How to Plan Events for a College Reunion

Last Updated: June 2, 2021 References

Planning a successful college reunion requires large-scale communication and coordination. It also requires some creativity in order to create a well-balanced program that everyone will enjoy. By organizing a passionate, committed team of volunteers, and delegating the work of planning and organizing events far in advance, you can be sure to plan events that will make your college reunion fun and memorable.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Getting Organized

1
Contact your college's Alumni Association. You can access their contact information through your college’s website. The Alumni Association will have many helpful resources to aid your planning process, including class lists, online archives, and on-campus assistance. Get in touch with the Association as soon as possible to make the most of what they have to offer.
2
Form a committee. Seek the help of your classmates to divide up the work of planning events. Work through the Alumni Association to find other people who are passionate about reunion planning. You’ll want to enlist at least 10-15 individuals for your committee, and you’ll want to start your planning process anywhere from 9-12 months in advance.
- Appoint a director to oversee big-picture logistics.
- Delegate auxiliary positions for other committee members, including a treasurer, Alumni Association liaison, events promoter, and venue, entertainment, and decorations coordinators.
- If your committee can't meet in person, conference calls or Skype hang-outs will work as well.^{[1]
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3
Choose the date or dates. Communicate with your college to ensure these dates don't clash with any other school-affiliated events. The earlier you secure a date, the more likely people will be able to clear their schedules and make arrangements to attend.
- Take advantage of online survey sites, such as Survey Monkey or Google Forms, to gauge interest and availability amongst your classmates.
- Consider holding your reunion during football season or homecoming week when many alumni choose to come back anyways.
- You might also consider choosing a date over summer or winter breaks when campuses will be relatively open and available to host a large party of visitors.^{[2]
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4
Determine a realistic budget. Your budget should include the costs of venue reservations, catering and cleaning services, entertainment, and decorations. Consider subsidizing the costs of transportation and overnight lodging to encourage a greater attendance. Be sure to account for local taxes and gratuities.^{[3]
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5
Decide how you will raise money for the reunion events. Popular approaches include asking for donations, holding fundraisers, selling tickets for special events, or establishing a set fee for all attendees. You can employ multiple tactics, such as running a fundraiser campaign and selling tickets for dinners, in order to raise the funds for your projected budget. Consider opening a class bank account to centralize the process of raising money and making large payments.^{[4]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Coming up with Events

1
Create a balanced program. You will want to balance social functions with entertainment-based events, as well as family-friendly functions with late-night, "adults only" events. In addition, be sure to offer a range of events in the day as well as at night. By doing so, you'll be sure to appeal to as many attendees' needs and preferences as possible.
2
Plan dining-centered events. Centering your event around lunch or dinner is a great way to encourage a large attendance. Consider the vibe of each event, and plan dinners, lunches, or cocktail hours accordingly.
- If your reunion will occur during spring or summer, outdoor lunches are a great way to enjoy the weather - but be sure to have a back-up plan in case it rains!
- Sit-down meals are more appropriate for formal dinners, while buffets are better for more casual settings.
- Cocktail hours with hor d'oeuvres can help fill time between lunch and dinner.
- Host a drop-in Sunday Brunch to accommodate for people's travel plans.^{[5]
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3
Create mingle-friendly settings. Events earlier in the program should focus on creating spaces for old friends to reconnect. Focus on creating a mood that will encourage people to remember their college days together. Have name-tags at the door to help old friends recognize one another, and lead icebreaker activities during earlier events in the program.
4
Show a slideshow of memorable moments from your graduating years. The slideshow can include photos of your classmates and professors, as well as documentation of significant landmarks of your college experience, including homecoming, sporting events, dorm life, and commencement. Facebook and other forms of social media can be a great resource for gathering images.
5
Play group jeopardy that features questions specific to your college experience. Assign teams randomly to encourage more mingling amongst your classmates, and offer a prize (such as school spirit wear, or drink vouchers for later events) to stoke some healthy competition. Sample questions might include "The name of the dining hall that hosted Thursday Wings and Fries Night" or "The rival team we finally beat at the '91 Homecoming match."
6
Create a playlist of popular music from your college years. Set up an online survey leading up to your reunion for attendees to submit their favorite tunes, and compile their answers into a playlist. Consider hosting a karaoke night!
7
Take advantage of on-campus activities. Reserve a certain number of tickets soccer or football games if your reunion happens during a sports season. Look into on-campus performances, such as concerts, plays, and student showcases, and be sure to publicize their times and locations in your program.
8
Lead tours of your campus or town. Especially if your college town has changed significantly since your graduation, a tour of the area is a great daytime activity to draw attention to these changes. Regardless, a tour will likely spur more nostalgia and conversation amongst your attendees.^{[6]
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9
Hold a fundraising event. Especially if your reunion is affiliated with the Alumni Association, large reunions are a prime time for holding events to raise money for your college. Work with the Association to plan a special meal or event to encourage your class to donate money for a gift to your alma mater.^{[7]
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10
Show a classic movie from your college years. Rent a theater in town, and take a poll before the event to determine which movie would bring the largest turnout. A movie screening is a great "after dinner" event to help people wind down for the evening.^{[8]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Organizing Events

