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PLANNING A GENEALOGY Cruise 194 Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly December 2015
A Case Study in
Unique Client
Offerings
BY JEAN WILCOX HIBBEN, PhD, MA, CG
One of the things a professional
needs to do is keep an open ear and
eye for those needs that only he can
satisfy.
The Beginning of the Adventure
“I want to take one of those genealogy cruises,” said a friend of mine in our
local society, “but they are really expensive and leave from locations that are
not convenient for me. The cost of the airfare to get there is more than I can
afford. Wouldn’t it be great if there was something closer to home?”
Luckily, we live in Southern California where many cruise lines
headquarter “closer to home” for those in the southwestern part of the
United States. So, learning of a need, Gena Philibert-Ortega and I decided
to go about filling it. One of the things a professional needs to do is keep an
open ear and eye for those needs that only he can satisfy. We found the local
genealogy community of Southern California consists of more than two dozen
societies (some public, some private) and, when we reached beyond the state
borders to folks in Nevada and Arizona we were able to take over thirty folks
on a three-day journey of exploration into their roots, while letting others do
the cooking! Plus, a cruise is a great way for family members and friends of
genealogists to tag along without getting bored.
December 2015 Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly 195
Following our experience, I thought it
might be helpful to give others a way to
service their local genealogy communities
while expanding their business options.
While not everyone has an ocean at his/
her disposal, there are various types of
cruises, including some on large rivers
and lakes. Cruise companies have learned
that people will pay good money to float
along and not have to row or steer!
Some of the ideas covered here could
also be implemented by those wishing to
conduct local seminars at hotels in their
locales. Whatever the venue, Gena and I
came away with some “lessons learned” and
a list of what we will (and will not) do “next
time.” Let me share some of them with you to
help keep planning and holding your event less
stressful.
If you’re going to collaborate, be sure it is with
a genealogist you trust and work well with. This was
a significant advantage for Gena and I. We had already
organized a successful book/speaking tour throughout Ca-
lifornia and were familiar with each other’s presentation style.
We knew we would synthesize our topics and efforts well. From
our previous collaborations, we knew we would evenly share
the responsibilities of the advertising and preparation—it is
important to understand the division of tasks before the project
begins. We arranged to meet a number of times before the vacation time to fit it in. Our target audience expressed a desire
event, kept in close touch on any new developments, supported for something close to home that would fit into their busy work
each other, contributed suggestions equally, and had clear schedules. We listened.
communication with each other from the onset.
Creating a Program
Getting Started Step two was to organize our presentation plan for offerings
We began planning nearly a year in advance. Our first step: get during the voyage. Be aware that some cruise ships operate a
a travel agent versed in coordinating similar groups and who bit differently than venues on land. In our case, Carnival was
has good communication with the cruise line. The travel agent unable to guarantee our request for meeting rooms more than
educated us on our options (available dates, cruise destinations, forty-five days before we sailed. This was a little disconcerting,
costs, insurance, etc.) and helped us choose accordingly. She but communication with the event planner for Carnival, as well
is your liaison with the cruise line for requests for meeting as our travel agent, assured us there should be no problem—
rooms, special accommodations, and so on. It is important to and there wasn’t. Presentation room assignment was largely
use a travel agent who handles all the reservations (credit card, dependent on the number of people in the group and the
passport, and special request information) so that you can focus different groups on the cruise. Be prepared to be flexible.
on what you do best. We advertised a series of presentations to be given over the
We selected a three-day cruise out of Long Beach, California, course of two days; one-on-one consultations to be conducted
headed to Ensenada, Mexico (for ocean cruises, all will include either in our staterooms or other areas of the ship, as available;
a “foreign” port due to the Merchant Marine Act of 19201). and networking with other genealogists at meals, breaks during
We would have one day ashore in Mexico—the attendees were presentation sessions, and so on. Presentations were selected by
free to go ashore, or remain on the ship. We chose a “weekend” sending all the attendees a list of eight potential lectures—four
cruise (leaving Thursday late afternoon and returning early for Gena, and four for myself, which participants ranked from
Sunday morning) so that people didn’t need to use up a lot of one to four, in order of preference. We each presented the four
1. www.cruiselawnews.com/2011/09/articles/flags-of-convenience-1/why-cant-you-cruise-from-one-us-port-to-another-us-port/
196 Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly December 2015
“top” choices, which worked perfectly.
