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BY MICHAEL BENNETT TAKING THE FAMILY: TRAVEL FOR BUSINESS & PLEASURE Y ou've been on the road for a week. You come home Friday evening exhausted. But that's not the end of your week. It's family time. The kids are anxious to share their life experiences of theweek gone by – the one that youmissed thanks to "the job." Your significant other wants some romantic time. As you settle in to family life, Sunday evening rolls around and that ugly suitcase is being packed once again for the next out of town adventure. That's the life of a road warrior – always striving to balancework and the demands of family. Trying to explain why daddy or mommy has to leave home so often is painful, if not down right heartbreaking. I hated the look on my son's face when that cab pulled up to whiskme away to the airport. The solution. Blended travel – combing business and leisure trips with the family has gained momen- tum in recent years. A survey con- ducted by the Meredith Corporation in 2010 found that 77 percent took family or a significant other on their last business trip, and 47 percent do it CN Tower, Toronto a majority of the time. Many business-oriented hotels now make accommodations for children. But there'smore to blended travel than a comfortable bed. You must consider things like babysitting services, local attractions like museums, amusement parks and outdoor activities.How easy is it to get around. Beloware some family-friendly des- tinations perfect for the troubled busi- ness traveler looking tomaximize time with the family. This city has that rare combination BIRMINGHAM, AL of wonderful family-friendly activities with outstanding hotel properties, meeting facilities, and infrastructure to support both business and leisure time pursuits. There are 14,000 hotel rooms in the greater Birmingham area, the largest the 757-room Sheraton Birmingham Hotel. Many of the larger properties have their own meeting facilities and some come with kitchen facilities per- fect for some in roomcooking options. If you arrive in Birmingham to attend a convention or large group gathering, the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Center can accommodate virtually any kind of event across four separate buildings: Arena, Concert Hall, Theatre and Exhibition Hall and also includes a large central piazza for outdoor events. The Exhibition Hall has over 220,000 sq. ft. The facility has 60meet- ing room – the largest can accommo- date 1,950 people. Getting to Birmingham is actually quite easy with 136 daily flights to 47 airports in 44 different cities through- out the United States. If you are close enough to drive, three major interstate highwaysmerge in Birmingham. If you're a family on a tight budget Birmingham is a great destination for blended travel. The city consistently ranks among America's most afford- able destinations for residents and visi- tors alike. That affordability is one of the reasons Birmingham has a thriving family reunion business. So what is there to do when either parent or a spouse is away at their busi- Black Meetings & Tourism July/August 2012: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 37 Photo Credit: Douglas Brown