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Introduction Part I: Where to Start Part II: Money Matters Part III: Getting the Word Out Part IV: Planning the Class Reunion

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CHAPTER 1 : YOUR FIRST STEPS

STEP 1: Recruit Committee Members
The first step in planning your reunion involves evaluating if there is enough interest in having a reunion. This requires that someone take the initiative to get the ball rolling (which is most likely you, if you are reading this book!). This may seem like an obvious step, but some people overlook it and jump right into the actual planning before having addressed this fundamental point.

To know if you have the prerequisites for a successful reunion, you should know if you will be able to form a committee. This is not absolutely necessary, but if you are planning a reunion entirely alone you will need a lot of free time. Make a few phone calls to former classmates to recruit potential committee members. We will examine the key elements in forming a committee and what the committee does later in this chapter.

If you can get a committee together and you are commemorating a milestone reunion, your chances are pretty good for generating a lot of interest in a reunion. There is a natural tendency for people to want to reacquaint with old friends and see what paths people took since having graduated from high school.

STEP 2: Create A Website
At this stage, you want to start to create some interest in the reunion. Build your website and start uploading content. The more content that you can put on the website the better. Classmates who visit the website will see it as a sign that you are serious about the reunion and will help to spread the word.

Reunions are about nostalgia, so putting up a lot of pictures and stories from high school is highly recommended. Include a page that reflects back to the time when you graduated. It’s very easy to find pictures and information for the year that you graduated on sites like Wikipedia.com, Brittanica.com, and other encyclopediarelated websites.

You should post a message that tells visitors you are in the early stages of planning the reunion. Invite everyone who visits the website to register on the Classmates page and to tell their friends about the website. Encourage people to come back often as there will be many updates in the coming weeks and months.

STEP 3: Prepare Business Cards
If you are planning a reunion of a significant size, you may want to create business cards with the name of the school, the reunion year, and your school mascot on them. Also include the reunion website address, your name, telephone number, and email address. Business cards are very inexpensive and are convenient to leave with old classmates that you meet face to face. They are also good to leave with vendors and once again show a level of seriousness that usually results in a well - attended and successful event.

STEP 4: Take A Trip To Your Old School
Going back to your high school will achieve several objectives, some of which will be immediately useful and others that will help you later on. Make sure you do these things below:

• Inform the school about your intention to plan a reunion.

• Ask if anyone else has contacted the school with the same idea. If so, contact that person and try and join forces or decide which reunion will be planned. There is no room for competing reunions.

• Give the alumni director some of the business cards, in case former students contact the school. 

• Obtain a complete class list with any contact information the school can provide. 

• Ask the administrator of the school website to add a link to your website. 

• Ask to borrow the school banner and mascot for the event. 

• Ask if they still have any yearbooks from your graduating year. 

• Come prepared with your digital camera and video camera to photograph the school grounds. You can use this later, on the website and at the reunion. 

STEP 5: Prepare A Preliminary Budget
Have this ready before your first committee meeting. (see Chapter 5.)

CHAPTER 2: THE REUNION PLANNING COMMITTEE

The Planning Committee can include as little as one person (not highly recommended) or several people, and it can include sub-committees as well. It is easier to manage smaller committees, but larger ones benefit from having more people to get things done. Remember that you can always enlist volunteers outside of the committee for non-decision-making tasks. It really does come down to assigning the various tasks to as few or as many people as there are on the committee. Whatever you decide, strong leadership from the chairman of the committee will be crucial for keeping everything and everyone on track.

To establish an effective committee, choose your members carefully. Anyone in the entertainment, hospitality or food service industries would be a great asset in planning the event. It is also wise to include business owners, as you may be able to approach their companies to pick up the tab for long-distance bills, postage, office expenses, prizes and more. We stress again the importance of including alumni from various social groups. The more diverse your committee (from cheerleaders to the chess club), the better the turnout. This is particularly relevant when it comes to getting the word out, something that all members of the committee must partake in.

How many committee meetings you have will depend on several factors, such as how much time you have left before the reunion, how big your committee is, and the size of the reunion you are planning. Committee members can have conference calls and update each other via email. However, meetings are critical to the success of the reunion. People will definitely be more proactive in fulfilling their responsibilities when a meeting deadline is coming up as opposed to a task simply written on a list. You cannot afford to have committee members procrastinate! Regular meetings are a good way to avoid this pitfall. We recommend meeting approximately every 8 weeks. You should look at the committee meetings as minireunions. It’s a good opportunity to reconnect with old friends and have a good time prior to the reunion.

