Disclosure: I’m a Blogger Ambassador for Hilton Hotels® and I received a complimentary 2-night hotel stay at Homewood Suites Hotels. As always, all opinions are my own.
There is no debating that family reunions are very important to African Americans. Now that our families are spread out all over the United States, we use family reunions as a way to stay connected and to share family history and family traditions. In a study by Julie E. Miller-Cribbs, M.S.W., Ph.D, she found that over half of all travel and 70% of non-business travel by African Americans is to a family reunion.
Family reunions may have the capacity to ground people in a sense of place, of home and of family, and provide, if at least briefly, a sense of connection. ` Julie E. Miller
Wow! With a statistic that like, you know that the family reunion trip might actually be the only trip for some families each year. So it’s important that your family reunion is planned properly to provide the right mixture of fun and fellowship.
So, here are 3 P’s to a perfect family union.
Planning
Hands down, the planning is the most important aspect of the family reunion…it could literally make or break your event. Let’s face it – improper planning causes confusion, stress, and At-titudes (with a capital A.) If it is at all possible, planning for your family reunion should happen at least a year in advance. And, there should be a committee that works together on the planning.
Planning in advance will also allow you to identify all of the family members that need to be notified. And it will give the entire family time enough to plan and budget for the event. I can’t tell you how many times I have learned about family reunions at the last minute and it had me either scrambling to attend or missing it altogether.
Place
Try to pick a place that would be accessible to the majority of your family and not just your “clique.” I get it. You’re planning and you’re doing most of the work, so why shouldn’t you pick the place. But going back to the reason that you are doing this in the first place (so that family can connect) will help you stay focused on the right location for your event and will prevent you from excluding others because the event is too far or too costly.
Purpose
Don’t just get together to eat and talk. Make sure that you pick a theme for your event, the food, and the activities. And please don’t forget to make some time to go over family history. A family history program should be incorporated in every family reunion.
This year, I am so happy to be partnering with Hilton Hotels to spread the word about their “Count On It” initiative to help make your family reunion easy and stress-free for all participants.
African-American families can count on Embassy Suites Hotels and Homewood Suites by Hilton to help simplify the planning process, and provide spacious two-room suites, free hot breakfast, complimentary evening reception, full kitchens and other amenities that are sure to delight families,” said Mary Beth Parks, senior vice president, global marketing, Hilton Worldwide. “With ‘Count On It,’ families can focus on being together, whether in their suite or at a reunion activity.
By visiting hiltonfamilyreunions.com, family reunion organizers can find all the information they need to seamlessly manage their events. They can create a personalized group web page where everyone attending can book the rooms at a special group rate, while sharing important family reunion details. And they will even provide on-site event planning that grants assistance from the hotel’s meeting planners.
BMWK – Please share with us some tips on how to make our next family reunion great.
This post is brought to you by Hilton Worldwide. I have partnered with them to spread the word that Embassy Suites Hotels and Homewood Suites by Hilton are teaming up to offer “Count On It,” a program designed to help make family reunions easy and stress-free for all participants