Posts Tagged ‘meeting planner’

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

Leaving children behind during business trips is a common issue for working parents whose jobs take them on the road. It can be an even bigger problem for professional meeting planners, who may travel more frequently than other employees. Feeling torn between work responsibilities and family loyalty can be difficult for any parent, particularly those who have to leave town regularly. The great news is that there are options for meeting planners who want to bring their spouses and children along with them on business trips. However, there are both advantages and drawbacks to doing so.

The possible drawbacks include the distraction that family matters may pose while the parent is working and the necessary supervision and activities parents may have to arrange to keep the children occupied during the day. It’s no secret that parents have to struggle to stay focused on their work, especially when a child becomes sick or injured. But that is a common issue for parents when they’re in their hometown, so most working moms and dads may be used to dealing with those problems.

When it comes to the advantages of bringing kids on business travel, though, there are many. For one, kids get to see the value of their parent’s work and responsibility. Sometimes children forget that their parents have more responsibilities than simply taking care of their needs. Seeing Mom or Dad contribute to the success of their company can help kids appreciate the work they do to support the family.

Another benefit of bringing the family along on work trips is making a frugal vacation out of the event. For many children, simply staying in hotel where they don’t have to make up their bed and where they can go swimming is a vacation. And if parents arrange for conference childcare services that include field trips and visits to amusement parks, the children can spend their days enjoying the city and the whole family can spend the evenings together.

One of the largest advantages of offering childcare services for meeting attendees is seeing the number of employees who are willing to come to the conference go up. Once workers see that the company understands the importance of family life and accommodate it, more of them may be ready to travel to the event.

Image c/o: Lasse C