I have
organized many events in my time, but one of the most challenging of those was my own High School Reunion two weeks ago. Since this is fresh in my mind, I have mentioned it to my friends in the past week, and have been prompted to write about the process as others might be in the market for this information as well.
As with any event, having a realistic timeline is the single most valuable piece of information in the planning process. In my case, we didn't have enough time to tackle down a venue that was more cost effective, but we managed to make it work despite our rushed schedule.
Reunions of any caliber require a lot of thought and prep-work, although a family reunion can be much more casual and simpler in planning, as you will probably have more volunteers up-front.
Committee
The first step in planning a reunion is determining the committee. Sometimes you may find it easier to plan it on your own if you have a certain vision for your get-together, but it's always easier when you have a few people who can distribute the duties and alleviate some of the stress for you. Most High Schools have a reunion committee who has contact information and a bank account with run-over funds from the last reunion. If you don't have a pre-set group of people committed to the next event, begin asking for volunteers to help with the event as soon as possible.
Communication
With so many social media outlets out there, you can prepare for an event easier than ever. Facebook was especially helpful in my planning process, as I could easily create an "event" page and make announcements from there. Sending out invitations was effortless and we rounded up our classmates from other media sites such as Classmates.com, MySpace, and Reunion.com. You can create private groups where your committee can "meet" and discuss details in private and free of charge.
Categories
You will want to assign specialties to each committee member and allow your group to choose according to their talent, career and ability. You may find that one person in your group has coordinated events for their work, which would be an asset during the planning process. It is also helpful to throw out an SOS to attendees who may have connections to a band, photographer, etc. and negotiate their free or low-cost service as a contribution to the event.
Some categories you should pre-determine are; Invitations, Decorations, Entertainment, Photography, Food, Alcohol, Treasurer, Emcee, Website, Printing, etc. If your event is a large one, you may want to elect sub-committees for each category.
Cost
The cost factor is determined on how elaborate you want your event to be. You have to figure in all categories and have an estimated breakdown of cost per person. Of course, the more people you are expecting for the event, the less your ticket will have to run, so these are things you will want to plan far in advance before your invitations will be going out.
Timeline
Once your members & categories have been determined, come up with a realistic timeline for the vision of your event. It is ideal to start the planning process within a year so that you can reserve a nice venue at a decent price. Ticket prices can jump substantially if your event banquet/hall comes at a high price. Your timeline should include all the major events as well as the smallest detailes such as booking your DJ or band, catering, program printing, script for emcee and balloon delivery.
Once you get to the 6 month mark, you should meet every month to collaborate with your committee and determine final ticket pricing and invitations. As your timeline moves closer to your event date, priorities may change and you will have a better understanding of what needs to be done next.
I hope this information on
organizing a reunion was helpful and that you have fun in the process!!
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