Timetable for Planning a Class Reunion

Give yourself enough time to make smart decisions.
Allow:

  • Build your committees - 1 1/2 years
  • Start building the database of classmates - 1 1/2 years
  • Prepare and send out your survey - 1 1/2 years
  • Start looking for a venue - 1 year 2 months
  • Start building your website - 1 year 2 months
  • Book the venue/ sign contract - 1 year
  • Block rooms at a local hotel - 1 year
  • Open a bank account w/ checking - 1 year
  • Start selling tickets on website & mail - 1 year
  • Offer discounts to early birds 1 year - 8 months
  • Hire DJ/Band/Entertainment - 8 months
  • Launch the decorations committee - 8 months
  • Buy/make party favors - 6 months
  • Start planning retrospective video - 6-4 months
  • Hire video co. to document party - 6 months
  • Hire photographer - 6 months
  • Make nametags - 2 months
  • Plan &/or build centerpieces - 2 months
  • Plan other activities on that weekend - 2 months
  • Seating arrangements if desired - 2 months
  • Plan menu - 1 month

These are approximate start times. If you haven't allowed yourself enough time, don't worry. You can still pull it off. But you've got to really get moving. Now!

Let me know if you have other things to add to the list.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How Do I Find My Classmates?

Put on your Sherlock Holmes hat and sit down at your computer. You are about to become one of the best detectives ever! 1. Start with your yearbook. Look up the person who is lost and find out how they spell their name. Is there a middle name or initial? Full spelling is key to your success. 2. Start with boys' names because odds are they haven't changed their names over the years. Then try the girls' names. 3. Get referrals. When you find someone ALWAYS ask them who they are in touch with and get their friends' contact information. 4. Go to http://www.classmates.com/ to see if any of them are registered there. You will find that many of them are. You should also check for siblings who graduated before or after you to track lost classmates. 5. Go to http://www.google.com/ and type in the lost classmate's name. Some of them will have done noteworthy things and will be trackable. 6. Try http://www.whitepages.com/ People with odd or unusual names will be easiest to
Read more

The Check-In Table at the Reunion

Don't forget to properly manage the reunion check-in table. It is very easy to overlook this important aspect. It is also very easy to understaff it, and the reason is simple. Nobody wants to "work" at the reunion. Who can blame them? They've waited all these years to see everyone, and don't want to be stuck at the table. There are a few remedies for this - all of them must be managed by one responsible person on your team. Find a person who would be happy to build a team of classmates who will greet people at the door and sign them in. This person must also establish and supervise the check-in process for at least the first hour and collect the money from people who pay at the door. Believe it or not, this job is very important. The check-in table, it is the first impression that your reunion guests will have and if the first impression is total chaos. That is not a good thing. Depending on how many guests there are, I've recommended two long tables
Read more

Should I Be the One to Organize the Reunion?

Well, if not you, who else? I'm just saying, if the thought crossed your mind, then probably you're the one! But before you jump on board, be sure you can say "yes" to the following questions. 1. Are you sincerely interested in your classmates? Not that you have to communicate in detail with every last one of them, but are you interested in seeing them connect with each other? 2. Do you have an office at your disposal with a computer, access to the internet, knowledge to use it, fax, copier, and (ideally free) phone. These are all indispensible to being the point person. 3. Do you have an ability to delegate? You need to set up lines of communication and systems so that you understand how they work, and then teach others to do them, so things run smoothly. You do not have to do everything yourself - nor should you. 4. Are you organized? I am managing five teams of people: the search for lost classmates committee, the database team, the location finding team, the p
Read more