For reasons ranging from busy travel schedules to 50-plus-hour work weeks, families are getting less and less quality time together, prompting them to combine business and pleasure by bringing kids and spouses along to meetings.
Veronica L. Haynes, managing partner, owner of Mountain Destinations, a full-service DMC based in Bozeman, Mont., says she’s seen a rapid increase in family-friendly meetings within the past several years.
“I think planners are more accustomed to dealing with kids than they were in the past. Ten years ago it was extremely unusual to have children in a program,” she says. “Then about six years ago it became more commonplace, and about four years ago it seemed normal to ask if you could bring children to a program.”
Since these days professionals are spending so much time away from their families, Haynes says, it is a nice bonus to bring them along to meetings and they often opt to tack on a few days before and after events to spend with loved ones.
“I think a lot of attendees think, ‘Maybe I’m not going to take a vacation for the next nine to 12 months, but if I am going to this meeting, it might be easy to add a two- or three-day trip,” she says, adding that allowing families to join meetings helps to drive attendance.
James LaFemina, vice president of sales and marketing for Rocky Mountain Connections, a full-service DMC based in Colorado, says the trend stems from a change in the definition of what is important and entertaining to clients now as opposed to in past years. And the shift is moving toward family inclusion.
“In the old days, lavish parties with lots of alcohol was enough to be entertained, but now [attendees] want to go out and experience the area, and what better way to experience that than bringing your kids and spouse along, too,” he says, adding that allowing families to come along also contributes to employee satisfaction.
“If you really want to say thank you to your associates [for an incentive meeting], why would you make them say goodbye to their children? It is another way to make people feel good about their company and keep loyal employees,” he says. “It is much cheaper to reward the families and maintain loyalty than to recruit, replace and retain employees.”
Although, he adds, not all companies agree.
“There are certain companies that see the value, but then others think differently,” he says.
Elizabeth Cotton-Murphy, chief administrative officer for Chicago-based Uniform Law Commission, says that out of all of her organization’s yearly meetings, only one allows families. In recent years she has seen a decrease in how many people bring their children and spouses along.
“In my perspective, it is a trend away from [bringing families],” she says, adding that her organization is all volunteer and many companies may not allow time off for their employees’ volunteer commitments. “From my organization’s perspective, it used to be a family affair, but work isn’t what it was 50 years ago. Twenty-five, 30 years ago, organizations thought it was great to have a uniform law commissioner on their staff, but today there isn’t that understanding of volunteer work that there used to be. Also, a lot of people are in two-person families.”
Be Prepared
Yet regardless of whether organizations are allowing it or not, when it comes to bringing families along to meetings, planners need to be prepared.
“It is a different animal,” says Carrie Jacobowitz, director of meetings services for New York-based Medical Conference Planners International, adding that proper preparation is key to family-friendly meetings’ seamless execution.
“I would first contact the conference services manager and ask what kinds of activities they offer [for kids] at the resort,” she says, adding that many resorts have a nice variety of offerings. “This year we are going to Kiawah Island Golf Resort and we are getting a 50-page book of kids’ activities.”
To that end, planners also say it is important to relay information about children’s activities to parents well before the meeting’s date, just to prepare families for the fun to come.
“You might want to provide a kids’ schedule of events,” says Karen Baranick, president of Medical Conference Planners International. “Even if it is vague, it could show what the kids could be doing during the meeting.”
Cotton-Murphy says it is vital for planners to contact parents well ahead of the meeting to answer any questions they may have and find out stats (i.e., allergies, ages, special needs) on the children attending.
“I have my staff call anyone who registers a child,” she says. “Even if they don’t say they are going to do this or that event. And I prepare a separate mailing that goes to parents.”
Getting the stats on the children beforehand helps Cotton-Murphy determine the best activities for the minors, especially if they stem from a variety of age groups.
“You will have babies and 16-year-olds, and technically they are all kids,” she says. “Trying to organize one event that is going to fit everyone is really difficult, so I try to break them up into smaller groups.”
One problem Cotton-Murphy cites is dealing with teenagers, most of whom have their own idea of fun, traditionally not including small children and organized group activities.
In those situations, she says it is best to provide them with all of the information they need to have a safe, good time, and “let them make their own arrangements,” with parent approval.