1
Find on-campus venues. College-affiliated spaces are likely to be less expensive than private locations. Choose a space that will accommodate your projected number of reunion attendees. When securing the venue, be sure to ask about parking accommodations, catering services, audiovisual resources, and clean-up procedures.^{[9]
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2
Book student performance groups for entertainment. Create a balanced program by organizing a range of social activities and cultural events. Research past reunions at your college for inspiration, and communicate with different on-campus organizations to get student arts and music groups involved. Booking student performers is a cost-effective strategy for providing entertainment while showcasing current talent from your alma mater.^{[10]
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3
Showcase local dining specialties. Contact local restaurants and on-campus favorites to find caterers that fit your events' needs. If possible, consider meeting with caterers in person and sampling their offerings before locking down the menus. If appropriate, make arrangements to hire a bartender, or purchase wine and beer in bulk.^{[11]
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4
Reserve lodging space for out-of-town attendees. Determine the maximum number of attendees, and confirm that local hotels will be able to accommodate everyone. If your reunion will take place over summer break, determine whether or not your college will allow you to rent on-campus dormitories for cost-effective lodging accommodations.^{[12]
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5
Organize decorations that will enhance nostalgia. Great decorations will inspire conversation or commentary amongst your peers; some can even be repurposed as souvenirs when the reunion comes to an end. Contact the Alumni Association for information on past reunions for potential deals on wholesale college-themed decor, and consider a combination of purchased and homemade decorations in order to save money.
- Set up tables with yearbooks from your class. This decoration serves a dual purpose as an icebreaker activity.
- Create a “then and now” picture board that showcases past and present photos of reunion attendees.
- Make collages of newspaper clippings from on-campus and national news happenings from your college years.
- Use college spirit-wear, such as t-shirts, sports jerseys, and flags, as centerpieces.^{[13]
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Expert Q&A

Question

How do I plan a reunion checklist?

Christina Millikin
Founder & CEO, Glow Events
Christina Millikin is the Founder and former CEO of Glow Events, an event planning agency based in San Francisco, California. Glow Events is a boutique event planning firm specializing in full event production and creative design for corporate and social events. Christina has worked with clients such as Salesforce, Heroku, Okta, and Netflix. Glow Events' work has been featured in Martha Stewert Weddings, InStyle, and SanFrancisco Magazine. Christina is an advisor to the management team at Glow, as well as a business advisor for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, and she has a BS in Marketing from the University of Florida.

Christina Millikin

Founder & CEO, Glow Events

Expert Answer

You want the events to be as inclusive as possible. Include allergy-friendly food and vegetarian options. Provide plenty of non-alcoholic drink options too.