Committee meetings are only useful if they have a specific purpose, so be very organized and come prepared with an agenda that has been distributed to the committee members beforehand. Everyone 11 should know what their responsibilities are ahead of time so that they can also come to the meeting prepared.

Although some committees attempt to plan everything as one unit, it can be far more effective to break this unit up into smaller groups, or teams. When dividing the workload, try to match people with tasks to which they are best-suited. Someone who works in advertising or public relations, for example, is well-suited to getting the word out. Business people may do well in negotiations with vendors. You may want to draw a diagram to help you sort out the chain of command, as well as the responsibilities of each team, and its members. Make sure people know which decisions can be made on their own and which decisions need the entire committee’s consultation.

You will always get better results when you assign tasks with specific goals and deadlines. A strong assignment would be: "Graham will check out potential venues and report back to the committee by January 15, detailing the top three choices, including pricing, and the pros and cons of each option.” This will be much more effective than “Graham will take on searching for a venue.”

Each task needs to have an “owner”. Assign a committee member (or in the case of team assignment, select a team leader) to each of the tasks. For each task, you will have a task description, the name of the committee member assigned to the task, committee expectations regarding the task, and a due date by which the task must be completed. This is a key factor in how successful the planning committee is in effectively managing their time.

We recommend the following breakdown of responsabilities:

If you have other responsibilities on your list and you are unsure which team should take them on, a good rule of thumb is: If the task involves spending money or the task is related to something that can be seen at the event, send it to the Event Team (Planning the Event). Conversely, if the task results in ticket sales or communicating with alumni, assign it to the Promotion Team (Getting the Word Out).

It is important to note that although one team is responsible for finding classmates, all committee members should be involved in the search. This is the most challenging and time-consuming undertaking you will face. After an initial search, the Promotion Team can assign the names of those still not found to the committee members deemed most likely to locate the individual.

At the final meeting before the event, everyone becomes one team unit again. As you map out the day of the event, assign individuals to each of the various tasks that require preparation (eg. preparing registration lists, prepping name tags, decorating, setting up displays, assembling registration kits, etc.).

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CHAPTER 4 : TRACKING CLASSMATES

Best Practices For Registrations

Many people want to know the best way to handle registrations, sell tickets, and manage RSVPs for their class reunion.

If you are using a reunion website, you do not have to use the RSVP page, but it can give you more information for planning purposes. When you first set up the website, the inclination for your classmates is to not buy tickets right away (though they should be encouraged to do so with a link to the Buy Tickets page). They are likely to want to wait and see who else says they will go and procrastinate paying for their ticket.

The concept behind the RSVP page is to that it gives you an idea of how many people plan to attend the reunion. Knowing how many people to expect can help in planning the various events of a reunion. As time goes by, you will end up with four lists of people.

List1
People who have not been contacted and who have not registered on the website. These people should go on the Missing Page (or in the "Missing" section of a page), and your classmates should be encouraged to direct these people to come to the website to Buy a ticket or RSVP.

List2
People who have registered on the website either on the Classmates page or via the Guest Book but have not RSVP'd or bought a ticket. You can follow up with these people to see what their intention is and encourage them to buy a ticket or at least RSVP one way or the other.

List3
These people have RSVP'd and said they will come to the reunion but they have not bought a ticket yet. You should follow up with these people and encourage them to buy a ticket.

List4
These people have bought tickets and can go on your Who's Coming page. You may want to wait to activate this page until after you have a certain number of tickets sold.
In order to stay organized, you need to create a tracking system that is always current. It is important that you generate lists of the four key groups mentioned above.

The Promotion Team’s goal is to keep classmates moving from List 1 towards List 4.

Once you have identified who is in which group, it is easy to target those in group 3, for example, by sending them a broadcast email reminder: “We noticed that you intend to come but have not yet purchased your tickets. Take advantage of our early bird offer and save $30 off the ticket price by purchasing your tickets today!”

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CHAPTER 7 : REUNION FUNDRAISING

The more revenue you collect, the more there is to spend. Just because you based your budget solely on estimated ticket sales, does not mean you should not try and raise money through other means. The funds you generate through other avenues can either offset a shortfall or be used to add more value to the reunion.

7 Sure-Fire Ways to get hold of some Extra Cash!

1. Sell ad space (website, program, memory book)

This is easy and requires little effort. Send a broadcast email to your classmates, and try and sell advertising to your vendors as well. After you have negotiated your best price with a vendor, try to get an extra 5-10% discount in return for a position on the website and in printed materials. You can offer different level sponsorships for different amounts. This can either be done by size of ad or by level (gold, silver, bronze). You can also approach businesses that have a vested interest in the community. Ad space on the website, in the Memory Book, in the program, and atthe- event signage can all be components of various advertising packages, according to the amount of the donation.