When dealing with family-friendly meetings, Haynes says it is important to allow plenty of time for delegates to spend with their families, whether the trip is an incentive or has a hardcore business purpose.
“We want to give the registrants time with their families while we are there,” she says. “So we will start our conference at 6:30 in the morning, give them a four-hour afternoon break and have them come back for an evening session. That has been a very successful way we plan our conference activities—by planning our programs and conference schedules around families.”
In addition to giving families time to spend with one another, food is also an important factor to consider. While adults may enjoy trying a chef’s specialties, children are often quite a bit harder to please, and making sure menus are kid-friendly is vital to a successful event.
“All of our meal functions have kid-friendly menus,” Baranick says, adding that it is also a cost savings. “We don’t want to subject the parents to chicken fingers and burgers, nor do we want the kids to have to try salmon or some fancy-sauced chicken.”
Location, Location, Location
Unlike a straightforward business meeting with adults flying in for two nights and then returning home hardly remembering the city or hotel they met in, there are many things to consider when choosing a site for a family-friendly meeting.
Jacobowitz says when kids are involved, she looks at large resorts where everything can be found on- property and the rooms are plenty big.
“I look for something that has one- or two-bedroom suites and properties that offer children’s services,” she says, adding that her group had a great time at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Destin, Fla., because shops, dining outlets and even golf were all located right on property.”
And although it may seem a tall order for planners to find family-friendly destinations and properties, Haynes says it is getting easier and easier because properties are responding to demand.
“I think destinations are lending themselves more to combining vacation and business,” she says. “We have so little free time available to us these days that it makes it easier to add on a day or two with a meeting [if there are things for kids to do].”
For companies looking to pinch pennies when families are involved, LaFemina extends a warning.
“[Meeting planners] need to be selective when looking for a destination,” he says. “It is stressful enough to travel with children, so if you can’t do it in style, don’t do it.”
Fun and Games
Once a planner decides a meeting will welcome families, it’s time to plan and, depending on the time of year and destination, the options are limitless.
“In the summertime, it is very popular to go rafting,” says Haynes, who takes groups out in Montana and Colorado. “You have choices of levels and it works for any age level. You can go on a scenic float or on whitewater.”
Haynes says Mountain Destinations also works with a vendor that offers a rock wall at their facility and then takes kids out for a kayaking adventure.
Horseback riding is also popular in the summer, Haynes says, as is skiing in the winter.
One of LaFemina’s favorite activities is taking family groups up into the mountains near Aspen on horseback.
“We go horseback riding with families and take them up to a hidden camping location where we will have high-end tents ready for them to set up,” he says, adding that the tent construction helps parents connect to their children. “That night, chefs come in on horseback and they prepare lavish meals while people stargaze. Groups love it.”
Jacobowitz says one of her all-time favorite family activities was conducting a competition based on the popular television show The Amazing Race, something her attendees “loved, loved.”
Along that line, scavenger hunts are a popular family activity no matter if you are in an urban or rural setting. Many groups like to do a more modern version of a scavenger hunt with GPS devices.
“We may do some adventure- themed activities where kids 5 and over can participate,” Baranick says. “We’ll do some kind of orienteering quest or scavenger hunt.”
While activities off-property may present a variety of fun options, there are also plenty of family activity choices inside hotels and resorts.
“Sometimes we get together in a meeting room with movies and popcorn,” Cotton-Murphy says, adding that pool parties and ice cream socials are also popular options for kids.
Baranick says during an evening when parents are at an adults-only dinner, she will organize a movie night for the kids with added entertainment such as a magician as well as a babysitter to keep tabs on the little ones.
Safety First
While parents may be with their children most of the time during the course of a meeting, there may be a few times when they are separated and participate in different activities. It is at that time that child safety is on the top of planners’ minds.
Leaving children alone can be a tricky situation, but worries can be alleviated by choosing a licensed babysitting service.
“We go out and [hire] retail licensed babysitting companies,” LaFemina says, adding that it is important to ask about the vendor’s liability coverage. “Before booking a DMC, a good question to ask is how much liability coverage the DMC has.Most have $1 million; we have $2 million. The vendors that we secure would have waivers depending on what their needs were.”
Haynes couldn’t agree more.
“The No. 1 thing is to make sure you are dealing with professional, licensed, insured vendors,” she says. “In every kind of activity I’ve ever scheduled or done, they always have people sign liability waivers.”
