ballgames. Visitors can shop at one of the largest malls in the state and cool off at a popular water park. And, best of all, Campbell knew everyone in his family — from the youngest grandchild to the most ancient great-aunt — would feel comfortable and at home in the unintimidating small town. What Campbell didn't realize was the wealth of assistance his hometown of 60 years would offer him. Family reunions are big business for small cities and towns, and with the downturn in business travel, convention and visitors bureaus are stepping up service to this large and lucrative market. Some, like the Pigeon ForgeDepartment of Tourism, are adding staff to work solely with reunions and offering seminars to family reunion planners. Others are developing reunion planning Web sites and publications. In Waterloo, Lonnie Elmore, the CVB's group sales manager, works with dozens of family reunions each summer. Sometimes she is juggling several in a weekend; at least once, she coordinated reunions for different families with the same last name at the same time. Elmore becomes an extended family member. She supplies Waterloo post cards that can be sent as colorful reunion reminders. She compiles welcome packets with a personalized calendar of events that detail special events during the family's stay. She'll help book city parks, reserve sports equipment, work with hotels on special room rates and round up discount coupons from Waterloo businesses. She learns every last family member's name when she makes nametags for the entire crew. |
Reunion planners lack experience
Family reunion planners tend to be new to the planning profession. Often, they are the persons who naively suggest, "Let's all get together." Because of their inexperience, most aren't aware of the free services many CVBs offer. Their initial call to a CVB for a visitors guide leads to much more. "Often, when they call, they don't realize we will help them from beginning to end with rooms, caterers, buses," said Kathy Buske, sales manager for the Cobb County, Ga., CVB. Different bureaus take different approaches. Some give reunion planners step-by-step planning guides or direct them to reunion planning information on the bureau's Web site. Others act as clearinghouses, directing reunion planners to suppliers that can help them. Many, though, take a hands-on approach. Dede Fay, sales director of the Grand County, Colo., Tourism Board, knows how confused reunion planners can feel. "I give person-to-person assistance," she said. "I don't like to pass off on the reunion. I know it is so overwhelming." By talking to the reunion planner, Fay can get a better idea of the type of facility that will best fit the family. Most families coming to Grand County aren't from the area; instead, they are seeking a mountain getaway for their reunion. Fay knows her area and its resorts. "I can make it so much easier for them because I can give them choices," she said. Since Sept. 11, 2001, there's been a new emphasis on family reunions. "We're seeing reunions of families that have never gotten together before," said Fay. "It's been in the back of their mind, and now they are taking the time to pull it together." "There seems to be a need to connect with who they are, just a need to know themselves," said Sandra Love, director of multicultural development for the Chattanooga, Tenn., CVB. Trends in the family reunion segment mimic those in the business meeting segment. |
Less likely to travel far from home
Like corporations and associations, families are less likely to travel far from home, making centrally located cities with good highway access more popular. And families, like businesses, aren't planning gatherings as far in advance as they once did. Where planning once began a year to two before the reunion, family gatherings in some cases are now being planned in a matter of months. "Last year, I was getting calls in May and June for reunions in July and August," said Fay. Reasons for choosing a destination are as diverse as families. Some literally go back home, to the area where their ancestors originally settled. Bryan Muecke, associate director at Twin Lakes Christian Center in Manson, Iowa, works with many of these homecomings. "The majority of family reunions in our area have family ties to this area," he said. "Maybe grandma is still living out on the farmstead but the family has outgrown grandma's house." So, the family uses Twin Lakes as its reunion site, staying in rustic cabins or the center's retreat center. They can pay $30 per person for a weekend's worth of meals and enjoy activities such as crafts, archery, swimming and boating. |
Some families return to roots
In Waterloo, most reunions have ties to the area. In the early 1900s, many black families from the South moved there to work for the railroad. In other cases, reunions land in the planner's hometown. Planning a reunion in a familiar place is easier for the person in charge. For others, reunions have become an adventure, an annual vacation spent in a new location. "We are seeing more destination family reunions," said Anne Garrison Ross, senior sales manager for the Pigeon Forge, Tenn., Department of Tourism. Destinations like Pigeon Forge, Chattanooga, Grand County and Myrtle Beach and Charleston, S.C., work well for family reunions because they are primarily tourist destinations. In Pigeon Forge, families can stay in mountain chalets designed for large groups. The Smoky Mountains town has everything from fast-paced musical shows and serene hiking trails to scores of discount shops and delectable dining. "Family reunion groups need a wider variety of activities, because the age group has a tendency to be a little wider, with children, teens, young adults and seniors," said Ross. "It's a real crosssection of people." In Chattanooga, reunion groups find affordable suite-style lodging within walking distance of the Tennessee Aquarium and other popular attractions. "The convenience of everything brings them here," said Love. "You have the flexibility of being in a downtown where there are attractions, and you have something to do that doesn't stop at 5 p.m." In Grand County, the whole family can bunk at a mountain resort like Snow Mountain Ranch, a YMCA of the Rockies affiliate that offers reasonable rates. |
Myrtle Beach resort creates packages
In Myrtle Beach, premier resorts like Kingston Plantation are lowering rates to entice more reunion business. "It is a great filler business for us," said Sabena Robinson, director of sales and marketing. "This year, we are taking an aggressive approach." The resort has created packages that include villa accommodations, a hospitality room and buffet breakfasts. Families can find it a challenge to locate suitable accommodations in Charleston's popular historic district. "It can be hard to get a good group rate," said Jane Hargarten, a sales manager for the Charleston Area CVB. The bureau often directs families to properties just outside town. Many are suite properties with pools, complimentary breakfasts and reasonable rates. When reunion planners learn that these hotels are minutes away from the historic district, "they are sold," said Hargarten. Overall, family reunions are good business, business that CVBs say is worth pursuing. "They stay in our hotels, they eat in our restaurants, they visit our attractions, they have banquets," said Love. "They do everything we want to be done by a visitor." |
By Vickie Mitchell Small Market Meetings
The Newspaper for Smaller Cities, Facilities and Planners
January 2004 Vol.5, No. 1 Small Market Meetings newspaper is published by Pioneer Publishing Inc., a Lexington, Kentucky based publishing company that specializes in meeting planning for secondary cities and sites. Complimentary subscriptions are available to meeting planners by visiting our website at
smallmarketmeetings.com |
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