Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/101952
ICI •pg_29-34__BMT_pg3-58 12/21/12 3:45 AM Page 32 Herbert Family Reunion touring museum Members of the Canty family reunion Family Reunion aboard a Disney Cruise liner 32 BM&T ••• September/October 2012 ••• ing two to three days primarily on weekends or holidays. Macon-Bibb County CVB in Georgia says interest in family reunions is higher this year than last. The CVB held a Reunion Workshop where attendance rose 30 percent year-over-year. They booked multiple reunions for 2013 and 2014 from that one event. The reunion business is thriving even in these tough economic times. Communications Manager, Valerie Bradley of the MaconBibb County CVB says, "When times are tough, families need the positive support that a family reunion provides." Macon-Bibb holds between 20 and 30 African-American family and class reunions on an annual basis, with 95 percent being familyoriented. In terms of activities, Macon-Bibb has an extensive park system, river access for kayaking, riverside walking trails and the Ocmulgee National Monument, which offers a walking trail, museum and an archeological dig site. The region also has a wonderful recreation area at Lake Tobesofkee, with a golf course, RV, campgrounds along with beach and boat rentals. In Macon are a collection of museums including; the Harriet Tubman African American Museum, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and the Allman Brothers Band Big House Museum and a lifesize bronze statue of Macon native, musical giant Otis Redding. The Macon-Bibb CVB provides family reunion planners everything from coordinating hotel accommodations to visitor guides and itinerary suggestions. Additionally, they offer a reunion-planning guide. Go to maconga.org for more information. One of the most popular destinations is Atlanta. The city's reunion business has held steady through the recession and they are now beginning to see an increase in the number of reunions planned for the future. The Atlanta CVB has seen a 31 percent increase in family reunion leads over 2011 and their team has already assisted 181 families this year with planning their future reunions. Atlanta hosted approximately 50 African-American family reunions on an annual basis in previous years. That figure exploded to 105 this year. Atlanta also has several big events that visitors will plan reunions around throughout the year such as; the National Black Arts Festival, BronzeLens Film Festival, Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday and religious events such as the Passion Conference. The combination of hotels, attractions and historic sites has made Atlanta ideal for family reunions. Atlanta is one of the most accessible cities in the United States with 80 percent of the population within two hours of the city by air. Atlanta boasts over 94,000 hotel rooms across all price points making it easy for meeting and reunion planners to find properties that fit their budget parameters. In terms of attractions, few cities compare. The major attractions are the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca Cola, and an Inside the CNN Tour just steps away from a compact entertainment district and Centennial Olympic Park. Atlanta's profile as the incubator of the American Civil Rights Movement also attracts reunion attendees to historic cultural sites from the Martin Luther King Jr., National Historic Site to the King Center, Ebenezer Baptist Church, the African-American Panoramic Experience (APEX) Museum and the Atlanta University Center, www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com