February 2008 | Reunion Planning

2008 Reunion Planning Guide

A Scrapbook Of Ideas For Stress-Free Reunions

By Ashley Wright
Ray Casey has planned military reunions for more than 18 years and operates the firm Military Reunion Planners, one of the first companies to focus primarily on military-based events. Over his extended career in the business, he’s faced numerous challenges, such as finding a suitable hotel that’s within a price range that suits each group’s budget, managing the myriad of details that all have to be timed out perfectly, and ciphering through the intricacies of each group’s special needs.

To tackle these challenges, he uses a team approach in order to assist with and “triple” check the arrangements. “Sharing the workload among team members helps everyone stay fresh,” he said. “And having different ‘eyes’ look at the same program often turns up areas for improvement.”

Likewise, Tara Walton, director of tourism for the Greater Birmingham (Ala.) Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), said, “To keep the stress level down, we suggest creating a committee to handle various aspects of the reunion. With everyone working together, getting organized becomes easier.”

While Casey and Walton suggest using a team or committee to make the planning process easier, there are even more methods to combat challenges and avoid stress overload when it comes to planning reunions.

Checklists, Pre-Planning, Saving Time & Money

Knowing how early to start planning and what to do first can be especially stressful for first-time reunion planners, Walton said. “Whether planning a large or small reunion, attendees need to have enough time to arrange vacation time from work, financially plan for the event and get answers to questions about the destination,” she said.

Beth Boyd, corporate director of sales for Crowne Plaza in Little Rock, Ark., which recently completed a $14 million renovation, suggests that planners use a checklist system. “Timing is everything. Having a checklist of everything that must be done to have a successful reunion can be a lifesaver,” she said.

In order to better assist planners, she provides them with a checklist that includes a rundown of the basic information needed to conduct a successful event. The checklist offers a timeframe for when to complete various tasks such as confirming room reservations and receiving financial deposits. Boyd also said that a meetings director can assist planners with each task of the checklist.

Choosing a destination, and booking the hotel and venue far in advance, should be at the top of the checklist, said Harolyn Falgoust, convention and tourism sales and bus tours director with the Monroe-West Monroe (La.) CVB, who said she has seen an increase in the number of reunions being held and attributes this to a desire to “get back to your roots.”

“Even if the event is two years out, book it now,” Falgoust suggested. “Get a variety of prices from hotels and food vendors and sit down with family members or a committee and see what will fit into your budget and expectations.” Planning early, she said, allows more time for other objectives of planning the reunion, like seeking out family and friends.

Collecting money upfront from reunion participants is an important item on the checklist, according to Jared Travis, director of sales and marketing for the Sheraton Gateway Hotel - Atlanta Airport, which recently underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation. “Planners do not want to be out-of-pocket personally, but they often have difficulty in reaching attendees and getting everyone to submit their deposits on time,” he said.

What else does he suggest? Opening up a joint bank account with other reunion members. “Have family members direct deposit designated monthly amounts into the account so there’s enough time to collect funds,” he said, adding that planners can send out e-mail blasts to participants that remind them of deadlines for making deposits. Travis has also found that many planners offer incentives like early-bird discounts to those who pay early.

Kandy Davidson, a high school class reunion planner for five years, agrees that one of the most stressful aspects of planning reunions is the stress of putting out money upfront in hopes that future attendees will cover the costs when they pay to attend.

Davidson plans events through the Atlanta firm 1st Class Reunions and said, “Make sure you know all of the upfront costs before planning a reunion so everything is included in the budget.”

Some planners find it challenging to get planning committees to see the reality of fitting grand plans into less-than-grand budgets, said Beth Davis, owner of Reunions by The Party People, based in Texas, and a reunion planner for 19 years. “They often have grand plans when it’s very important to keep the ticket price reasonable.”

Be conscious of when to upgrade and when to downgrade, Davidson recommended. “A lot of reunions are trying to find more casual places. We also try to eliminate the frills such as unnecessary party favors and to make sure that our events are cash bar so that non-drinkers are not having to pay the price of an open bar.”

Davidson often finds that one of the top challenges of reunion planning is dealing with the increase in prices to attend a reunion, including hotel rates, airfare, gasoline, food, etc.

Travis tells planners who are considering the Sheraton Gateway Hotel - Atlanta Airport to be flexible with the dates as a way to offset rising costs. “Planners should keep in mind that rates vary depending on the time of year and that a quoted rate is not locked in until a contract is finalized,” he said. “Often, groups extend the process over many months, and rates may have increased dramatically [by the time of the event].”

Tony Sprouse, director of sales and marketing at the Holiday Inn Select in Tulsa, Okla., agreed. “If you’re willing to plan a reunion during a slower time period in a particular market, it can save you a lot of money,” he said, adding that planners should be upfront with hotel and vendor representatives and ask them questions about the best ways to save money.

Walton said planners looking to cut costs and save time should utilize complimentary services offered by CVBs. For example, she said that her staff will do a “thorough outline of reunion needs and will contact service providers. It’s our goal to make the planner shine and look like a pro in planning a successful event.”

Norfolk (Va.) CVB Media Relations Manager Tesha Benjamin added that CVBs have professional planners on staff to assist with the process. “Experts can assist with planning needs as well as site visits and familiarization tours, promotional material, maps, slides, complimentary letters, airport signage, brochures and much more,” she said.

The bottom line for a successful reunion is remaining flexible, Walton said. “It is important for planners to keep in mind that not everything will go exactly as planned. They have to be flexible, as there is always a trait of spontaneity in organizing a reunion—no matter the size of the group—and stressing out over the planning process only takes away from the rewarding experience of meeting each challenge head on.”