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B M & T ••• November/December 2023 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 13 G et ready to take selfies with your second cousin and hear Big Mama tell stories about what your dad was like as a kid, prepare to stroll down memory lane with college classmates or military brothers: It's officially the dawn of reunion season. You always look forward to a good time reconnecting with the relatives, but with everyone in your clan coming in from all over the country and beyond, organizing is no easy feat. There are multiple factors involved when planning fami- ly reunions, fraternal organization reunions and military reunions. Who in the group will be designated to what responsibility? Where will the reunion be held? What activ- ities will be planned? Where will the group eat and sleep? These are details that definitely need to be addressed and we will be talking about some key points planners can con- sider when preparing for their next group reunion. First order of business is deciding the time of the year that works for all individuals involved in the reunion. These days, with this tight economy, people's budgets just won't allow them to miss work whenever they want. Not to men- tion folks have kids and must fulfill their responsibilities to their families. It's important for planners to keep in mind that folks are in all different phases of life and that affects their ability to spend on reunions. For some, this reunion is what vacation will look like for their family. Creating a fund that those who can afford to donate money to help someone for whom attendance may create a financial hardship, is a "feel good' for both the giver and receiver. When speaking with Jackie Taggart-Boyd, Community Development and Leisure Sales Manager of Visit Cincy, she gave some interesting insight into the trends of reunions going on in the Cincinnati area over the past 7 years. "In the Cincy Region, more times than not, reunions are held sum- mer and early fall. Class reunions espe- cially are planned most often in the Summer months OR near the holidays. I believe more success- fully during the sum- mer months (avoiding graduation season, 4th of July, Mother's and Father's Days). Most requests are for light rooms Thursday with BY SOLOMON J. HERBERT II programming on Friday, Saturday and half day Sunday", Taggart-Boyd states. According to statistics the majority of reunions held in most U.S. destinations are Family and then Class and Military following behind. These reunions typically take place in the summer months, (June and July being the most popular), lasting 2 to 3 days often over a weekend. They each require unique planning methods that save big money and time in the long run. For the individuals in charge of planning these very spe- cial gatherings Taggart-Boyd has some very good advice. "For Family Reunions, I would strongly suggest that they create an RFP so that they can move from city to city and not lose the time, talent and treasure put into planning year after year. I would also suggest that they create a 501c3 non- profit with a board of directors. I think it's easier to keep younger generations involved when there is something in it for them. Some of the most successful reunions I have seen are the ones that have a scholarship fund that is distributed at the gala. I also feel like the family reunions that meet every other year are easier to maintain than the ones that attempt annual events", she mentions. "I would suggest for Class Reunions that they take advantage of the benefits hotels offer for ROOM BLOCKS… sleeping rooms are gold. I would start with that as a class reunion planner. Class Reunion groups are typically more focused on the BAR and the band or DJ. I would suggest that they not waste a lot of money on high- end dinner menus or décor…. For Military reunions I would recommend that not too much work is put upon the host committee. So many times the host committee has a belief that they can do things such as self cater and it takes all the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center B M & T ' S A N N U A L A F R I C A N - A M E R I C A N R E U N I O N F O C U S