When your high school reunion is approaching and you have been put in charge of the planning, it can be quite overwhelming. It seems like there is going to be way too much to plan. Yet, you are probably happy to do it since you can set things up exactly how you think that a high school reunion should be.
Instead of renting out a boring hall that you have to decorate and then hiring a caterer and DJ, you can take things to another level. If it has been more than ten years since graduation then you want to make an experience to remember.
Making the reunion a luxurious event will certainly be the highlight for many people post-graduation. In this article, we will go over how to plan out a reunion which every detail covered.
1 – Find old classmates
At least a few months before the date, but ideally a year before, you need to start looking for your old classmates. Unfortunately, it is very easy to lose touch with people as we get busy with careers and family. You’ll have to dive in and try to find where they are and how to find them.
In some cases, you’ll just go on social media like Facebook and Instagram and they will be there. Then you just need to send them a friend request and let them know about the reunion. However, some people are not on social media at all or have their profiles set to private so even if they are subscribed you won’t see them.
You have a couple of options if this is the case. The first is to reach out to the people that you are able to find and ask them about other classmates. They might have stayed in touch and have their phone number or email to share so you can contact them easily. Otherwise, you’ll have to do more detailed research.
Start by using a site like US Search that will find people based on public records that you wouldn’t have access to. Essentially sites like this use the same process that a private investigator would have access to find information about people. Using a site is far cheaper and a lot less creepy than hiring a private eye.
2 – Pick the destination
It’s very likely that many of your classmates have left your hometown and are now all over the country. People move for work, family, or just a chance to grow beyond what their hometown was able to offer. This is why a destination reunion is such a good idea.
Pick a location that is exciting with lots of stuff to do before and after the reunion. If it is warm and there are beaches, then this works great. Miami Beach is a good location that many people will be happy to visit and enjoy other activities besides the reunion itself.
This is why it’s essential to get in touch with all of your classmates well ahead of the reunion. They will need time to do things like book their accommodations and get time off from work as well as other responsibilities.
If you are doing a 10th or 25th anniversary then chances are that people have children so picking a destination that is also kid-friendly is a good idea. There should be options for the kids to be looked after such as a kid parking type of service nearby the reunion hall.
3 – Plan the activities
Although just seeing your old friends after so many years will be exciting, after a bit the novelty will wear off and people might begin getting bored. To make it an event there should be activities planned to break things up.
At a minimum, you should have a DJ or live band for music and dancing to pass the time. Just putting on a mixtape of the songs from back in the day isn’t enough. You should have pros that can really make it fun to hear the songs you used to listen to back when you were teens.
It will also be fun to do some types of revised superlatives. For instance, you can recreate the best dressed superlative and have a vote on who was actually best dressed for the reunion and see if it matches up with the winners from your yearbook. You could even have a sort of competition to see who can be the new class clown by encouraging a sort of stupid talent contest.
Other activities can be some kind of game show or musical chairs. Anything to keep the flow going and avoid dead space. Break things up by having quiet time in between so people can mingle and catch up with old friends. There needs to be a time when there are no activities so people have a chance to just talk.
4 – Promote the event
Traveling and getting a hotel is a big commitment for many people. They will need to be encouraged to take the time off and go for a trip. Try to start a group on social media or on a Discord channel so you can let people know what the plans are.
Make sure to promote it so they are not tempted to ignore it as something that could potentially be boring. When they see what is planned and where it is then they will be more interested to go for the experience. Try to build the excitement by starting some conversations like asking about people’s favorite memories from high school or what their most outrageous moment was.
Conclusion
High school reunions can be something that people will remember for a long time after. Or, they can be something that they wish they hadn’t even participated in. People have moved on and high school is just a distant memory. By taking the time to make it a special event it will be the former scenario rather than the latter.
