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Reunion Planning Workshops are added regularly on the web at www.reunionsmag.com/getting-started/workshopsconferences-seminars/. Please check online for new offerings and changes.

FAMILY REUNION WORKSHOPS BY DEKALB COUNTY, GA Virtual Presentations 11 am-Noon • Wednesday, October 13, 2021 In-Person Presentations 10 am-1 pm EDT • Saturday, September 18, 2021 REUNION EXPO Noon-5 pm • Saturday, November 20, 2021 Register at www.discoverdekalb.com/meetings-groups/ Contact: Penny Moore | 770-492-5018 Penny@discoverdekalb.com

FREE VIRTUAL FAMILY REUNION PLANNING AND LEGACY BUILDING WORKSHOPS Attendees enjoy hearing from industry experts and participate in “live” question and answer. Limited virtual seats are available, send an e-mail to webuildlegacy@gmail.com to register. Noon EDT • September 2, 2021 & October 23, 2021 SAVE THE DATE Saturday, April 2, 2022 WeBuildLegacy Family Reunion Planners Conference and Expo Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

EXPLORE GWINNETT’S REUNION PLANNING WORKSHOP 9 AM • October 9, 2021 Rhodes Jordan Park, Lawrenceville, GA Contact Maurice Odoms | 770-814-6059 Maurice@exploregwinnett.org Register @ Atlantareunion.com

MILITARY REUNION NETWORK October 13-16, 2021 Louisiana Northshore/New Orleans area FAM Keynote: Dan Pedersen, creator of the Navy Top Gun Program www.militaryreunionnetwork.com/upcoming-events/ #!event-list Contact Sharon Danitschek | 425-501-1430 info@militaryreunionnetwork.com

ALPHARETTA FAMILY REUNION WORKSHOP 10 AM-Noon • October 16, 2021 Mansell House and Gardens, Alpharetta, GA Contact Hala Shell | 678-297-2811 reunions@awesomealpharetta.com Registration and more info at www.awesomealpharetta. com/meetings-special-occasions/reunions-gatherings/ family-reunion-workshop

Storytelling at your reunion

Think about storytelling at reunions. Think of all the lives that have been lived by everyone present and encourage them to tell their stories! They’re the history that make up your family or members of your class or military group. Everyone will go away having learned something about the teller and about the group as a whole. Javier Wallace, Master Storyteller and founder of Black Austin Tours, explains why storytelling is important. He has received the highest reviews for “Best storytelling” in Austin, Texas. Reunions are perfect times for storytelling so let Javier tell you why. He starts by suggesting how to tell engaging stories. First, make yourself the main character of your own story! Allow yourself to be vulnerable with your audience, be personal and let your light shine. Find your “Why” and share it with your guests. “Find that thing,” he says, “of who you are and where you come from and go out and find your story.”

Learn more about Javier Wallace at www.blackaustintours.com and for Black Austin Tours, contact javier@blackaustintours.com.

www.blackaustintours.com/features

Giveaways for your reunion!

Who doesn’t like giveaways? You’ll not win unless you enter. There are DNA kits and games that can be used as games at your reunion or as raffle prizes. Visit to discover what’s new and enter today.

Visit www.reunionsmag.com/ resources/giveaways-contests/ now to enter for one or all of the prizes before time runs out!

Hospitality Answerman

Q:Now that most of the members of our family have been vaccinated, we want to get together again, and are looking to hold a reunion in 2022. It’s been several years since we all got together. My two cousins and I (the reunion committee) don’t know where to start. We haven’t even decided where to have it. Some of the family is in New Jersey; others are in North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan and elsewhere.

A: We’ve tackled this question before, but it’s always worth revisiting. The selection of the site for your reunion will most definitely impact your attendance, so you want to choose wisely. In a nutshell, the best location for your group — or any group — to meet will be determined by the size, needs, and interests of the group members. Start by asking yourself the following questions: — How easy (or difficult) will it be for people to get there? How expensive will it be? Can most folks drive there? If they have to fly, is there an airport nearby with ample flights and reasonable air fares? The less it costs folks to attend, the better your attendance will be. In this case, you may want to “meet in the middle” by selecting a reunion site halfway between the two extremes, so that no one has to drive or fly too far. — What types of things do we want to see and do? You can get together with your relatives in any hotel ballroom. Likewise, you can have a picnic almost anywhere. You’ll want to select a location with interesting and fun activities that everyone will remember — this is what will make the reunion special! Do most of your folks like the beach? (Some folks do, some don’t!) Do they want to ride roller coasters? Visit museums or historic sites that have meaning for your family? Go shopping or out to eat? Play golf? — What are the ages of the majority of your attendees? Things that delight young children may bore teenagers and vice-versa.