2. Put effort into three areas: donations, donations, donations

There are two types of donations; cash and anything else that you can use or give away as a prize. A good place to start is the school. The school is certain to be a donor. They will usually agree to lend you the school banner and memorabilia for the displays. If you truly have no funds to work with, consider asking the school for the use of the gym or auditorium.

You can ask classmates for general cash donations towards the reunion, and the best way to do this is on the website. You may even get people contributing to the reunion fund who do not plan to attend the event.

There is a Donations page built right into your MyEvent.com website which is a great way for you to accept donations by credit card without a merchant account. All you have to do is click on Accept Donations in your Control Panel to get started.

You may find that there are some classmates that have done exceptionally well who want to give money back to the place where they started to become the successful person they are today. It is also a great way for people who cannot attend the reunion to give something back.

You can either raise money strictly for the event itself or for a special cause. Maybe there is a classmate who is in a particularly bad situation who needs help for a medical problem, or maybe you just want to raise money for the high school to be able to purchase new equipment. We recommend that the donation fund can be used for a combination of things, such as new equipment and enhancing the event.

Donations can take many forms. There are all different kinds of supplies and prizes that you need to have a successful reunion. Classmates will not donate if they do not know what is needed, so it is important to list what you are looking for on a page on your website and keep it updated.

Donations can include everything from postage to balloons to prizes and items to be given away at a silent auction. Inform classmates about the list. Keep it clever and continue to throw in some improbable and funny requests, (such as a mechanical bull). This will get classmates visiting the page regularly, out of curiosity. Once each item is secured, indicate so on the website and include the name of the donor. You can also have a blanket request for ‘Anything that might be neat to include as a giveaway in the registration kits.’ This is a fantastic way for alumni business-owners to contribute their product or promotional items. It also opens the door for a hodgepodge of truly surprising treats for attendees - registration kits have been known to include everything from lingerie to calculators to ball-caps.

3. Negotiate with Vendors!

Depending on when you are having your event there may be room for negotiation (if it is not at a busy time of year for the vendor). It is always a good idea to get more than one quote for each service and then try and play each one off the other to see who will give you the best deal. As already mentioned, once you have what 28 you think is your best deal, try and get an added discount in exchange for advertising.

Fundraising opportunities abound at the reunion itself. When selecting from the list below, keep in mind the work involved in relation to the payout.

4. Hold an online auction

This requires some effort soliciting donations as well as setting up displays of the auction items at the event. If you received donations in the form of goods and services, this could be a good place for those items. Local restaurants are often willing to give gift certificates for this purpose because it can draw in new clients as well as getting some exposure at the event.

You will need a sheet of paper that describes each item with space for people to write their name & bid amount. It is a good idea to have a list that describes all the items, and to give them out at registration. To simplify the work involved, auction off memorabilia that is already at the event. People can even bid on the enlarged photo of your school class. If committee members have old sports memorabilia that they no longer feel attached to they can include those items in the auction as well.

5. Set up a raffle

Although this also requires soliciting donations, it is less work than an auction. Set up a small table at the event (preferably at registration as well) where people can buy tickets. Have a sign ready detailing the prizes and the ticket price. You can also send a volunteer or committee member to sell tickets throughout the night.

6. Hold a 50/50 draw

This requires almost no effort, and can be arranged at the last minute, as long as you have a roll of tickets on hand. The idea is similar to a raffle, but the one prize is 50% of the money generated by selling tickets. So if you sell 100 tickets at $5 each, the winner of the draw will get $250 (half of $5 x 100), and $250 will be raised for the reunion. The 50/50 is a guaranteed hit, and there is almost no prep involved.

7. Sell drink tickets

If you need to cut costs, forget the open bar. Instead, each guest can receive two complimentary drink tickets. If they would like more, they can buy additional drink tickets for a minimal amount ($2 or $3). These can be used for beer, wine or mixed drinks. This not only brings in additional funds, it also makes people more aware of their alcohol consumption.

All of these fundraising opportunities seem to do better as the night progresses. As the liquor flows people are known to become more generous, so do not wrap up any of these efforts too early if you are serious about raising money. This may be particularly important if these efforts are required to balance the budget. In that case you may want to do more than one of the above.

Make sure there are many options for people not to drink and drive. This can involve the availability of taxis, designated drivers, or a hotel nearby to stay overnight.

