To make the most of their precious hours, many busy business travelers are blending work with family time by bringing along their spouses and children. This ongoing trend is causing more planners to consider family-friendly destinations for conferences, trade shows, meetings, and other events. Choosing a family-friendly location extends beyond boardrooms and beds; planners also seek destinations offering fun attractions and activities for all ages, a diverse selection of shops and restaurants, and a walkable or easily accessible hub. Here, we explore some of the South’s top spots for mixing meetings with family fun.
Frisco, Texas
Frisco, “The City That Plays,” offers attractions for all ages, including sports entertainment, educational and interactive museums, and a diverse culinary scene featuring everything from kid-friendly fare to private dining for group gatherings. “We’re seeing more planners who want destinations that blend business and family time. Frisco fits that perfectly,” says Christina Decker, director of sales for Visit Frisco. “It’s easy to get to, there is plenty of meeting space, and there are lots of things to do. Planners love that we really make it effortless. We are approximately 25 minutes from both Dallas airports, offer approximately 4,500 hotel rooms, and feature a walkable entertainment district full of restaurants, shops, and attractions. Plus, our warm Texas hospitality makes everyone feel at home. Frisco has something for everyone.”
KidZania, an indoor city for and by kids, combines fun and learning. Kids can try out more than 50 different jobs and learn about the various skills required for each one. Frisco is also home to the National Videogame Museum, the country’s first venue established to document, preserve, and exhibit the gaming industry’s rich and varied history; the Frisco Roughriders Minor League Baseball team; Kaleidoscope Park, a vibrant arts district offering free year-round programming and recreational activities; and Frisco Water Park, an affiliate of Frisco Athletic Center.
In addition, Universal Kids resort is scheduled to open in summer 2027. “We’re excited to welcome Shrek, Gabby’s Dollhouse, and Jurassic World, to name a few, which will add even more excitement to our city,” Decker says. “We have a lot of fun.”
Frisco is also home to the PGA headquarters and boasts two championship golf courses—PGA Frisco and Omni Frisco Resort. “We’re a real sports city and great for all families,” Decker says. She advises planners to build in a little extra time for attendees to stay, play, and explore the city. The Visit Frisco team is available to assist planners at any step of the way. “Our motto is, ‘It’s where business meets to play.’ We make it easy for meeting planners to create experiences that go beyond the meeting room,” Decker says.
Huntsville, Ala.
Huntsville/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) in Huntsville, Ala., welcomes inquiries from meeting and event planners, according to Charles Winters, executive vice president of the CVB. “My biggest suggestion for planners is just to reach out to us. We’re here to help,” he says. “We’ve been here 50 years—we have a group of dedicated professionals whose job it is to help meeting planners. We love what we do, and we love our community. Put us to work and let us be an extension of your event planning team.”
Home of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and called “Rocket City,” Huntsville boasts many unique attractions. Visitors will be awed by the full-size space shuttle located at the entrance to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center—the largest space museum in the world, which includes a stealth plane, a park filled with rockets, and an exclusive collection of space exploration exhibits and artifacts not available anywhere else. “The U.S. Space & Rocket Center museum is a favorite for anyone visiting Huntsville, especially meeting and event attendees here in town with their families,” Winters says.
Another family favorite, Huntsville Botanical Garden has activities and events year-round. Among its unique offerings is Wicks Family Garden, a two-acre greenspace featuring a dinosaur-themed area, a real Space Station node (another nod to the city’s connection to the U.S. space program), and interactive installations like a sunflower maze and pollywog bog; this area provides a fun, educational experience for families. The garden also includes Purdy Butterfly House, one of the nation’s premier open-air butterfly habitats, and last year debuted the whimsical Mother Earth Troll Garden. At its center sits “Mama Zelda,” the guardian of the garden, a 20-foot-tall troll sculpture crafted out of recycled materials by world-renowned Danish artist Thomas Dambo.
Winters also recommends the Early Works Children’s Museum and Lucky Duck Scavenger Hunt as fun family activities. The scavenger hunt sends participants searching for 15 bronze ducks hidden throughout downtown Huntsville; those who find all 15 can come to the visitor’s center and receive a prize from the CVB. “It’s a very family-friendly activity that gets people out and helps show them different points of interest and how close everything is in our downtown,” Winters says, noting the CVB team regularly works with meeting planners to develop itineraries and build in activities at these attractions and many others. “We can integrate these attractions into itineraries, whether it’s by securing group ticket sales or utilizing one of the venues for a special after-hours location for special events,” he says.
Music lovers can check out the venues contributing to the city’s rising music scene. “It’s a growing part of our community,” Winters says. “The Orion Amphitheater is open-air and has all kinds of concerts and events. The great thing about the facility is it’s a world-class venue, open all year. It’s a great venue for the community. The same is true for the Rocket City Trash Pandas field, the home stadium for Huntsville’s Minor League Baseball team. We’ve got music, sports, and history. We encourage planners to see what we have to offer—when they do, most make the choice to come here for their event.”
Virginia Beach, Va.
According to Anissa Ladd, vice president of sales and services for Visit Virginia Beach, the area’s wide selection of family attractions has helped boost the city’s profile among meeting planners seeking family-friendly destinations. A destination has to check a lot of boxes for planners, and Ladd feels Virginia Beach checks its share of them. “I think our large variety of attractions and experiences has played a large role in site selection and has put us ahead of other destinations,” Ladd says. “People are trying to provide an experience with their families, either before or after a meeting. It gives them two bangs for their buck.”