Dinner was the only meal we ate as
a group, and we selected the early Once we had our dates
seating time to facilitate networking
(and get folks on to bed early and travel schedule, we
enough for the early start the next
day). organized our plans to give
During planning, we identified
what would be needed to facilitate presentations during
the lectures; many of these were
things most lecturers leave to the host
the voyage.
organization to set up. We wanted
our presentations to include handouts, obligation by much. To solve our time crunch, we encouraged
Internet access (if possible), use of a folks to take advantage of the consultation time in advance,
projector and screen, and appropriate sending us their brick wall issue or other query before we
furniture for the presenter and participants.
sailed so we could address it either in part or whole ahead of
Let me interject something here about the
embarkation. This worked extremely well (though it is easy
presentations. Most of the people reading
to get carried away with another’s genealogy puzzle and some
this are probably quite versed in lecturing and
people got way more than their money’s worth). Some attendees
the expectations of the group, parameters for the
elected to have us look at their problem post-voyage, which also
speaker, and so on, but when you are both the event
gave them more play time on the ship as they didn’t have to sit
organizers and the speakers, there are additional items to
with us to pour over pedigree charts and family group sheets.
consider (even with the ship providing the equipment). It
Because Internet service was not guaranteed, we requested
will be your responsibility to be aware of who is attending the
attendees who wanted us to examine their trees have them in
classes—their comfort, good health, personal needs, and so on
GEDCOM format on a flash drive so we could view them on
will largely be your responsibility. Is there a projection cord that
our laptops in the software program of our choice. Overall, this
is a hazard? Is someone slumped over in his chair? Is there water
idea worked well, although not everyone was prepared and some
available? All those little issues that lecturers often leave to the
required a bit more hand-holding when it came to converting a
society or hiring group to keep tabs on suddenly become your
tree to a GEDCOM. Be very specific about what a GEDCOM
concern. Offering this sort of event is more involved than simply
is, how it is created, and why it is needed (possibly requiring
doing “talks.”
these to be sent in advance for there to be as little “fussing” as
We kept meticulous records: spreadsheets of expenses,
possible when on board the ship). Most of the consultations
sponsor money received (we used a PayPal account for this),
and so on. These are an absolute necessity. We learned that one took place in our staterooms though some did take place over
person might make a reservation for two in a cabin, yet we were breakfast and lunch.
provided with just the name and contact information for the A note about Internet on the ship: I was able to obtain
initial passenger. It was not always easy to get e-mail information Internet service for $30 for the three days, allowing e-mail access
for every person, necessary to provide detailed communication and web surfing, but no gaming or Skype, neither of which
ahead of time. was an issue for me. I found this to be more than adequate and
We offered every attendee a half-hour consultation while reasonable, especially considering the horror stories I had heard
we were at sea. We posted a schedule in advance of the times of how costly it would be. Those using different cruise lines and
Gena and I were available. Attendees were able to sign up for locales might have an entirely different story to tell, however,
times that worked best for them, rather than being assigned a and I was thwarted at every attempt to get an exact dollar figure
time. We offered a bonus time slot for everyone who signed up in advance. Nevertheless, having access to the web was a great
five months in advance as an incentive for people to register advantage during the consultations and made the experience far
early—the earlier attendees register, the better planning you can more satisfactory.
implement along the way.
