Reunion Planning 101


I have learned a lot about reunion planning. It was several decades ago that I graduated from high school and was Secretary of the class. Somehow I knew, even back then, that I would be involved in planning the reunions. I deliberately never let anyone write in my yearbook, because I thought a "clean" version might be useful in the future. Little did I know that years later we would be photocopying it, and, today, scanning it, to make an online yearbook and name-tags. Every ten years I plan yet another reunion,  And each of them has brought forth a new set of challenges. In addition, new technologies have enhanced communication among classmates in ways that I never dreamed. In future updates, I will address many of tips I have discovered. I welcome everyone who has ever planned a reunion or been to a reunion to join me in this forum. Together we can help others who are grappling with the challenges of their reunions and share some fun stories at the same time.

Comments

Barry said…
Marilyn has done an awesome job as the point person for our reunions and the vast knowledge and experience she has gained has probably made her one of the country's foremost experts in how to put one on. That combined with her background in film and video production makes her the perfect type of person for the job.
That said, I can tell you that it is a huge undertaking and a pain in the ass. You really must enroll classmates to get on board and help with all aspects of the event - from tracking classmates to selecting the venue to working the web. In the end it's all worth it and the experience we've had is one of friendships renewed and bonded forever.
whatever you do DO NOT HIRE A COMPANY to do the work for you. They are reunion factories, they will rip you off and the event will never be as good. We learned that one the hard way. You're better off getting a large group of enthusiastic alums to pitch in. The other thing I recommend is to start about 40 years in advance. Don't wait for the last ten years or so you get your lists together.
Barry
June 30, 2009 at 3:05 PM
Marilyn, Reunion Maven said…
Hi. Thanks for the vote of confidence. And you're right, it is a huge undertaking. I also agree that it was not in our best interest to hire a reunion company this time. However, saying they "rip you off" may be a little harsh.

Our experience is the past has been that they do an adequate, albeit mediocre, job at finding people, offering venues, and staffing the event.

If you talk to them, they will make you doubt your ability to find people yourselves. They make you feel like you couldn't possible handle the task at hand. They may tell you they have proprietary software like the kind the FBI uses to find people. They may suggest that they are professionals who do the job right, and you possibly can't. I don't like that.

Keep in mind, it's just a party. And if you want the job done right - to your satisfaction, you can do it yourselves.

Nothing beats a highly motivated team of classmates who really care about finding each other. They put their hearts into their work, and they have instincts about their classmates that proprietary software can't rival.

The reunion companies take a percentage of your venue costs, and they may offer only a limited number of venues for this reason. My suggestion is to make your own deals with the venues (more on this later) and get the biggest bang for the buck.

Of course if you simply can't put a team together, then it's just great that the reunion companies are there to help you get the job done. Just be sure they'll agree to share their database with you at the end. Watch out, because some won't.

Either way, I'm sure you'll have a great time no matter what.
June 30, 2009 at 4:39 PM
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