Introduction

Planning a reunion can be a challenging and daunting task, however, armed with this book, we guarantee to help make your job a lot easier. We will address all of the elements that are critical to having a successful reunion from start to finish. You will benefit from the information in this book whether you are only considering having a reunion or if your planning is already well underway. In either case, you will find great tips and ideas to make your reunion a success.

The suggestions in this book apply to a reunion with as little as 50 classmates or more than 500, and they are valid if you are planning a 5-year reunion or a 50-year reunion. Most reunions occur around milestone anniversaries such as the 10-year, 20-year, or 30-year mark, although odd-numbered years work as well.

In the following chapters, we provide you with critical information needed to keep you on track and on budget so that you can have the best reunion possible.

Some of the things we will cover in this book include:

  • 5 best ways to find your old classmates
  • 8 things to do at your old school to help plan the reunion
  • 7 best ideas for increasing attendance at the reunion
  • 5 best ideas for selling more tickets to the reunion
  • 7 Best Ideas for Reunion Fundraising
  • 6 best ideas for displays at the reunion
  • 7 best ideas for awards at the reunion
  • 5 best ideas for photos and videos at the reunion
  • 5 best ways to keep people coming back to your website
  • Tips for forming the Reunion Planning Committee
  • Tips for compiling the Memory Book
  • Everything you need to know about the reunion program
  • Everything you need to know about registration and logistics
  • A timeline for everything related to the reunion
  • Sample letters, broadcast emails, checklists, and budgets
  • Tips, tricks, and ideas to get the most out of your reunion website

High school reunion planning in the 21st century has been greatly facilitated thanks to the internet. The World Wide Web has made it much easier to search for classmates, vendors, favors, and do all kinds of research to help plan the event. The Web has also made communicating with classmates and collecting information so much easier than it was prior to the internet age.

The best way to correspond with classmates is through a reunion website that acts as a communications center where you can disseminate important reunion details, collect information, sell tickets, create a buzz, and so much more.

In the past, creating a website required someone with the technical knowledge and skills of an experienced computer programmer. Thanks to do it yourself reunion website builders like the one at MyEvent.com, the task of creating a reunion website has been made extremely easy. One of the chapters in this book will be devoted to getting the most out of your website, and throughout the book, we will throw in tips on how your website can help with your reunion planning.

Today, more people are online than ever before. With the increasing popularity of social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, there’s a whole new way of getting the word out. We will explore social media