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PART III: GETTING THE WORD OUT

An important task for all committee members is promoting the event. If anyone on the committee works in advertising, public relations or promotions, have them lead this effort. Finding classmates is your first priority. Once you have started locating people, the focus changes to gathering bio information and selling tickets.

CHAPTER 8 : CLASSMATE SEARCH

As mentioned in Chapter 1, the classmate search starts with a trip to your old school. Try to obtain a complete list of your graduating class. This will ideally include their telephone number and address at the time of graduation. Hopefully, this will also include names of parents. Some schools may keep current contact information for any alumni who have inquired about upcoming reunions.

If the school does not have a class list, use your high school yearbook as a reference. Nowadays, many high schools have their own website since having an online presence has become so prevalent. You can ask your school to put a link to your reunion website on the high school website, and to mention the upcoming reunion in any newsletters.

Once you have a master list of names, you can create a page on your website that lists them. We recommend having another section of that page for those classmates that have been found. This can be done using a different section, using different colors, or even placing the list of found classmates on another page altogether. Make sure to keep a record of both married and maiden names. A word of caution - if someone is reported as deceased, make sure to verify the information before listing them as such..

Finding your classmates is one of the most important parts of planning the reunion because without your class there is no reunion! We recommend that everyone on the committee share the responsibility of searching for former classmates and spreading the word about the reunion. Now that social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter have become so prevalent, getting the word out has truly never been easier.

The 7 Best  Ways To find your classmates

1. Word of mouth

Each member of the committee should telephone or email classmates they still know from school, and inform them about the reunion. Classmates should be encouraged to visit the reunion website to submit their profile, and help spread the word to those with whom they are still in touch.

MyEvent.com has social media tools integrated into each page of its reunion websites so visitors to the site can inform their networks about the event with a click of their mouse. Given the viral nature of social networks, it only takes an instant for that message to get passed on to someone else’s social network, who in turn will forward it to their network, and so on. Before you know it, word of mouth has reached an exponential number of people some of whom will surely be your former classmates!

2. Missing Classmates Page

The website is a great way to get all of your classmates involved in the search. Remember to update it regularly as more of your classmates are found. You can issue a Classmate Challenge and award points to classmates for each person they find. The winner of the challenge can be acknowledged at the reunion with a special award or a free ticket to the reunion.

3. The telephone book

Most adults live in the town where they grew up, so this is worth a try. When you get a wrong number, inquire if you are speaking to a relative of the classmate as this can end up being your next lead. You can also try online versions of the phonebook. Whitepages.com (US and Canada) or Canada411.ca (Canada only) are good resources.

4. Search the Internet

You can search on peoples’ names using search engines like Google and sometimes come up with the information you are looking for. Social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and MySpace are also great resources to try to find lost classmates. Remember to search on a classmate’s married name as well as their maiden name since they may have set up their social network profile using either one.

5. Run an ad

This does cost money, but most parents and family still live in the area, so many classmates are sure to hear about the reunion. Include the reunion website address so they know where to go for more information. Some newspapers (especially community-related newspapers) may have a section that allows for these kinds of announcements for free.

6. List the event

This can be done through community affairs announcements on local radio and television stations, through bulletins at the town recreational center, the church, the fire station, etc. You should also call local radio stations during prime time (morning and afternoon drives) and ask them to plug the reunion. Creating a Facebook group page for the event can help to spread the word in online communities. A link to the reunion website should be included on the Facebook group page.

7. Post flyers You can do this at local stores and restaurants. Although this is free, it is timeconsuming. Make sure to include the reunion website address on the flyers so people know where to go to get more information. Mix up your media! If you have a scanner, you can scan your flyer and upload it to your reunion website and Facebook group page. The more exposure the better. Let the power of social networking do its magic and spread the news for you. Try to maximize this by always encouraging visitors to share with their own social networks by clicking on the share icons located on each page of your reunion website.
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5 BEST REASONS FOR HAVI NG A REUNION WEBSITE

1. It is a great way to create interest in the reunion and increase attendance.

2. It is a simple, convenient and secure way to sell tickets to the reunion.

3. It allows you to get feedback from classmates about the reunion.

4. It is the best place for classmates to get reunion updates.

5. It serves as a meeting place for alumni.

If you have not already done so, you should take some time to explore all of the buttons and links on the main page of the class reunion website at www.reunions.myevent.com. Click on FEATURES to see all the things you can do with your reunion website, and click on TESTIMONIALS to see some great examples of websites that have been built using MyEvent.com’s website builder. You can also click on any website address in the Search for a Class Reunion search box on the main page to see what others are doing (there are thousands from which to choose). The point is to see what others have done with their sites to give you ideas for your own reunion website.

