For many families, summer time is reunion time, and travel plans center around the event. But what if it’s your turn to plan the reunion this year? Are you thinking about ways to make your extended family’s trip worth taking?

More families and friends are researching special interest and non-traditional venues such as resorts, ranches, inns, art galleries, estate mansions and even sports arenas as alternatives to booking traditional full-service hotels to host their family event. Non-traditional venues can offer more options, activities, and accommodations for guests. Here are a few things to think about when choosing a non-traditional location to host your event:

More Things to Do – Look for venues that offer a full range of down-time options and recreational activities for guests. Ranging from BBQs, horse trail riding, spa treatments, to golfing, guests often want “something new,” or at least a new twist on tradition to make the event memorable.

Silver Tray Service -- Non-traditional venues often pull out all the stops in terms of service. Organizers appreciate the high levels of creativity, flexibility and even the personal touch that a smaller facility goes to lengths to offer.

Better Affordability -- Specialty venues often exhibit equal enthusiasm to compete on the cost front, and generally can offer lower overall costs than traditional venues.

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