Reunion Planning Benchmarks
One Year (or sooner) Before the Reunion
Get Organized
- Set up committee, collect seed money, begin people search
- Decide when and where to have reunion
- Purchase book and/or software to help you through the process
- Set up Reunion Website
- Create / purchase invitations
Create a Budget
- Set up budget, select ticket price, estimate costs
The Foundation
- Send first announcement
- Request personal biographies, pictures, etc. for handouts and memory albums
- Select entertainment and photographer
- Plan events, activities and games
- Design a slide show or video
- Organize a Friday night ice-breaker
- Plan a following day picnic
- Open bank account
- Make files and organize paperwork
9 Months Before the Reunion
Create an Ambiance
- Create and order mementos and souvenirs i.e. memory albums, name tags, etc.
- Either make tickets or email response template when registrations are received
- Request additional donations for school or toward another social action project
- Hire videographer
- Edit personal histories, videos or other reunion handouts or displays
Get People There
- Meet with committee regularly to make phone calls
- Invite special guests
- Prepare and send second announcement
6 Months Before the Reunion
- Plan decorations, displays and centerpieces
- Edit personal histories, update address list, continue phone drive
- Order t-shirts, banners and other mementos as souvenirs, awards and door prizes
3 Months Before the Reunion
- Update address list, edit histories, continue phone/email drive
- Get event insurance
- Rent a dance floor
- Send reminder notices
- Start making name tags
- Make table centerpieces
- Prepare photo collage, signs and door prize coupons
- Prepare printed program and oral program including special announcements
1 Month Before the Reunion
- Edit personal histories, update address list, continue name tags and phone drive
- Send reminder postcards
- Select preliminary award winners
- Make/order banners or signs for registration area
2 Weeks Before the Reunion
Final Arrangements
- Send email reminders or mail tickets
- Verify event attendance, prepare list of paid guests
- Confirm arrivals and timeframe with all vendors and suppliers
- Verify attendance and make accommodations, if necessary, for invited guests
- Finalize program announcements and award winners
- Verify delivery of donated door prizes
- Proof memory album draft or other handout and give artwork to printer
1 Week Before the Reunion
- Prepare final list of paid attendees
- Prepare registration packets including pre-paid and will call
- Give meal count to caterer and final payment to facility
- Verify room set up and equipment arrangements with the banquet manager
The Reunion Event
- Bring reunion day supplies including checkbook. Retrieve supplies at end of reunion
Aftermath
- Finalize photo book and send to photographer
- Send memory albums and other hand-outs to those who paid but didn’t attend
- Send prepared documents to individual purchasers
- Send: thank you notes, follow up letters, donation to the high school
- Close bank account once all checks have cleared, open savings account with remaining cash for next reunion
- Store reunion supplies in convenient location
- Complete and send, fax or email Reunion Survey to The Reunion Planner Website
Final Items
- Celebrate with committee members by holding a follow-up meeting to discuss reunion successes and pitfalls
- Keep the ambiance and connections alive by maintaining the reunion website, sending newsletters and email announcements
- Update guest list with any new contact information
- Request volunteers to work on the next reunion
Stay Up to Date on Reunion Planning
- Check www.reunionplanner.com for updates on new ideas and other tips and tricks of reunion planning
