What Planners Really Want: Dos & Don'ts for FAMs and Hosted Programs
I've been on my fair share of FAMs and hosted buyer programs, and this past year I started doing more than taking notes on the destination. I started asking planners what they thought, both one-on-one and in a few breakout sessions where planners were invited to share what they truly think.
If you're a DMO, hotel, or supplier hosting planners, consider this the free feedback session you didn't have to organize. Two fellow planners, Lenora and Christa, also shared their personal dos and don'ts for this article, and their insights are woven in below.
Sell the Destination, Not the Ballroom
Planners say yes or no to a FAM largely because of the destination. They're asking one question: could I bring a program here? That's especially true when they're flying in from out of the area and have already logged hours on a plane.
Hotel site visits matter, and no planner is skipping them. Still, someone who crossed the country wants to feel the place. Christa's advice that I echo: plan activities that showcase the local culture and mean something to the area. Lenora agreed, asking for experiences instead of hotel tour after hotel tour. Christa added the flip side: skip the space fillers. Planners can spot an activity that exists only to eat up forty-five minutes of time.
Wellness Is More Than a 7am Run
Almost every planner I talked to had the same frustration. The one physical activity on the agenda is a walk, run, or yoga class at 7am. For plenty of people, that's the last thing they want after a 3, 4, or 5-hour flight and a time zone change.
Wellness shouldn't be one early-morning offering. A few ways to sprinkle it in:
Move the site tour to after lunch, when a walk helps beat the afternoon slump
Add a 15 to 20 minute shake-it-out break, like easy Zumba or simple movement, between sessions or hosted buyer one-on-ones
Offer more than one type of activity, so there's something for the planner who wants to dance and the one who wants a quiet stretch
Variety is key. A planner who gets to move at 2pm on their own terms will remember it far more fondly than one who dragged themselves out of bed at dawn (which will never be me, by the way).
Do the Sleep Math
If the group dinner ends at 9 or 10pm, or later, please don't schedule something at 7 or 8 the next morning. Planners told me this frustration is growing. They want to attend everything, required or not, and they want to be sharp when they do. Sleep is part of well-being, and a half-awake buyer isn't paying attention or taking in your beautiful destination.
Give Us Room to Breathe
Planners agreed here: quality beats quantity. An itinerary that starts very early and ends very late with few breaks in between isn't a packed program. It's an endurance event, and we're exhausted. I've been on a couple of FAMs where I lost count of how many hotels I saw in a single day. I want to see as much of a destination as possible, but there comes a point where your memory can't tell hotel number two from hotel number six.
What helps:
Guest rooms ready before the first activity begins, says Lenora. This matters most for planners who took an overnight flight, since chances are they've had little to no sleep
Daily free time to reset, shower, or catch up on work email (planners are still running businesses while they're away)
Enough time to change and freshen up before dinner
Activities that don't stay in one space for too long, particularly indoors without natural light
I speak from experience on that first one. I once flew from San Francisco to the Caribbean, landed without any sleep, and curled up in a fetal position on an outdoor chair from 11am to 4:30pm. By the time our activities started at 6pm, I was nauseated, dizzy, and unable to function in any productive way.
(Unhealthy) Food at Every Stop Is a Lot
Lenora raised a point I hear often: food shows up at every single stop, and it's excessive. Many FAM groups skew female, and the constant grazing doesn't match how most of those planners eat, particularly when the spread is heavy on sugar or alcohol. One thoughtful tasting that highlights local flavors beats five stops with a snack table. Fewer, better food moments also leave energy for the experience itself.
The Little Things That Land
Small touches make planners feel like guests instead of leads. Personalized room drops stood out in Lenora's notes. Christa pushed for putting planners in the best accommodations, since those rooms double as a preview of what clients would experience. She also suggested offering childcare or spouse options, so planners can mix business with a little pleasure and bring a loved one along. That's an easy way to turn a "maybe" into a "yes."
The Quick Recap
Do:
Showcase the culture and what makes the area meaningful
Have rooms ready and build in daily free time
Offer a variety of wellness activities at different times of day
Match late nights with later mornings
Include personal touches and the best accommodations
Don't:
Fill time with hotel tours and space-filler activities
Schedule a late dinner and an early session back to back
Serve unhealthy food and drinks at every stop
Pack too much into too little time
The Common Thread
A FAM is an audition for your destination, and planners are watching the whole experience, not only the room blocks. Treat their time, energy, and curiosity well, and you won't need a hard sell. They'll go home with a program in mind.
Hosting a FAM or hosted buyer program and want a planner's eye on the agenda? That's a conversation I'm always happy to have. Reach out through omnieralife.com/connect and let's chat!
