Familiarization (FAM) Tours and Why They're So Important
With a Special Interview from AIC Representative Kerry McMahon
What exactly is a Fam tour?
A "FAM Trip,” also known as a Familiarization Trip or FAM Tour, is an opportunity provided by hotel venues to meeting and event planners to personally experience their properties and services. These trips often involve site inspections, which allow planners to experience and learn about the venue's offerings firsthand. During these inspections, hotels and other suppliers aim to familiarize participants with their meeting space(s), sleeping room categories, hotel amenities, facilities, and dining options. Additionally, FAM trips allow planners to fully immerse themselves in the destination, experience the local culture, and meet with local vendors.
Why are they important to us, A2E, specifically?
If you’ve been following us for a while, you know that we never skip the site visit. Visiting a potential venue equips us with all that we need in order to step into the event planning process with a greater understanding of the venue, knowledge of the area, and enhanced creativity. However, conducting a FAM tour doesn’t just help us plan the event; it also lays the groundwork for our attendees to have the best experience possible.
The more knowledge we have about a venue or destination, the better we can plan a show-stopping event—down to the last detail. During a FAM tour, we get a feel for hotel amenities, onsite staff, meeting rooms and unique event spaces, cuisine, sanitation standards, and possible day trips or excursions. As a result, we’re able to create a trip that highlights the venue's best features and incorporates exciting extras such as local cuisine experiences and offsite activities for our clients.
In addition to everything FAM trips can do for our client partners, we also reap significant benefits. For one, we are traveling to breathtaking destinations like Cabo San Lucas. But the most important benefit is meeting and networking with FAM tour hosts and invitees. While there, we often form more significant relationships with industry experts from whom we can gain knowledge and insight, as well as suppliers who can offer us the best deals for our clients in the future.
What did our FAM Trip experience look like with
the Hard Rock and Nobu Hotels, Cabo San Lucas?
Our most recent FAM Trip to the Hard Rock and Nobu Hotels, Los Cabos, was, without a doubt, a comprehensive and well-organized tour by the AIC (All Inclusive Collection) Hotel Group. The hosts crafted a trip that perfectly balanced informative learning with immersive experiences, room for personal leisure, and networking opportunities among invitees. If you're curious about what a FAM trip entails or considering the ideal destination for an upcoming event, read on for a breakdown of everything the tour and these stunning venues had to offer. From the beginning, our hosts at AIC went above and beyond to give us a firsthand look at the exceptional experience we could deliver to our clients.
Day one
Upon arrival, we experienced the VIP check-in service at the Hard Rock Hotel and were escorted to our Junior Suites, which provided spacious accommodations with ocean views. After settling into our hotel room, we were invited to soak up some sun at the lively Lyric pool – which hosts anything from live music to fun pool games and activities. Our particular favorite was going down the water slides!
After giving us a few hours to enjoy the main pool, we were later treated to cocktails and a special Maui Jim sunglass fitting at their sunlight bar, which offers a picturesque view of the main grounds and ocean. It was a great start to our trip, which gave us a genuine sense of what our clients can expect upon arrival at this destination and how including a special gifting experience, like Maui Jim, can help to set a fun and positive tone for any event.
Following the sunglass fitting was dinner at Los Gallos restaurant, a Mexican hacienda that serves traditional Mexican cuisines and icy margaritas and houses a fun, festive atmosphere. To top off a (very) well-done first day, we were treated to a private bonfire on the beach, showcasing the venue's ability to host private and more intimate experiences.
Meeting Space
The Hard Rock Hotel hosts one of the largest meeting spaces in Los Cabos, with 60,000 sq. ft of total space (including indoor and outdoor), making it the ideal venue for large-scale conferences, national sales meetings, product launches, and more. But don’t just take our word for it; check out their meetings brochure here.
Restaurants
Many different restaurants and cuisines are offered on-site (8 in total), including Italian fine dining, a modern steakhouse & Brazilian grill, a luxury steakhouse, a Teppanyaki-style eatery that serves Chinese and Japanese, and laid-back buffet-style options.
Additionally, the hotel offers a one-of-a-kind multi-sensory immersive dining experience at Awaken Your Senses.
Pools
The hotel offers six different pool experiences for any occasion or preference. The main pool, known as the Lyric pool, boasts live music, water slides, and a vibrant party atmosphere, making it ideal for an energetic audience. On the other hand, the Eden pool provides a serene and luxurious experience, ensuring a relaxing option for guests. We thought the Red Pool was the perfect spot for those seeking an Instagram-worthy moment. All this to say, there seemed to be something for just about anyone. '
Rooms and Suites
The Hard Rock has 639 guest rooms ranging from deluxe king and queen rooms to rock-star suites, ensuring there is something to suit every taste. Several rooms offer stunning oceanfront or partial ocean views, private swim-up pools, or serene garden views. At this point in our inspection, we couldn't help but feel that the Hard Rock Los Cabos truly had it all.
After a full day of touring the Hard Rock Hotel, we were transported to the sleek and modern Nobu Los Cabos, which is located right next door (a five-minute walk). We were eager to learn about Nobu and what sets this hotel apart from its neighboring property.
Nobu Hotel Los Cabos
Nobu hotels are renowned for combining sleek, modern luxury with contemporary Japanese aesthetics. So, as we arrived at the property, we were excited to learn about its contrast from the energetic and colorful atmosphere at the Hard Rock.