Almost all of our participants took advantage of the incentive Sponsorships
and soon we found ourselves with more hours of consultation Up-front discretionary funds for facility costs (possible fee
required than we had available! NEXT TIME we will devise for projector use, Internet, handout printing, and so on),
a more practical motivation. While not all attendees were advertising, “goody bags” for group members, and other
interested in genealogy or consultation time, some “gave” potential expenses may place a financial burden on organizers.
their time slots to their cabin mates, which did not adjust our We elected to find “sponsors” for the cruise.
December 2015 Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly 197
Sponsors were given advertising in exchange for helping us Benefits to the Host
cover the expenses of the endeavor. This was also an advertising Genealogists
write-off for the businesses. We offered our sponsors: We are often asked, “What did you get for
• Their name and logo on the promotional flyer for the cruise; all this work?” While we could have tacked
• A link to their website or blog on our blog; a “surcharge” or “lecture fee” onto all the
• Their logo on the goody bag each attendee received; reservations, we elected not to (after all, some were
• Their literature on display at all the presentations we gave joined by nongenealogy-loving family members).
before the cruise (where appropriate); When we started the process, we didn’t know what
• Literature or business cards provided by the sponsor included we would be able to accomplish on the cruise and
in each goody bag; didn’t want to charge our “guinea pigs” an extra fee.
• Their logo on a presentation slide we displayed at our As a standard operating procedure, “tour credits” are
presentations before the cruise (advertising the cruise and issued to passengers (usually these are manifest in benefits
the sponsors both) and a slide shown during intermissions such as a cruise company tote bag, drink credit, onboard
between presentations on the ship; extras, shore excursion benefits, etc.), but we were given the
• An invitation to write a guest blog-post advertising their authority (as the ones hosting the event) to decide how they
product or service for the cruise blog. would be distributed. We elected to use them ourselves to
compensate us for our presentation and consultation time.
We had eleven sponsors and the money they provided The number of cabins the event hosts (us) sell can help
allowed us to accomplish all we had hoped. After the cruise, we pay for the host cabin fee (this varies by company and cruise
sent each sponsor one of the printed bags with a thank you note choice). This is a number that should be carefully watched: It
and an invitation to participate in the next cruise. About half of makes a huge difference in the final cost. When you reserve your
our sponsors noticed a marked upsurge in website hits and sales own cabin(s), you do have to pay for them—usually a small
shortly after we started promoting them and most have indicated amount at initial registration, then the rest due at a designated
a desire to be involved again. (Note: Our sponsors were, for the time before embarkation. The tour credits from the group may
most part, smaller genealogy businesses that do not get as much be applied toward that end cost, but the final credit for your
exposure as the big corporations.) cabin(s) won’t be received until after the voyage (this is because
of the cancellation option of your tour participants—it is
The Goody Bags possible to sell enough cabins initially, but then come up short if
Providing goody bags was probably one of the most successful someone cancels). If all goes as planned, the host’s credit card is
decisions we made. We created our own (something my husband credited with cabin-cost reimbursement.
and I have done for a number of years on the side), but even Because cruise lines have very strict rules regarding the sale of
if we had ordered them, they might be well worth it. They outside materials on their ships, we were unable to sell books or
included the cruise advertising logo, the logos of all the sponsors, other items, but we did promote our businesses through the one-
and our blog address (thinking ahead; always advertising). on-one consultations.
On the reverse side, we provided space for people to write the As genealogists, we must establish ourselves as experts to
surnames they are researching (each bag included a template, gain clients. Hosting an educational genealogy cruise, with both
Sharpie pen, and instructions for creating this personalization). lectures and individual consultations, allowed us to highlight our
We reminded people to bring the list of their surnames when knowledge and problem-solving skills.