Don’t forget to also spend some time checking out all the buttons in your Control Panel to get the most out of your reunion website. If ever you have any questions, visit the help center or contact our Customer Support Team by online chat, by email or by using our toll-free number 1-877-769-3836.

TOP 7 IDEAS TO KEEP ALUMNI RETURNING TO THE WEBSITE

1. Post Guess Who photos where alumni have to browse the site to locate the answers. This can be a classmate, teacher, or administrator. You can also have a Guess What version by posting pictures of a building, a classroom, or an event like the prom or legendary sports match that took place....You are limited only by your imagination!

2. Create a Who’s Coming page so that others can check and see who is planning to attend the reunion. We strongly advise that you wait until there is a critical mass of tickets sold (60 or more, for example), before you post this information. The reason is that people are less likely to buy tickets if they know that only a few have been sold to date.

3. Post old pictures of classmates and teachers on each page. Change them periodically.

4. Include a Last Updated On date on the home page so people will know when new information has been added.

5. Include video clips of things like the reunion committee meetings, clips from the old school, random clips from classmates. It is very easy to add a digital video clip to sites like YouTube.com. Once added, YouTube provides you with an embed code that you copy and paste into your reunion website. Visitors to your site can then click on this link and watch the video clip.

6. Set up RSS feeds which are very easy to find on just about any topic. You can select feeds from prominent news sites that are updated daily. You can also select some offbeat unique content that people will find interesting and entertaining. The more interesting the content is on your website, the more reason people have to visit regularly.

7. Start a reunion blog. Blogging is a friendly and interactive way to keep your classmates up-to-date on your business, organization, personal plans, or anything at all. It also helps keep your content fresh so your visitors will come back more often.

8. Create and maintain an online journal with interactive responses from your classmates. This is a great way to foster an online dialogue with your classmates.

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Announcement letters have the advantage of including more information than Save the Date cards, but the disadvantage of overwhelming the reader with too much information. If you choose this option, consider including:

• A nostalgic letter encouraging everyone to come to the event.
• A request to fill in bio info on the website.
• A list of missing classmates and a plea to help locate them.
• A list of needed items, with a plea for donations.

An invitation should be sent (either by post or email) once you have finalized the following details: place, date, time, dress code, cost, cut-off dates for purchasing tickets, and any details regarding additional activities on the same weekend. Once the invitations are sent, the big focus becomes selling tickets, as well as finding the missing classmates (as always). Below are a few sample emails that you might consider sending.

Use humour - The broadcast email below is good in a "save the date" email or anytime during the planning process...Using humour and piquing your classmates curiosity may push some people who are on the fence to come to the reunion!

 

PART IV: PLANNING THE CLASS REUNION

CHAPTER 12 :WHERE AND WHEN

WHEN

In the North-eastern and Midwestern United States, Summer is the most popular time of year for reunions, and the main reason is the weather. If you want to leave the possibility for picnics and other outdoor events at the reunion, then choose June, July or August. If you are in the southern states you may actually prefer non - summer months to avoid the extreme heat. Thanksgiving Weekend is also a common choice as it coincides with trips back home for many alumni.

When selecting a date for the big event, you will need to weigh the convenience of a holiday weekend (people may already be planning a trip home) against the inflated costs of a hotel's high season. Holiday weekends also tend to be booked earlier in advance (venue, entertainment, accommodations, flights), so if you do decide Thanksgiving is the right time for you, be prepared to book early! A reunion is typically scheduled on a Saturday night.

WHERE

If you are choosing a popular location on a holiday week-end you will need to book your venue at least 12 months in advance. So, where you have the reunion may be a function of what is available. But what place do you want?  In our estimation, hotels are the way to go. They provide you with support and supplies that would otherwise be your responsibility. Need a microphone?  No problem!  Need an easel for your registration sign? They’ve got it! They have done this before and have the experience that you lack.  Our next choice would be a restaurant, but make sure you have sufficient room for a registration area before you commit.

If you decide to choose a road less traveled (a gallery, or museum for instance), budget accordingly, and make sure that you have thought through the following list before signing on the dotted line: caterer, waiters and bartenders, tables, chairs, linens and dinnerware rentals, liquor license, audiovisual equipment, a screen for the slide show, registration tables, dance floor, washroom supplies, and liability insurance. You can learn a lot about a venue by visiting while an event is in progress, so take the time to see a live event if you can.

