Making Meetings & Events Family-Friendly

5 Things to Consider for Attendees Traveling with Families

Meeting planners have a lot on their plates—and so do attendees, particularly those who are trying to balance work and family responsibilities. If your group’s demographic skews toward attendees who have children, then selecting a family-friendly venue for your next conference should be at the top of your to-do list.

Not sure if attendees have kids or want to bring them along to the conference or event? Go ahead and send out a survey. If there are likely to only be a few children coming, you may not need to add family activities to the meeting agenda.

However, if it looks like there will be an abundance of kids accompanying event participants, you’ll definitely want to book a hotel or venue that specializes in catering to a younger generation.

Here are five things to think about before booking your next event location to make sure your conference or meeting is family-friendly.

1. What do kids want to do at a destination?

Kids want to have fun! Most teens and pre-teens have little or no concept that mom or dad is working at a conference. To them, this is a vacation. They need to have access to activities—and one of the greatest ways to keep kids occupied for a long period of time is a swimming pool. Better yet, a water park with slides and game areas. Another place kids can spend hours at a time: amusement parks. The bigger the better. Look for a venue that’s proximal to parks where kids can ride a Ferris wheel, zipline, play laser tag, ride go carts, play miniature golf and engage in other youthful activities.

2. Families have different lodging needs.

The hotel where your attendees will stay needs to include family-friendly rooms or suites. Make sure there are options that include kitchens and tables, multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, or have adjacent rooms that can be utilized as separate but accessible sleeping areas.

3.  Make kids feel like attendees.

Okay, maybe kids are in vacation mode, but it might be a great life lesson to give them a small taste of the conference experience. You can make name badges for your junior attendees (though it’s wise not to give them lanyards). And, if there’s a budget you could create a special swag bag for them at check-in.

4. Invite kids to one social event.

On top of badges and gifts, why not invite kids to one special event? Put it in the schedule that the opening party is kid-friendly. Let adults and children mingle, and make sure to include kid-friendly foods and non-alcoholic beverages on the menu.

5. See if a family-friendly destination increases attendance.

Last but not least, there may be an unexpected benefit from choosing a family-friendly venue: You might boost attendance! Some members of your target group may opt in for the event because they realize it can also serve as a vacation opportunity for the whole family.Kalahari is the best in family-friendly venues.Our team will collaborate with you to make your conference or event perfect for the whole family. Call our sales team at 855.411.4605 to schedule your site visit today.