Riding the “Roller Coaster of Death” at the amusement park may be great fun for the sixteen-year-olds, but not for those over 40. If there are lots of young children, having ample things for them to do is a must … if they’re bored and restless, they’ll be sure to let their parents know it. — How expensive are local hotels? Staying at a four-star resort is a wonderful experience, but is this what your family members are looking for? What sorts of rates are they willing to pay? At many beach resorts, summer is peak season, and the rates will be high.

You may want to look at getting together at a location in the “off season” — the hotel or the local Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) can tell you when “off season” rates apply. You’ll be staying in the same hotel, but at much more attractive rates! Meals are another big expense for your attendees. Are there family-friendly restaurants in the area? Does the hotel offer refrigerators in the guest rooms where folks can store simple staples (juice, milk, sodas, etc.)? Does the hotel include breakfast in their rates? All of these things can help attendees control the cost of attending your reunion. — The “how expensive” question also applies to local attractions and sightseeing. If the only attraction around is a theme park and the tickets are $95 per person, that’s a $570 expense for a family with four children! (And that’s before they buy their first hot dog!)

Consider places with state or local parks, museums, art galleries, historic sites and other activities that are either free or can be enjoyed at minimal cost.

Next, you’ll want to narrow down your list of possible locations to a select few that you can seriously consider.

Start by calling the CVB in each location you’re considering. We’ve said this many times before, but it bears repeating: The local CVB is your very best source of information about all of the things you’ll need to consider when deciding where to meet – access, activities, lodging, restaurants, prices, the best times to visit, and much more. And virtually every CVB in the country is eager to assist you free of charge!

Reunions magazine features an online directory of cities / destinations that have demonstrated they are eager to host your reunion. Start with this list and go from there! Ask the CVB representatives you speak with these questions … n “Why would my reunion have more fun if we get together in your city / destination than if we go somewhere else?” n “We’re looking for nice places to stay that can provide rooms for $ ___ in the month of ____. What are our options likely to be?” n “Why have other reunion groups met with you? What did they like best about your city? Was there anything they didn’t like?”

Once you’ve spoken to a number of locations and received their information, narrow your search down to a few (probably no more than three or four) destinations that you’re seriously interested in and call the CVB again. Ask them to collect bids from their hotels that meet your needs. You’ll need to tell them the number of rooms you’re likely to need, the number of days you’ll need them, when you’ll need them, and the rates you’re looking to pay. Likewise, communicate the hotel features that are important to you. For example — a swimming pool, a ballroom for your banquet, a hospitality room for your group, a restaurant, free parking, and so on.

The CVB will respond to you with bids they receive from hotels that are interested in hosting your reunion, and they’ll review these with you. They’re happy to arrange a visit to their city so that you can see the hotels and the area’s attractions first-hand.

The CVB representative truly is your very best friend in whatever city your group is gathering. Good luck with your reunion!

About the Hospitality Answerman

Dean Miller, national sales director for Visit Fairfax (www.fxva.com), the convention and visitors bureau in Fairfax County, Virginia, is a great friend of reunions. Contact him (703-790-0643; dmiller@fxva.com) when you are planning a reunion in the Washington, DC, area. Fairfax County is nearby, affordable, and conveniently located to all the area has to offer.

??????????? Have a question for Dean? Send to editor@reunionsmag.com

New app guide to the Happiest Places on Earth!

Reid (10) and Hunter (12) Bellow used pandemic time to develop an app for visiting the Happiest Places on Earth. The precocious tweens built a family-friendly app with colorful graphics and descriptions of each ride including height requirements, ride duration, and up-to-the-minute wait times. Their simple goal was to create an app to help families get the most out of their favorite vacation spots – Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California.

MyBDD (My Best Day at Disney) app will guide you to the right attraction to make the most of your day by personalizing adventures; choose a theme (pirates or princesses) and the app will direct you. They thought of many details like adding a camera spotter which tells users where cameras are on rides so you know when to say, “cheese!” Across four theme parks and two water parks, Disneyland has 45 rides and Disney World has 53 rides. The Bellow brothers know how to make the best of Disney and their app provides an interactive guided tour of the parks in the palm of your hand.

The MyBDD app is now available as a

www.BDD-Demo-Final.mp4

free download on Google Play and Apple App Store. There is a one-time upgrade fee ($4.99) that unlocks the Magic when in the parks and 25 percent of the proceeds go to support the March of Dimes and Make-AWish foundation — two of the Bellow family's favorite charities. With encouragement from their dad, Adam Bellow, Plainview, New York.