When you check out a possible venue, walk through it slowly. Imagine how you will divide the space for reception, registration, dining and dancing. Discuss decorating the walls, hanging a banner, and the equipment you might need: projector, screen, microphone, podium, easels, bulletin boards, and registration tables.

Choose a middle-of-the-road menu when looking at prices. Ask the hotel to give you a per person rate including open bar, and a per person rate without it. Find out the details of the cash bar option. How do they handle special meal requirements for those with allergies or special dietary requirements? Ask how it works if you decide to sell last-minute tickets at the door.

Once you have made your venue selection, try and negotiate the best price you can. If you are flexible with your dates, see if there is a quiet time for them that will reduce the costs significantly. Keep in mind though that the priority is to get a wellattended reunion, so give them dates that you have already determined will work for the majority of the class.

Position your reunion as a non-profit event and you may get a favorable rate. Verify what perks come included (if it is a hotel you may receive a complimentary suite for the evening, which comes in handy.) Find out the cancellation policy, liability insurance, hidden costs, overtime implications, etc. Remember to read the fine print before signing anything!

If the reunion is at a hotel, approach the hotel to arrange a special accommodations rate for out-of-town participants. If the venue is not a hotel, choose one nearby. Inform alumni about the special offer and any reservation deadlines that may be in place.

CHAPTER 13 : REUNION AMBIENCE

As you discuss the kind of ambience you want for your reunion, don't just think in terms of decorations. Many elements contribute to the overall mood of the night.

Theme
When setting the tone for your reunion, you do not need to plan a theme. Your event comes with a built-in theme! Help classmates reminisce about their school days by including graduation-year memorabilia as well as newsmakers from that era in the decorations.

Dress Code
A popular choice is casual-chic, which is pretty much what your classmates would wear when going out for dinner with friends.

Entertainment
Book your band or DJ as soon as you have confirmed the date of your reunion. Make sure their repertoire is what you are looking for, particularly if you would like to stick with tunes from your high school days. See them perform before you sign an agreement or contract. If you are working with a very small budget, consider asking a family member to DJ. Another option is burning pre-mixed CDs or loading up an mp3 player that can just play all night, if the venue has an adequate sound system. We suggest that you use the website to solicit music requests from classmates. Some committees rent karaoke machines, but don't rely on this as your only source of music.

Eating & Seating
Buffet is by far the wisest choice for most reunions. Aside from significant savings, it gives people the opportunity to mingle during the meal. Pre-arranged seating keeps the room static and limits each person's connections to only nine other people for a significant portion of the evening. Assigning the seating also becomes quite touchy and is best avoided. Many caterers and hotels now offer small food stations throughout the room, instead of the traditional long row of food. This minimizes line-ups and congestion at the buffet table, and makes it feel more like a chic event.

Top 7 Decorating Ideas

Decorations provide an opportunity for creating a nostalgic mood, and you need not spend a fortune. Keep it simple.

1. Balloon bouquets and streamers in your school colors is a well-used idea. You may want to choose a balloon service that inflates the balloons for you, which can be a real time-saver.
   
    
2. Include a School banner. Before having one made, see if you can borrow a banner from the school or from other classes that have had reunions.
   
    
3. Enlarge old school photos and post them on the walls and tables.
    
4. Assemble collages from pictures that have been submitted.
    
5. Post Top 10 lists from your graduating year: movies, music, news stories.
    
6. Go to thrift shops and buy memorabilia from your high school years (records, toys, board games, and whatever else you can find).
    
7. Build centerpieces with what you find; creative centerpieces can double as awards and raffle giveaways!

Top 7 Display Ideas

Every class creates a few unique displays for the reunion. Here are a few ideas:

1. Enlarge your graduating class photo. You can ask everyone to sign it for a true piece of memorabilia. You can then copy that image and make it available to everyone or just give it away in an auction or as a prize.


2. Pay tribute to deceased classmates by creating a memorial display. Post photos, short bios, and memories that you have collected. You can even initiate a tribute book where people can share comments and memories, and this book can be presented to the family following the event.


3. Post a US, North American or world map that indicates all the cities where classmates now reside. You can also post a version of this on the website.
    
4. Display the school mascot, school trophies, etc.


5. Post comments, memories and photos sent in by classmates who could not attend the event.


6. Post the Sponsor Honor Roll, listing all sponsors that gave donations or paid for space in advertising.


7. Have a photo collage of your teachers that can also be signed by everyone.

Program Booklet
Some committees choose to have simple booklets that detail the order of events for the evening. You can also list the menu, contests, raffles and draws, award categories and recipients, as well as a quick word of welcome. Be sure to thank all sponsors and donors in the program. This can be as simple as one page folded in half or a few pages depending on how much content and advertising you have.

