If it’s a milestone year for your high school graduating class, it’s time for you to get to planning (if you haven’t already), especially if your reunion is taking place over the summer.

Summer is the most popular time of year for class reunions. The weather is nice, kids have off from school, travel is easier and safer, and there are more options for activities in parts of the country that see big seasonal swings in weather. 

However, people’s summers also book up quickly, so it’s important to get your dates set as soon as possible so you can maximize your attendance.

Here are a few planning tips to help you have a great reunion experience.

• Get the word out early: As we’ve already alluded to, it’s important get the word out about the event as soon as possible so you can get more people in attendance. As soon as you have the date set, send out a save the date to your alumni, even if you don’t already have all the other details set in stone yet.

• Make it conducive to socializing: Any event you plan should be something that makes it easy for people to gather and socialize. While there might be activities associated with the event beyond just socialization, they should be free-formed enough that allows people to have fun while catching up with old friends or meeting new ones.

• Consider whether you’ll invite kids: There is no right or wrong answer to whether you should allow kids to attend the reunion; whatever you choose, just make sure you communicate this clearly. If you will have kids present, make sure you have activities that they will enjoy.

• Subsidize what you can: If you have a budget to subsidize some of the costs of the reunion, use it as much as possible to power the out of pocket price for alumni to attend. Consider, for example, having one or two rounds of drinks paid for with drink tickets. An open bar can be extremely expensive, but paying for a couple rounds for each attendee is much less so. Communicate what costs or responsibilities will be on attendees as soon as you have that information.

• Honor your past: Have photo albums available or slideshows running during the event to showcase your class’s time in high school. Consider inviting former teachers to come and join you. Take videos of alumni stories and play them during the event. Invite people to speak about their time in high school. These are just a few examples of ways in which you can showcase your past during the event.

For more tips about running a fun and successful class reunion, contact us at Alumni Nations.