beam has updated its Familiarisation (fam) Trip guidelines, introducing new measures to strengthen accountability and protect the value of hosted trips across the meetings and events industry.
The move comes as fam trips face increased scrutiny, with ongoing industry debate around late cancellations, return on investment and the need to reinforce their role as a professional business tool rather than a ‘perk’.
A key update encourages Supplier Members to introduce a cancellation fee for Agency Members who withdraw within seven days of a scheduled trip. The fee is designed to offset costs already incurred, including accommodation, catering and pre-arranged activities.
Alongside this, the updated guidance places greater emphasis on shared responsibility across the process, encouraging venues and suppliers to ensure robust qualification when inviting attendees, and for agents to only accept places where there is genuine business interest and intent.
beam is clear that fam trips should not be viewed as a “jolly”, but as a valuable tool to build knowledge, relationships and ultimately drive better business outcomes. As such, they must be respected and protected through clearer expectations and consistent guidelines.
The updated guidance has been endorsed by ABPCO, the MIA, the AIEA and the BTA, signalling wider industry alignment on raising standards.
David Tremmil, Chair of beam, said: “Fam trips absolutely still matter – but they only work when there’s commitment on both sides. We’ve seen a real shift in the conversation, both across the industry and at our own beam events. There’s growing frustration around late cancellations and a clear call for more consistency and accountability.
This update is about protecting the value of FAM trips. They are a critical business tool, not a freebie, and setting clearer expectations ensures they continue to deliver for everyone involved.”
beam says the updated guidance reflects member feedback and aims to create a more consistent, commercially respectful approach to hosted trips across the sector.
Matt Stalker, Executive Director of ABPCO, added:
“We fully support beam’s updated guidance, which reflects many of the conversations taking place across our own membership. Fam trips are an important part of how our industry connects, learns and does business, but their success relies on mutual respect and clear intent from the outset.
Ensuring the right people are invited, and that those attending have a genuine interest, is key to maintaining their value. These guidelines help reinforce that fam trips are a professional tool, not an informal benefit, and that shared accountability is essential to making them effective for everyone involved.”
