Mike Watkins of Winston-Salem, N.C., helped plan the 50th annual LMHG [Law, Martin, Hampton and Gravely] family reunion July 14-17 in Norfolk, Va.
“We were looking for a place with a lot of activities available for families, where we can sightsee,” he said. “We also try to find a place that has some historical value, and also look for areas where some of the family may live. Norfolk had all of that for us.”
Nearly 250 people attended the reunion, which included a fishing trip, a banquet, a golf outing and a breakfast cruise on the Spirit of Norfolk.
“We wanted something a bit different this year. And with the Spirit of Norfolk cruise, that was something different,” said Watkins. “Cost is always a major factor, and having a 50th reunion, it was very cost effective.”
The Law, Martin, Hampton and Gravely families trace their roots to slaves from Virginia plantations as far back as the early 1800s.
Watkins said the reunion started in 1961 with his aunt, great-aunt and grandparents, who, after attending a funeral, discussed the fact that funerals were the only times they saw family members, so why not find a happy occasion.
“That’s how it originated,” said Watkins. “It was at my grandparents’ home until 1980, when it was suggested we have different locations.”
Since then, the family has met in nine states and the District of Columbia, returning to near the original home place in western Virginia every five years. Last year it was in Roanoke, Va.
“It’s one opportunity to have the family come together on a good occasion on a positive note,” said Watkins. “We just like to get together.”
Erin Filarecki, media relations manager for the Norfolk Convention and Visitors Bureau, who worked with Watkins on the reunion, said the city has several sites with strong African-American heritage, a bonus in marketing to family reunions.
“Norfolk played a huge role in the Underground Railroad,” she said. “A couple of years ago, we developed a map online and a brochure. Not only African-Americans, but anyone can take the tour. It depicts the role Norfolk played in the Underground Railroad. It is a self-guided walking tour with a little over 20 stops.
“It’s very thorough. A history professor at Norfolk University helped to put it together.”
Another popular site is the Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception. In the early 1960s, the downtown French Gothic-style church, built in 1858, experienced an influx of African-American parishioners after urban renewal forced the closing of the black St. Joseph Catholic Church.
Today, the parish is predominantly African-American. “The church architecture is stunning,” said Filarecki.
The Attucks Theater, the first theater in the South designed by an African-American architect, was restored about 10 years ago. “It used to be called the Apollo of the South,” said Filarecki. “Now it is a world-class performing arts facility.”
Renee Eichelberger, national group tour sales manager for the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission, said her city’s many free attractions and large number of parks are great selling points for family reunions.
Eichelberger called Forest Park, with its expansive grounds and several free attractions, including the world-class St. Louis Zoo and the Missouri History Museum, a “family reunion mecca.”
“It is a very important market,” she said. “I have been at the bureau for almost 13 years, and I have worked with the reunion market since then. We market to family reunions, and it seems like African-Americans are predominant.”
Eichelberger said accessibility is another important selling point. “Most are driving in, and we have easy access from other major cities. If a family is scattered about — and that is usually why they are getting together — we are an easy place to get to.
“We also have heritage here, and we can meet that need if that is what they are looking for. Most of the time, they are just excited about getting together as a family. Sometimes they will do little sightseeing; they just want to hang out and tell stories.”
New to the game
A couple of new entries in the reunion market are the Atlanta suburb of Dunwoody, Ga., and Cleveland.
“We just incorporated in 2008,” said Andy Williams, sales manager for the Dunwoody Convention and Visitors Bureau, about 10 minutes from downtown Atlanta. “Our proximity to Atlanta makes us a destination for family reunions.
“We are home to five [hotel] properties. They want to stay on the outskirts but have access to all the attractions Atlanta offers.”
Williams said his bureau helps reunion planners with all of their arrangements and will hold a free family-reunion workshop Sept. 24 that will feature an hourlong seminar on the basics of planning a reunion and time to meet with Atlanta-area tourism vendors.
Williams said Dunwoody has the second-largest mall in the South, Premier Mall, and several restaurants, so reunion attendees can also feel safe surrounded by shopping and dining options.
Positively Cleveland, the Ohio city’s convention and visitors bureau, launched a new program at the beginning of the year to be more aggressive in attracting family reunions.
“We had never tracked it before,” said Amanda Bonvechio, convention services and housing manager. “We realized it is a huge business that we were kind of missing out on. We are updating our family reunion website; it will have its own Web page. It is a very new program for us.
“But we have captured quite a few of those reunions, especially in June and July. August is proving to be very busy.”
Bonvechio said the bureau is creating a database and will market to family reunions in the future.
“We will be holding an expo, probably next spring, a half-day on Saturday on the best practices of planning a family reunion in Cleveland,” said Bonvechio. “We will let them know we are there.”
