{"id":1524,"date":"2010-11-08T17:09:07","date_gmt":"2010-11-08T17:09:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hotel-lobbyists.com\/blog\/?p=118"},"modified":"2010-11-08T17:09:07","modified_gmt":"2010-11-08T17:09:07","slug":"familiarization-trips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotel-lobbyists.com\/index.php\/2010\/11\/08\/familiarization-trips\/","title":{"rendered":"Familiarization Trips"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>\"\"<\/a>Ah yes, the notorious \u201cFAM\u201d tour.\u00a0 This is one part of my enterprise that is difficult to explain to those outside the industry.\u00a0 It\u2019s hard to describe the events of one of these trips without it sounding like a boondoggle in the minds of family and friends.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Even on the hotel and convention bureau side, FAM tours are being rebranded to a large extend.\u00a0 I don\u2019t remember the last time I was invited on one per se.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been invited on Client Appreciation events, Educational Experiences, Summits, Client Feedback Events, etc. and less for FAMs in recent days.\u00a0 The truth is, if used correctly, these events, regardless of their name, can be invaluable in my work.<\/p>\n

FAM tours can take a variety of shapes and sizes.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been on events from as few as single digit attendees, to groups of more than 200 persons.\u00a0 Some are orchestrated by solitary hotels and others by the city\u2019s convention bureau itself.\u00a0 The one thing they have in common is that I leave the event knowing far more about a destination than I had in the past.\u00a0 These are often very fast paced, action packed, weekends that involve luxurious accommodations, gifts, exceptional cuisine, entertainment, and the utmost in networking opportunities.\u00a0 But all the while, we as clients are being educated. Some of these events involve all-day general session where we have an opportunity to learn about the brand, their focus, their direction, new property openings, expansions, renovations, and all the tidbits a company would want their clients knowing before they leave.<\/p>\n

That is the very responsibility of the party who makes the event \u2013 make sure the clients leave with increased knowledge.\u00a0 But it\u2019s packaged in a very enjoyable, often times lavish, amenity-laden, experience that leaves the client feeling a sense of obligation to bring a positive return for the hotel or CVB.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s why we as customers need to heed our own responsibility.\u00a0 I personally cannot accept an invitation from a destination or venue that my client\u2019s can\u2019t consider.\u00a0 I pick and choose these events wisely.\u00a0 If my clients aren\u2019t going to give a second look to a particular area, it damages my own reputation in the hospitality community to accept freebies from hotels I can\u2019t use.\u00a0 Our responsibility goes further however.\u00a0 I believe it is our responsibility to our own clients to accept these invitations when they make sense.\u00a0 Is it not in my client\u2019s interest for me to fully see a property or a city before I make recommendations?\u00a0 It is my duty to memorize my experience so I can make an accurate assessment for my client.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This two way street has a lot more business ramifications than it would appear to the outside observer.\u00a0 It may look like a thoroughfare, adorned in bright lights, parties in the street, and a lot of wasteful spending.\u00a0 But in truth, the street may look extravagant, but this street is one of the best ways to direct the flow of business.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ah yes, the notorious \u201cFAM\u201d tour.\u00a0 This is one part of my enterprise that is difficult to explain to those outside the industry.\u00a0 It\u2019s hard to describe the events of one of these trips without it sounding like a boondoggle in the minds of family and friends.\u00a0 Even on the hotel and convention bureau side, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2,1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nFamiliarization Trips - hotel-lobbyists.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hotel-lobbyists.com\/index.php\/2010\/11\/08\/familiarization-trips\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Familiarization Trips - hotel-lobbyists.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Ah yes, the notorious \u201cFAM\u201d tour.\u00a0 This is one part of my enterprise that is difficult to explain to those outside the industry.\u00a0 It\u2019s hard to describe the events of one of these trips without it sounding like a boondoggle in the minds of family and friends.\u00a0 Even on the hotel and convention bureau side, […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/hotel-lobbyists.com\/index.php\/2010\/11\/08\/familiarization-trips\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"hotel-lobbyists.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2010-11-08T17:09:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/hotel-lobbyists.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/party_couple_11.gif\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Administrator\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Administrator\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hotel-lobbyists.com\/index.php\/2010\/11\/08\/familiarization-trips\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/hotel-lobbyists.com\/index.php\/2010\/11\/08\/familiarization-trips\/\",\"name\":\"Familiarization Trips - 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