How to Host a Great FAM Trip

by Danielle Andrews Sunkel

I have been on many Familiarization (FAM) trips, some good, some great, some so-so. If you are going to go to the time and expense of hosting of FAM trip, you better make it a good one so you will see a return on that investment. The FAM trips that stand out for me, are the ones where I had fun, and had a chance to truly experience the place I was visiting.

What is a FAM (Familiarization) Trip?
Familiarization trips are a great way to get Wedding Planners or Travel Agents to a location so they can experience it and then suggest it to their clients with full confidence that it is the best match for their client’s Destination Wedding.

How does a FAM Trip work?
The invited wedding planners will pay for their transportation to the resort or tourism office’s geographical location, once on the ground the resort or tourism office will cover all costs for the planner (food, accommodation, ground transportation, scheduled activities, etc.)

Tips for hosting a great FAM Trip:

Allow an Authentic Experience.
Your FAM trip attendees want to see the resort on their own. They need to see how the average guest at your hotel is treated. They also need to see the service first-hand and taste the food without it being mass-produced for a dinner party every night. An afternoon and evening at leisure is plenty of time.

Don’t Hide the Locals
You not only want the planners to fall in love with your resort, you want them to fall in love with your location.  Let them experience some of the local life, don’t keep them captive on your resort.

Factor in Fun
All work makes a dull trip. If your resort offers tours or trips, make sure the FAM attendees experience one. If there is a Spa, give them a sampler. Shows or performers onsite, get them to the show.

Don’t exhaust them.
Someone who has been run off their feet is going to lose enthusiasm for your product, fast.

Don’t act like you are doing them a favour.
Your attendees had to take time away from their business, leave their family, hire extra child care, rearrange their lives as well as pay for their costly flights to and from the FAM, so that you could have the opportunity to sell them on your product. Do not lose sight of that.

Anatomy of a great FAM trip

Day 1

• Arrival
• Time at leisure to enjoy the beach and pool
• Cocktails
• Dinner Party
• Evening at leisure

Day 2

• Breakfast at leisure
• 9am- Site tours
• 1pm- Lunch
• 2pm- Site tours
• 4pm- Spa Sampler
• Cocktails
• Dinner
• Evening at leisure

Day 3

• Breakfast at Leisure
• 9am- Site Tours
• 11am- Mock Wedding
• 12- Lunch
• 1pm-Local Adventure
• Evening at leisure

Day 4

• Farewell Breakfast
• Day at leisure
• Departures