Top 5 Ideas for Video and Photography

There are many inexpensive ways to get good photographs and video footage the night of the reunion. Here are a few:

1. Place a disposable camera on each table, and encourage classmates to use them! Don't forget to collect the cameras at the end of the night. You can scan in the photos and upload them to the website after the reunion.


2. Call the Yearbook staff of your high school and hire a student photographer.


3. Enlist family members as photographers for the evening.


4. Make arrangements with a photographer to be at the event, take candid shots as well as poses, and sell the photos directly to the classmates. This way, the committee does not have to worry about the cost.


5. Enlist a volunteer or hire someone to videotape classmates giving a one-minute summary of what they've been up to. Edit the video after the event, and sell the DVD to classmates. This is much more lively than a Memory Book. This video can also be uploaded to the website.

Satellite events
Depending on the amount of out-of-town guests you have, you may consider organizing additional events. The nature of the events depends on how long it has been since you graduated. A 10-year reunion might benefit from an informal 'Ice- Breaker' at a bar on Friday night, and a pick-up football game or pool party on Sunday. 20-year reunions often include a family picnic on Saturday or a Sunday pancake breakfast. Many reunion-goers also enjoy a round of golf on Sunday.

Out of town guests
If you have the resources, arrange welcome packages for classmates who are guests at the hotel. Be sure to include a list of all the classmates checking in. Deliver the packages to the front desk. When people check in, they are handed the package!

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Top 7 Ideas for Awards at the Reunion

1. Most recently married.
2. Married for the longest time.
3. Most children or grandchildren.
4. Newest parents or grandparents.
5. Most popular teacher.
6. Travelled furthest for the reunion.
7. Most educated.

Video
Video elements can include a now tour of the school and old hang-outs, interspersed with then footage, interviews of former teachers, and clips submitted by classmates who could not attend the event. If someone on the committee is experienced at shooting and editing video, this can be assigned to them as a task. Done well, it can be the highlight of the evening.

Brief remarks
The key word here is brief. Include a story or two from your school days. Take a moment to honor classmates who are no longer with us. Invite a teacher to say a few words. Announce the winners for any raffles, contests, and the wine cellar. Distribute the prizes and get on with the party!

Games
Here are three suggestions, but the possibilities are endless.

• The host pulls out two names at a time. The contestants compete for the prize by identifying a jingle or song or commercial or movie from your high school years. This requires preparation before the reunion.


• A small gathering can play Two Truths and a Lie. Each person writes two truths and a lie about themselves on a paper, which then gets posted on their back. Everyone else tries to guess which one is the lie. Hand out cards with everyone's names and pencils, so people can track their guesses. The person who guesses the most lies correctly wins a prize. Revealing which statements are true / false is always a big hit.


• Each classmate writes a piece of personal information that is not common knowledge (ex. “I have a pet pig”), and the information is then gathered. Draw submissions, read them aloud, and let the class guess which submission belongs to which person. The person with the most correct guesses wins.

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CHAPTER 16 : REUNION MEMORY BOOKS

Memory Books are the true souvenirs of a reunion.They are also known as photo books or programs. They can be distributed at the reunion or sent out postreunion, and may be hardcover, soft cover or on DVD. This will take time, persistence and a constant gathering of information every time you make contact with a classmate. If the book will be printed, check out pricing in advance. Make sure to weigh the value versus the cost, as hardcover books cost far more than soft cover. DVDs are great if you don't have the time to prepare. Your final text should be ready to go to the printers one month in advance, and allow plenty of time for proofreading.

Here are some elements you might want to incorporate:

• Note from the committee about their journey
• Class directory with 'Then' and 'Now' photos of each graduate, along with brief details about their life, marriage, kids and work
• Class statistics (who lives in which states, how many college graduates, how many married, etc.)
• Trivia and Top-10 lists from your graduating year
• Memorial to deceased classmates
• Advertisements
• Family photos
• Updates on some popular teachers
• Recap of the event (post-reunion)
• List of award and contest winners (post-reunion)
• Candid photos from the evening (post-reunion)
• Date of next reunion (if known)

If you give Memory Books as a gift to attendees, consider sending complimentary copies to those who could not attend. This may boost attendance at the next event! If you are selling the book, advertise it to those who were not at the event as well.

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CHAPTER 17 : REUNION REGISTRATION AND ON-SITE LOGISTICS

Planning an event well involves thinking ahead.  The more prepared you are, the smoother your evening will run. The following are must-haves before the day of the event:

Layout Diagram
Create a diagram that indicates where you want to place the reception area, registration area, tables, bar, food stations, displays, etc.