Meeting Space
The Nobu Hotel offers 14,389 sq. ft of total meeting and event space, including two ballrooms, one boardroom, and stunning outdoor space. With about 45,000 sq. ft less than the Hard Rock, the Nobu is an ideal location for more intimate meetings such as sales incentive trips and leadership meetings and retreats.
Restaurants
As you may already know, Nobu is well-known for its exquisite cuisine from its signature Nobu Restaurants. Guests and attendees can indulge at the world-famous Nobu restaurant, which offers elegant cuisine and fresh fish, enjoy a lively gastronomic steakhouse or Mexican fine dining, or experience their newest Mediterranean-inspired cuisine at their panoramic rooftop restaurant—Muna.
Later that evening, the hosts treated us to uniquely crafted cocktails at the M bar, which boasted gorgeous panoramic views of the ocean and evening sunset, followed by a private, curated dining experience at Muna – where we, of course, indulged in the delicious food. This restaurant is a must-visit for anyone staying at (or near) Nobu Los Cabos!
Rooms & Suites
The hotel offers 200 guest rooms and suites, detailed with Japanese craftsmanship and neutral color palettes for a serene, relaxing experience for guests. Fun fact—all bed mattresses and pillows at Nobu properties are made especially and exclusively for Nobu, ensuring unparalleled comfort. Talk about pampering your guests!
Nobu was the perfect combination of elegance and luxury, ideal for sales incentive trips, business or leadership meetings, retreats, and other smaller, high-end events. Ultimately, both hotels offer unique experiences for groups of all kinds.
Day three
Our last full day of the trip was made complete by a catamaran excursion and farewell dinner at the Hard Rock Hotel.
During our four-hour boating excursion, we toured the famous Arch of Cabo San Lucas and cruised the shoreline with lunch and an afternoon of snorkeling and swimming. This day trip provided a perfect look into the local activities we could offer our future clients and guests. In the evening, we were treated to a farewell dinner at the Hard Rock Hotel, where we enjoyed authentic Mexican cuisine and toasted to an unforgettable FAM experience with incredible people.
So, next time you’re wondering whether or not to participate in a site visit or FAM tour, remember that this crucial step can make or break the process. Don't settle for uncertainty when making important decisions about your meeting or event venue space. Unlock the power of familiarity tours and get to know your potential destination from the inside out. Experience the location, connect with the staff, discover hidden gems, evaluate amenities, and make your decision with unwavering confidence. Your event guests will thank you!
We asked AIC representative Kerry McMahon to answer a few questions about FAM Tours from the perspective of someone who’s hosted them for years and is a pro in the hospitality industry. Here's what she shared with us.
How do you define a FAM experience?
This is an opportunity for our clients to stay at our hotel and learn everything they need to know about the destination.
Why are FAM experiences important?
A FAM trip helps our clients to truly experience the hotel and the surrounding area the same way an event attendee would.
What is the value of attending a FAM from your perspective? What do you want the planners to experience at these events?
A FAM trip allows the planners to really understand all that our hotels have to offer. They can eat in the restaurants, discover the pools, and relax in the spa. It’s also an extended stay, so they have the chance to get offsite and learn about the unique activities the destination has to offer.
Oftentimes, our clients are so busy that they perform a site tour in less than a day and don't get to experience the hotel and location as their attendees would during their trip. A FAM experience gives clients the rare opportunity to see and do all of the things their attendees would get to participate in, allowing them to plan an even more successful attendee experience.
How do you select which planners to invite to the FAM?
We start by looking at the history of planners who have shown interest in our hotels. We also connect with planners through industry events to see who would have the opportunity to book events or meetings in Mexico or the Dominican Republic. Then we go from there!
How many FAMs do you put on each year?
Usually, about two trips per year.
Why did you choose to host this FAM at Cabo's Hard Rock & Nobu properties?
Cabo is a popular destination and many East Coast planners have never been here. Having two hotels right next to each other was an ideal opportunity to easily showcase two hotels and make the most of the planner's time.
What are the main groups you’ve hosted at both properties? (i.e., NSM, Incentive, Leadership Retreats, etc.)
Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos typically hosts incentive programs and sales meetings. Nobu Hotel Los Cabos hosts a number of incentive programs and leadership retreats.
What is your favorite part about the properties? Why are they great for meetings and events?
I love all of the ocean views from the hotels. Cabo is such a fantastic contrast of desert and water. It’s a unique spot, and both hotels really showcase the landscape. Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos and Nobu Hotel Los Cabos offer everything a group could possibly want. Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos can accommodate a large group with great energy at the hotel. Nobu Hotel Los Cabos is ideal for smaller groups looking for an elevated experience.
Who are the vendors/suppliers you partnered with to execute this trip?
Connect DMC is one of our greatest partners in Los Cabos and Punta Cana. They handled all of the airport transfers and excursions. Maui Jim Corporate Gifting is another one of our favorite partners. Crafting a gifting experience during the welcome reception was a great icebreaker and started the trip off on a high note.
AIC Hotel Group is a collection of all-inclusive hotels that originally launched the Hard Rock Hotel brand. For over 30 years, AIC Group has introduced luxury, all-inclusive resorts to Mexico and throughout the U.S.