Not long ago the line drawn between home life and work life was clearly defined. When parents left home to attend a business meeting, the children were rarely brought along—the two worlds stayed apart.
These days, however, more people are doing whatever they can to blur the line between work and family in order to achieve more balance and fulfillment in their lives. As a result, many companies are increasingly open to measures such as telecommuting and videoconferencing as a way for people to connect when important issues are at hand.
Yet, when videoconferencing doesn’t do the trick and the matters require a meeting with face-time, people are increasingly embracing the idea of bringing their families along on a business trip.
“Overall, we’ve seen a kind of blurring of work and family within the last 10 years and probably even before that,” says Judi Casey, director of the Sloan Work and Family Research Network, an online resource for work/family studies based at the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work. “There is some research that shows that younger workers are more family-centric and that family is just as important as work, where older workers are more work-centric. Now [younger workers] will be looking for opportunities that include their families.”
Turning Tides
Even if workers are now more focused on family than they have been in the past, the following questions remain: Are more families coming along to meetings, and if so, how is the meetings industry handling it?
According to Casey, workplaces are divided about the idea of family presence at meetings and other business activities.
“There are some work places that don’t look favorably on that,” she says. “And then others say it is great.”
Kathy Lingle, director of the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Alliance for Work-Life Progress, an organization that studies work-life issues, says companies still tend to discourage families at meetings.
“I don’t think it is a trend. Companies are cutting back on travel in general and it brings up logistical issues,” she says. “In general, I find organizations to be sort of anti-family. We find organizations don’t really want family intrusion.”
However, some meeting planners say more companies are warming to the idea of family-friendly meetings.
“I am definitely seeing it as a trend,” says Marla Larkin, board relations manager for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, who brought her board members—and their broods—to the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa in Traverse City, Mich., last year. “I think it depends on who you talk with, but I think corporations are opening up the avenues for families to be a part [of meetings]. I think people are trying to put as much in as they can—the business in and also put the families in. And I think companies are more open to that.”
Christine Tempesta, president of San Diego-based KiddieCorp, a convention child care provider that has been in business since 1986, says family travel during business trips has been picking up in recent years.
“We have seen it steadily increasing and I think the reasons for it are very logical,” she says. “I think 9/11 made a difference. People want their kids a little closer to them. [In addition,] there are more women involved in professional occupations and they have more clout these days. You have a lot of second families and they want to do it right this time. They are older and don’t want to spend a whole week away from their family.”
A New Game
If it is true that business gatherings are becoming more family-friendly, how does this shift change the face of meetings, and what types of new challenges does it pose for planners?
Cheryl Ferguson, director of sales for Michigan’s Grand Traverse Resort & Spa, a group-friendly property that offers customized family programs, says she has seen the trend primarily affect the agendas of corporate and incentive groups.
“I see the agendas for the actual meeting times to be shorter,” she says. “They have a family breakfast and then [the family members] go off and do their thing.”
Ferguson also says she sees more spouses attending business sessions, something she hadn’t seen in past years.
“I think companies want to get their employees’ spouses engaged as well,” she says. “I think if they [spouses] get to know other people in the company, it makes for a more complete buy-in for what the company’s goals are, especially in sales-related meetings.”
Tricia Hayes, director of marketing for The Sagamore, a resort located on a private island on Lake George in Bolton Landing, N.Y., which offers space for group gatherings as well as programs for children, says planners should be aware that family attendance can be a positive or a negative.
“It is a case-by-case situation depending on the goal of the meeting,” she says. “If it is a brainstorming meeting about the next thing you are bringing out, the kids can be a distraction, but if it is more of an incentive, it would be a plus.”
Advice to Planners
When planners decide to organize a family-friendly event, as with all meetings, challenges are involved—the only difference is, instead of worrying about audiovisual needs and PowerPoint presentations going off without a hitch, issues at hand include organizing children’s activities and making sure the “t” in liability is crossed.
“Planning has to be keener,” Larkin says. “You have to ensure that the insurance is incorporated in the contract or that your company is sure to know what is going to transpire at the resort, so you can take out the right kind of coverage for the event.”
In addition, she says planners need to pay close attention to the organization of children’s activities. While this duty is often handled by a hotel’s recreational staff or an on-site childcare vendor, Larkin cautions planners to make sure all activities are age-appropriate and to loosen the reins on teens.
“Make sure you have something for every segment of the family,” Larkin says. “We’ve had some real challenges working with teens and have learned the hard way not to pigeon-hole them. We’ve found that it is best to let them know what is available and let them run the gamut and let their parents know what is offered.”
Planners can enlist a property’s recreation department (available at many resorts) or enlist the help of an on-site childcare provider such as KiddieCorp.
“The last thing anyone wants is a baby crying in the back of a lecture hall,” KiddieCorp’s Tempesta says. “I think people who don’t even have kids can appreciate kid-watching programs, so then their associates are more relaxed and able to participate.”
Although that relaxation comes at a price, some companies may be open to covering the cost, but if not, Tempesta says planners need to make sure to notify the participating families prior to their arrival.
“Most companies pay for childcare,” Tempesta says, adding that organizations who don’t cover the entire cost often subsidize it. “Be prepared to promote [the program ahead of time]. Make sure people have ample time to register and give them all of the information they need.”
Location, Location, Location
Choosing a location is of utmost importance to any event, and a family-friendly meeting is no exception.
Debbie Miles, meeting and tradeshow coordinator for the Lexington, Ky.-based American Association of Equine Practitioners, plans meetings that include children every year, and says it is important to choose a destination that offers attractions such as museums, waterparks, beaches, and amusement parks.
“We look first at geography, and since we do it in December, usually in the Southeast or Southwest,” Miles says, adding that she also makes sure the host hotel is within a block or two of the convention center so families can “come over and meet for lunch.”
Ideal sites for these types of meetings are not only limited to the Southeast and Southwest, but are also found throughout the Midwest and on the East Coast.
In Wildwoods, N.J., the Wildwoods Convention Center is located on a 38-block boardwalk overlooking the beach that offers attractions ranging from roller coasters to restaurants, not to mention several hotel choices.
For meetings held further west, staying at one of the Kalahari Resorts is a popular option. Located in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., and in Sandusky, Ohio, the venues offer meeting facilities and sprawling waterparks, all under one roof.
Major hotel companies are also big players in the family meetings market, with brands such as Starwood, Hyatt, InterContinental, Hilton, and Marriott offering children’s programs at resorts all over the country.
Kid Counsel
When it comes to sitting down and planning the event, advice comes in many forms.
For starters, Larkin says that if planners factor free time into the agenda, it will alleviate possible distractions.
“I think if you have a plan and a nice mix of business and social, I don’t think [bringing families] is a distraction,” she says. “If you give space to the business piece and make it clear that at certain times of the day you are open for recreation, it is not a distraction.”
She also advises planners to “ask pertinent questions,” which include liability, the right type of space, the right type of rooms, and if families have special needs.
To get this type of information, Larkin says planners should pass out a survey to all participants early on.
Lastly, Larkin says it is best if planners take a deep breath and realize that, especially when kids are involved, new challenges can arise suddenly and it’s important to be able to roll with the punches.
“You may get to the resort and see that a program you thought would go over well doesn’t and you have to make a quick change. Being flexible enough to work that through is important,” she says. “You can’t lose it. You have to remain open-minded and determine that it is going to be successful at the end. Families bring a whole new flavor to the event. If they are happy, you are going to get some good reviews.”