Schedules
You can never have enough schedules! Create a schedule for everything, from the initial set-up through to each event planned for the reunion. Give a copy of each schedule to all volunteers and speakers.

Decorations & Supplies
Remind the volunteers when to be at the hall. Have lots of tape on hand, as well as staplers and scissors.

Displays
You can prepare most displays ahead of time.

Signs
Prepare signs that you might need: Registration, 50/50, Raffle, Trivia Contest, Wine Cellar, Drinks, Sponsors, Honor Roll Members, etc.

Lists
Have lists for everything that has to be tracked. For example, master class list, sponsor list, paid list (include names of spouses), etc.

Name tags
Use a large bold font, include maiden names and the person’s yearbook photo. Guest and spouse badges should have an easily identifiable look, so that people do not assume this is someone from school that they just don't recognize. Be prepared to create some tags on the spot for last-minute corrections and additions.

Registration kits
Each registration kit could contain items such as the current class directory, the planned program for the evening, a Memory Book, a loot bag, name tag(s), and drink tickets. You can prepare generic kits and keep the name tags separate, or you can alphabetize the kits for easy distribution. Often, the loot bags will be handed out at the end of the evening, so that people are not bogged down with them during the event. As such, you might want to keep these separate from the main registration kit as well.

Giveaways
Confirm that all deliveries and pick-ups will happen according to expectations. You will need your beverage and raffle tickets, as well as anything that will be used for games, contests and awards that you have planned.

Set-Up & Take-Down
Even if you have done your homework and are expecting the set-up to be a breeze, there will inevitably be some small bumps the day of the event. Allow time in the schedule for the unforeseen. Start early in the day so you don't feel rushed. Store reusable items for future reunions.

Registration / check-in
Properly think through and plan the registration process. When guests arrive, they receive registration kits and name tags, as well as any special papers, tickets or questionnaires that relate to contests or games you are planning. Highlight their names on your guest list as they check in.

If you have a no-tickets-at-the-door policy, and classmates do show up hoping to join in the fun, try to accommodate them. If this cannot be worked out with the caterer, suggest that the guests return after the meal for a discounted price. Keep track of any money you receive and issue receipts.

Don't bog yourselves down by running the check-in desk. Get a trusted volunteer for the night. Supply them with all the lists and information they need, and be available to them should any issues arise. They will also need some office supplies on hand (eg. pens, pencils, markers, scotch tape, masking tape). Make sure there are a lot of pens! People will be borrowing them all night to collect signatures in their Memory Books.

Any tables that deal with currency will need a cash box that includes a float. A fl oat is a sum of money that you keep in your cash box at the beginning of the event so that change can be provided. It is then subtracted from the total at the end of the evening when calculating the cash received. Raffles and contests will need ticket collection boxes. It is a good idea to always have at least one person (preferably two people) at the table with the cash box.

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CHAPTER 18 : LOOSE ENDS

The reunion is over! Your job is done! Well, almost. First there are some loose ends that need to be tied up:

• Balance the books and update them to include any funds raised at the event as well as any last-minute expenditures. Close the bank account, unless you want to keep it for the next reunion. If you have a large surplus, contribute to the school's endowment fund in honor of your event, or put it towards keeping the website alive to be used as an alumni website.

• Send thank you notes to the guests that attended, sponsors, the school, donors, and volunteers.

• Follow through on all outstanding Memory Books, t-shirt orders, etc.

• Upload photos from the event(s) to the website.

• Send out a post-reunion e-mail to all alumni requesting reunion photos for the website and feedback for next time.

• Have a post-reunion meeting two weeks after your event. Celebrate your accomplishment, but also take a moment to examine what worked, where the bumps were, and what can be improved for next time. Write these notes down for future reference.

• Keep the lines of communication open. Start an e-newsletter, and re-work your website to act as an alumni website until your next reunion.

• If your class is eager to stay in touch, don't wait for the next big event! Plan an outing to a sports event or concert. Have a standing bar night once a month. Start a jogging group.  The possibilities are endless...

Planning a reunion is a milestone event that everyone who attends will remember for many years to come. Your goal is to rekindle relationships that have been dormant for a long time, and create a wealth of new memories for your classmates. Hopefully the ideas in this book will help you plan the best reunion possible so that it was a positive experience for everyone.

Please send an email to info@myevent.com if you have any unique ideas that you did not find in this book, or if you found the book helpful and you would like to send us a testimonial.

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