How to Plan and Organize a Class Reunion? 

High school and college reunions are often exciting events where you meet with old classmates and reminisce about those carefree school days.

Organizing them, however, is a different story. It could be particularly stressful if it is the first time you are planning one on behalf of your class.

But when you know the essential steps, you need not worry. This article will take you through everything you should know to organize the best class reunion without breaking a sweat.

Find Your Classmates

All event planning must start by identifying the guests. And when it comes to a reunion, this could take some time. A lot of your classmates have moved states.

Some may even be overseas. Many would have lost touch with each other. So, locating them is essential as early as possible.

How can you find your old classmates?

1. Check with the school

Some schools are interested in keeping in touch with alumni, maintaining databases, and updating them frequently. If yours does, it should provide you with a contact list.

2. Try social media

Facebook and LinkedIn are some of the best social media platforms to discover old-school buddies.

Search for alumni pages and communities on Facebook. Find your school profile and see who is following it on LinkedIn. Alternatively, you can also search for your school name and review the user profiles that turn up.

3. Use alumni platforms

Classmates.com, Alumni.net, and similar websites allow you to locate school friends, host yearbooks, and search for alumni groups.

Finding your old classmates will undoubtedly take some work. Once you do, prepare a database with names, contact numbers, emails, and preferably home or work addresses.

The easiest way to find the most up-to-date information is by running contact numbers through PhoneHistory. It will also allow you to verify whether the contact details you already have are accurate.

Next, set up a Facebook community and start reconnecting with your classmates. Let them know your plans for organizing a class reunion and get their views on the best time and location for the get-together and the type of event they would prefer.

4. Set Up an Organizing Committee

Planning a reunion involves arranging the venue, entertainment, food, decor, invitations, and countless other things. It would be impossible for you to handle everything independently, even as a professional event organizer.

So, you need all the help you can gather. This is where an organizing committee comes in. Ask your classmates in your new Facebook community to volunteer. Identify their strengths and availability, and assign responsibilities.

5. Prepare a Budget

A class reunion will involve substantial expenses. Therefore, preparing a budget is essential before you get started.

Food and drinks generally take up the biggest portion of event budgets. Other expense items can include venue costs, decor, entertainment, gifts, and souvenirs.

Once you have calculated the projected budget, identify how to raise money. Many organizers sell tickets to cover part of the cost. In addition, there could be an alumni fund you can use. You might also need to seek sponsorships.

Work out the numbers so you know how much you can realistically spend. This may mean cutting down on unavoidable expenses and finding alternatives for others.

A budget will also give you an idea about the minimum price you must sell a ticket and what it can include.

But remember, all these would depend on the reunion you plan to host. A one-off evening function at your old high school would be far less costly than a weekend event at a private resort.

6. Fix a Date and Location

In general, only around 30% of alumni attend reunions. Therefore, you need to plan yours early to ensure higher participation.

But start by finalizing the best venue to host the event. The location you select should accommodate the expected number of guests while enabling you to keep expenses within the budget.

Your high school or college would be an ideal venue to rekindle old memories. A hotel or restaurant, however, could offer a range of services to make event planning easier. Discuss your requirements and check on the fees, charges, and terms involved before confirming.

7. Plan Event Activities

Brainstorm with the organizing committee members on the type of activities to include in the itinerary. You can also pick a few ideas from your Facebook community survey.

A nostalgic multimedia presentation with old photos and videos would be an excellent conversation starter. Tributes to teachers would also be an excellent addition. A band popular in your school days and a fun photo booth are essential, too. In addition, don’t forget to line up a few games with exciting prizes.

Other details to consider include how you want the food served—should you lay it out on a buffet or arrange a sit-down dinner? Bar arrangements are equally important.

Plan every minute detail, leaving nothing to chance. For instance, set up a registration desk on the reunion day to check tickets and issue name tags.

Start thinking about who will handle the desk—whether you can assign one of the volunteers from the organizing committee or hire someone for the evening.

8. Send Out Invitations

Finally, design and send the invitations, indicating the date, time, venue, and name and number for RSVP. 

In addition, you must have a mechanism for the alumni to purchase tickets and confirm attendance. Setting up a web page is one option. But websites such as Eventbrite make it easier to promote events and sell tickets.

Set a cut-off date to purchase tickets to help you take an accurate headcount and plan the reunion effectively. Offer early bird options at a discounted price to encourage your classmates to confirm their bookings without waiting till the last minute.

To Recap:

Planning a class reunion could be stress-free when you know the proper steps. Start by locating and contacting your classmates.

Then set up an organizing committee, prepare a budget, fix a date and location, and identify the event activities. Send out invitations early to give attendees enough time to arrange their schedules.

Local Business Listing

Get a Punnaka.com Page

Promote your business to local customers.

Local Business Listing

guide In Education