Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/187632
reunion venues and attractions, families can PHILADELPHIA Philadelphia's Multicultural Affairs develop their own web page and photo gallery Congress (MAC) created a family reunion for free, allowing them to use Philadelphia's platform as their official family home page. A reunion could have been in the planning stages for a while, even before the recession hit as hard, having been planned sometimes three to five years in advance. Some of those attending were Father & Son visit African American Museum in Philadelphia saving and making social website, a first for a host city. The site, arrangements to come and kept their goal. Economic impact of reunions can be sigwww.PhillyFamily-Reunion.com, is a tool for the savvy and interactive reunion planner. The nificant. The impact varies based upon the site not only displays Philadelphia's unique size of the reunions. Collectively they will G R E AT P L ACE S TO M E E T have a minimum $75 to $250 million economic impact on a local hospitality industry. Family reunion planners can explore Philadelphia's restaurants, shops and nightlife. PCVB welcomes reunions by providing a staff member that specializes in assisting reunion planners free of cost. Providing sample weekend itineraries, offering suggestions for free time and venues, and assisting in locating a host hotel for out of town guests, are among assistance offered. Complimentary services available through the CVB include invitations; welcome messages from the mayor and governor; canvass of the hotel properties for rooms during the dates the family needs; promotional information on the city; personnel to assist with registration during the reunion; computer generated nametags for each family member; advertising specialty items for each member attending; and program and tour itinerary planning assistance. G R E AT P L ACE S TO E AT From exceptional rooftop venues to expansive convention space, you'll find meetings in Washington, DC as memorable as the monuments. Learn more at washington.org/meetings or call 1-800-422-8644. B M & T ••• September/October 2013 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 29 BM&T'S ANNUAL AFRICAN AMERICAN REUNIONS FOCUS •pg_28-41__BMT_pg3-58 9/25/13 12:54 AM Page 29