Posts Tagged ‘kid travel’

As mentioned in Part 1 of this topic, more and more companies are seeing the value of offering corporate childcare services for their employees. Doing so ensures that employees attend the event and that they are able to enjoy the trip with their entire families. But how can meeting planners make these types of arrangements? What should this type of conference include?

A simple way to provide conference childcare is to hire the services of a professional agency that specializes in this type of meeting planning. The company Accent on Children’s Arrangements based in New Orleans, Louisiana is such an agency. Offering childcare services for corporate meetings, conferences, and private events, this agency has an experienced staff, including a program manager that develops a unique curriculum for each group of children. Using this type of provider can greatly reduce the amount of work that a meeting planner will have to do to make arrangements for children of employees.

It’s also wise for meeting planners to select host cities for their events that feature lots of kid-friendly entertainment and attractions. Cities such as New Orleans, Los Angeles, New York, and Orlando are packed with plenty of things that children will enjoy. Southern California, which is home to wildly popular amusement parks like Disneyland, Sea World, and Knott’s Berry Farm would make a great host city for this very reason. Just visiting these parks may be enough to provide entertainment for children of attendees.

Disney parks such as Disneyland and Walt Disney World also provide a wealth of entertainment and services for groups of children, including rides, live shows, meals, organized activities, and private parties. Meeting planners who select an area near to these attractions can contact the Disney customer service department to inquire about what arrangements are possible for large groups and if there are any discounts the group may be eligible to receive.

Resorts and full-service hotels may also be great resources for meeting planners. Some of these establishments in large cities offer kids’ suites, complimentary dining, kids’ clubs with structured activities and classes, recreation, and live entertainment. Many of these hotels and resorts may be willing to offer special activities for children of corporate groups or discounts to local attractions such as aquariums, zoos, and museums.

Image c/o: jetalone

As more and more parents engage in frequent business travel, hotels and corporate conferences are seeing a rise in small-sized guests. While parents may strike a work/life balance by having their kids accompany them on travels, they face a unique set of challenges, namely, keeping the kids entertained during lengthy conferences or meetings.

Between the years 1990 and 1994, the number of children accompanying corporate travelers rose 63 percent. This increase meant that employers and hotels needed to adjust to parents who wanted to spend time with their children while advancing their careers.

Several hotels and agencies provide activities and organized outings for little travelers. Large hotel chains such as Hyatt Hotels offer day camps for young ones for an additional fee. Guests of the hotel can pay a daily charge for the camp and have confidence that the kids will enjoy arts and crafts, field trips, and nature hikes, among other activities.

Some travel agencies have been formed specifically to cater to the young companions of business travelers. For example, the New Orleans agency Accent on Children’s Arrangements focuses on providing child care on-site at conferences and meetings so that parents can stay in close proximity to their children while attending work functions.  The company has done business with several large corporations, including Piggly-Wiggly, McDonald’s, and the American College of Surgeons.

Parents that plan on bringing kids to an out-of-town business event should clear it with their employers first. They should also take the responsibility for arranging supervision for the kids. While some companies offer this assistance, many do not and planning for child care in advance can avoid any difficulties in scheduling.

If a parent has trouble finding an organized activity for their children or locating a qualified child care provider during the trip, they may enjoy making a small family trip out of the event. Spouses can talk to one another in advance about clearing their schedules to make the trip together. This way, the parent that needs to attend the business meeting or conference can relax, knowing their children are in the best of hands. On a family business trip, parents can spend some quality time with the kids after the work conference is over for the day and children get to see more of the world around them.

Image c/o: livingonimpulse