they came, and almost everyone participated; some even found
some commonalities with others on board—I’m not sure if we Final Thoughts
got any cousin connections from the process, but who knows. 1. Involve your attendees. Designate people in your group
The bags included a folder with the presentation handouts, a for particular tasks ahead of time. They can take pictures,
copy of the schedule (also sent in advance), advertising literature distribute handouts, and so on. We had one person serve
from all the sponsors, and other items that might come in handy as our group photographer and gave him, as an incentive
(spiral notebook, pen/stylus, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, and, of (from sponsorship money) a soft drink card, so he could
course, our business cards). Everyone was provided with a name get soda whenever he wished. The same could be done for
tag with names written as they requested (including society a presentation-room host, so while speaking, you don’t
affiliation and home city and state). First names were typed very have to hunt for IT help, make sure the temperature is
large so people could read them across a dining table and, on the appropriate, and troubleshoot other problems that may
reverse, they had a place for their consultation time to be filled in. arise. The room host can assist in keeping things moving
We stuffed all the goody bags in advance and loaded them in so that everyone knows when the break is over; that you,
a large and cumbersome roll-around bag. as speaker, are keeping to the schedule, and so on.
198 Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly December 20157. Communicate. At one
point, still six months before
the cruise, a registered
attendee asked if it was “still
on”! She had heard nothing
and thought maybe we had
decided to cancel. Begin
e-mailing information early,
perhaps with incentives for signing
up friends. This is a delicate balance;
don’t be a pest. A monthly “Only X
days until we set sail” announcement of
how the process is going and a reminder of
the blog, app, and sponsors, and maybe just
general genealogy tips can go a long way towards
fostering a sense of inclusion. Remember always to
send mass e-mails “blind copy”(aka BCC).
Can you make money at this? If you are a small business
or just a couple of genealogists doing it, don’t expect to come
away with much, if any, profit from a first attempt. But almost
everyone who joined us on our cruise is ready and excited about
2. Involve your sponsors. Have the sponsors more involved the next one (scheduled for November 2016). We’re going for a
than just sending a single check; request that they slightly longer voyage this time, but the same ship and port, so
advertise the event on their website. Invite them to join we know what to expect. Word of mouth is a great advertising
the group (at their expense) and give a short five- to method. It is a business opportunity, but also a chance to
ten-minute promotional spot between presentations to network in a low-stress environment without a lot of distractions
promote their products/services (be very clear that no (well, that may be relative, depending on the ports and the
sales can be conducted on board). Note: Sponsors need to entertainment/casino on the ship).
provide you with their literature; do not offer or attempt
to copy flyers for them or it will eat up your sponsorship Note: Jean and Gena would welcome any APGers in our
money. next group and/or as sponsors. Check the blog—http://
3. Use Social Media. Set up a blog for the excursion and, genaandjean.blogspot.com—for more information.
perhaps, a smartphone or tablet app (though because its
use might be hampered, they should load everything in
Jean Wilcox Hibben, PhD, MA, CG, has been
advance). Include sponsor links/information.
involved in family research for more than thir-
4. Do not stuff the goody bags in advance. Besides being
ty-five years. She is a member of the National
close to over-weight, our bag was unwieldy. Folders and
Genealogical Society, the Genealogical Speakers
literature were bent, and one opened hand sanitizer could
Guild (where she serves as vice president), the
have destroyed a lot of materials. Instead, stuff the bags International Society of Family History Writers
on board. We were able to board the ship four hours and Editors (where she serves as western
before we set sail so there would have been plenty of time regional representative), the California State
to stuff them on the vessel (and maybe get some help Genealogical Alliance (where she serves as par-
from group members). liamentarian), various societies in the areas where she does research,
5. If you offer consultations, encourage pre- or post-cruise and the Corona Genealogical Society (where she serves as first vice
interactions to give more play time to everyone while at president). Jean is a board member for the Association of Professional
sea (or onsite). Genealogists and is vice president of its Southern California chapter.
6. Consider offering a beginning workshop (at the same She maintains her own website with information about her presenta-
time as more advanced lectures or in a separate time slot, tions, CDs, projects, etc. at .
if space allows). We had a number of people who were
accompanying their genealogist friends and family who
wanted to learn but were overwhelmed with the topics we
had on the schedule.
December 2015 Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly 199You can also read