Virginia Beach’s natural resources—including 38 miles of sandy beaches and colorful coastline—are a strong draw for families. For the more adventurous visitors, area attractions include a surfing simulator at Atlantic Park and treetop obstacle courses and ziplines at Adventure Park at Virginia Beach in Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center. Ladd also recommends Mount Trashmore Park, the nation’s first landfill park. Converted from a 640,000-ton landfill, the park includes the Kids Cove Playground, a volleyball court, a water-wise garden, two lakes, and other amenities for visitors of all ages to enjoy.
Ladd encourages planners to use the Virginia Beach CVB as their planning partner, utilizing the team’s extensive knowledge of the area. “Virginia Beach is bigger than most think, and we are a year-round destination,” Ladd says. “Groups meet in our venues and hotels even during the off-season. There really is something for everyone and for groups of all sizes. Whether you’re bringing a group
of 10 or 10,000, our team will work with you to create an experience tailored to your needs.” She adds, “Travelers are blending business with travel—not only as a destination for a meeting but also as a destination to experience.”
Margaritaville Hotels & Resorts
With 30 hotels and resorts across the country—including properties in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas—Margaritaville Hotels & Resorts can accommodate meetings and events of various types and sizes. The properties’ wide-ranging offerings make them a great choice for meeting attendees traveling with families as well.
Inspired by and named after the song by the late Jimmy Buffett, Margaritaville Hotels & Resorts combines Buffett’s laid-back attitude with distinctly Margaritaville hospitality. “There is a perception that we’re a party hotel or brand, but we’re casual luxury,” says Fernando Nunez, director of national and leisure sales for Margaritaville Hotels & Resorts. “When they’re looking for a family-friendly resort, planners turn to us—especially for incentive groups, whose attendees tend to bring their families,” he says. “Planners are definitely interested in destinations and resorts with lots of activities and attractions, including family options. We can say with confidence that we have activities and amenities for attendees and their families.”
In addition to the brand’s hotels and resorts, Camp Margaritaville RV Resorts blend the fun of the great outdoors with the casual luxury of the Margaritaville properties. “There are a handful of these locations in our portfolio,” Nunez says. “Some have small houses or cottages, and each has great onsite amenities.” Camp Margaritaville RV Resorts can be found in Buford, Ga.; Auburndale and Citra, Fla.; Henderson, La.; Pigeon Forge, Tenn.; and Crystal Beach, Texas.
The hotels and resorts’ amenities are as diverse as the cities in which they are located, Nunez says. “There’s something different at every single one of our locations—at our 30 resorts and hotels across the nation. We have such variety, and no two Margaritavilles are the same. Margaritaville in Missouri might sound the same as the one in Lake Conroe, Texas, but they are very different.”
Nunez invites planners to visit any of the brand’s hotels and resorts to experience them firsthand. “If you’re near one of our hotels, let’s schedule a site visit so you can meet our team, so the next time you’re looking for a venue for an event, you’ll have that experience.”
Pensacola, Fla.
Planners considering Pensacola, Fla., will find a wide range of venue spaces and attractions within the city limits and in nearby Pensacola Beach. Kaya Man, director of sales and services for Visit Pensacola, says the family-friendly aspect of the city makes it a desirable location for events. “We’re seeing a lot of interest from planners looking for a family-friendly destination because they will get greater attendance at the conference and a stronger commitment to attend from registrants if their family is coming with them and staying the whole time,” Man says. “That’s why our destination is so desirable—it’s easily accessible and safe.”
Most of the area’s meeting space is located in Pensacola Beach, where venues are situated a few blocks apart, making it easy for planners, vendors, and attendees to navigate the area. “Everything is so vibrant, walkable, and close,” Man says. “Visitors can walk across the street from the venues, be on the beach, and try the water activities that they want to do.”
The Hilton Pensacola Beach, Holiday Inn Resort Pensacola Beach, Fairfield Inn Pensacola Beach, and Hampton Inn Pensacola Beach are all connected by a small boardwalk. Guests at any of the resorts can utilize the amenities of the other resorts, according to Man. Visitors can take advantage of the free trolley service, which runs in Pensacola Beach from Memorial Day through Labor Day and
year-round in downtown Pensacola. “It’s a big help for families. They can hop on and off at their leisure,” Man says, adding that a number of restaurants in the beach area have adjacent playgrounds.
and venue for meeting groups and their families. Courtesy Huntsville/Madison County CVB
Pensacola is home to the Naval Aviation Museum, the country’s largest aviation museum. “It’s completely free and has a restaurant, 10 different simulators, and an IMAX theater, and everything is available in one location.” Man says. “It is a full-day outing, very educational, and can be a good attraction to visit if it’s raining.”
Other family attractions include Pensacola Children’s Museum, Pensacola MESS Hall, and Fast Eddies Fun Center, which includes go-karts, mini-golf, batting cages, and an indoor arcade. Pensacola Children’s Museum uses play-based learning, while the Pensacola MESS Hall gives young visitors hands-on experiences to broaden their science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) knowledge. Also, First City Art Center offers children’s art classes, or visitors can simply watch artists while they work. For outdoor exploration, Man suggests Fort Pickens, located right on Pensacola Beach; kids can run and play around the fort, learn about the site in its small museum, or take a nature walk.
“If you’re looking for a family-friendly destination, I highly recommend Pensacola, especially April through September,” Man says. “The weather is perfect. There is an abundance of outdoor activities. That makes it really easy for planners.”
