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Maximizing Your FAM Experience
By Crystal Morris,
Senior Sales Manager, Columbia CVB
The term “FAM” is short for familiarization. This is a commonly used term among professionals in the hospitality industry. FAM Tours are promotional tours designed to showcase (or familiarize) prospective meeting and convention clients with a specific city’s product first-hand.
Participants have a tremendous opportunity not only to learn about the featured destination, its meeting facilities, hotels, and attractions; but also to network and learn new ideas from fellow professionals. In the Convention & Visitor Bureau Business, sales staff are constantly trying new ways to showcase their destination. FAM Tours are one of several tools our CVB sales team uses to sell Columbia, SC.
To maximize your FAM experience you should:
 Only attend FAM Tours in cities in which your company will consider holding future meetings.
If you have a future meeting that is open for bids, it’s helpful to give the RFP to the CVB sales team so they can gather proposals for you prior to the FAM.
If the FAM agenda is made available to you prior to the FAM, highlight the facilities you are most interested in and let your CVB representative know which tours seem most valuable to you. Your CVB representative may be able to schedule a few moments for you to meet with the appropriate property staff members to discuss your questions in detail.
Take notes and ask questions about each facility during your tour. The staff is there to help you!
Ask about the dress code. You will most likely want to bring comfortable shoes and clothes for day, but many FAM Tours include at least one business attire function in the evenings.
Please remember to be respectful of the purpose of the FAM. The CVB and host properties are providing this complimentary trip for a reason! Try to attend all events scheduled for you – even if a property does not appeal to you on paper, it may win you over in person.
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