Choosing a Location for the Reunion

The place for the reunion is much more than a box to house "x" number of people for a party.
Think about the following when you choose your location.


1. Keep your location relatively close to your school location, say within 20 miles.

2. Consider the advantage of having the reunion in a hotel that can accommodate people before, during and after the party. This is particularly helpful for classmates coming from a distance.

3. While the room isn't going to make or break the party, be aware of dingy lighting, run down appearances and by all means, check out the rest rooms to make sure they meet your expectations.

4. If you expect to serve liquor and food, make sure the menu suits your needs and don't forget that tax and gratuities must be added to the price per person.

5. Does that hotel offer other venues for getting together? Bars/pubs/lounges for Friday night. Restaurant services for brunches in the morning. You may want to schedule a whole weekend of activities centered around the hotel.

4. Does the facility offer audio visual resources? Screens and projectors for videos and slide shows? A sound system and podium for speeches? Do you have to pay extra?

5. Does the facility provide tables, chairs, linens, cutlery, glassware?

6. Is there space for a band or DJ? And space for dancing if desired?

7. Is the room expandable/retractable to accommodate the number of people you'll have? You don't want a cavernous space, nor do you want it too congested.

8. Are the terms of the contract realistic for you? (More on negotiating the contract later)

If you have any other thoughts to add, please share them with us.

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