Reunion Committee Tips

Carefully selecting your Reunion committee made up of fellow class/group volunteers may be one of the most important assignments you will have as Reunion chair. Not only will a wealth of additional ideas be available to you, but involving your peers in the planning process will most likely increase their interest in, and enthusiasm for, Reunion while lightening your load so that you can enjoy Reunion yourself.

Clerk Management

• May (of your Reunion year)
  • Reach out to clerks when names and contact information are provided by Class Programs.
  • Welcome clerks.
  • Tell them what day you want them to start (Tuesday or Wednesday before Reunion).
  • Tell them where you want them to meet you for the first meeting (usually Class HQs).
  • Work with Class Programs on clerk schedule.
• June
  • Arrive early to Reunion (Tuesday or Wednesday depending on when you are having clerks start).
  • Know what tasks you need clerks to complete.
  • Establish protocols for meals and breaks with clerks (Class Programs can advise you).
  • Approve final hours on clerk time cards.
  • Review and sign off on clerk paperwork (timecard, bonus sheet) on Sunday of Reunion and submit in person to Alumni Affairs at their staff HQs.

Dining

• June (a year out from your Reunion)
  • Attend Reunion to visit venues and sample food at meals.
• September/October
  • Attend Reunion Kickoff (RKO) to meet local caterers.
• November/December
  • Work with caterer(s) to determine meal price points and menu selections that fall within the budget determined by class/group Reunion chairs.
  • Be sure that the per person cost is inclusive of all fees including gratuity, rental of glassware/china, linens, and any other items you may want the caterer to bring that they have confirmed they can supply.
  • Discuss whether meal will be sit down or buffet and specifics such as how many buffet lines (if applicable), how many bars, special caterer set up needs, etc.
  • Consider whether there will be programming during this meal such a band, dance floor, or stage. This will affect layout/space and need for PA/AV.
  • Menus do not need to be finalized at that this time but you should have determined price per meal.
• January/February
  • Finalize menu selections for meals and carefully review the caterer contract.
  • Share contracts with your Reunion staff contact for review.
  • Sign contract or authorize Reunion staff contact to sign on class’s behalf.
  • Reunion staff contact will submit contracts to Administrative Services for processing.
  • Final payment is not made until after Reunion and can only be done with approval of a Reunion alumni volunteer.
  • If a deposit is required when booking a caterer, they should provide a separate deposit invoice to you.
• May
  • Work with Reunion staff contact to review registration counts for meals.
  • Provide caterer with meal count guarantees and dietary restriction information as communicated by classmates when they registered to attend Reunion.
• June
  • Serve as the point of contact during Reunion should the caterer have any questions related to menu or food for class meals.
  • Scout meal event setup 2 hours before the start of the event.
  • Post-Reunion: receive, review, and authorize payment for meals or request changes/revisions if there is an error/issue.

Entertainment/Programming

• November/December (leading up to your Reunion year)
  • Consider the types of entertainment and programming you feel would be appreciated by your classmates (review pre-Reunion survey data from your classmates for ideas).
  • Know your budget limit and request pricing information from entertainers you are considering and from Class Programs on venue costs (space rental, PA/AV support, etc.)
  • Consider program topics focused on what may have been an issue/interest on campus while you were students.
  • Think about current faculty doing research/lecturing on subjects that are of potential interest to your classmates now.
  • Consider opportunities to co-sponsor a program with another Reunion class/group or College/Unit.
  • Think about notable classmates who may be willing to present to your classmates
  • Please note: In order to maintain equity across all volunteer organizations, we ask all groups to refrain from offering compensation or honorariums to any faculty, staff, or alumni for event participation.
• December/January
  • Decide what event venues would be conducive to having entertainment or a program. Your Reunion staff contact can help advise.
  • VIP visits requests are made in March of your Reunion year and reviewed/approved by the President’s Office in April. Confirmation of a visit should be communicated to caterers, entertainers, or other programming participants who have a role in your event.
  • Request your Reunion staff contact send a University Entertainment Contract to your preferred entertainer for completion.
  • Find out if any kind of deposit is involved. A separate invoice for the deposit will be required from your entertainer.
• February
  • Complete student entertainment request form sent via a Reunion update message if plan to have student entertainment at a class/group Reunion event.
  • Consider when you will have most classmates together, whether the venue is conducive to a performance of this kind, and whether classmates will appreciate it.
  • Discuss and finalize PA/AV needs for your programs with your Reunion staff contact.
  • Make sure your venue is reserved.
• May:
  • Prepare any handouts/materials you may need for your program.
• June
  • Scout venue at least 1 hour before the event start time.

Greeter & Hospitality Leader

• March/April (of your Reunion year)
  • Recruit other classmate volunteers to take shifts greeting classmates as they arrive for Reunion and at each event. Stations may include:
    • At entrance to an event
    • At main entrance to your class Reunion HQs
    • At Reunion arrival luggage drop-off location
    • Near registration area to answer questions and welcome guests
• May
  • Send shift information to classmate volunteers who signed up to serve as a greeter.
• June
  • Be available and on site at HQs to make sure greeters are in the right spot particularly on Thursday to help welcome classmates back.
  • Create briefing and FAQ for volunteers.
  • Consider handouts, maps, or other helpful materials for volunteers who will be serving.
  • Station greeters at each class event to welcome attendees and answer questions.

Headquarters Food & Beverage

• March (of your Reunion year)
  • Work with Reunion chair and Reunion staff contact to decide what wine/beer, and snack foods should be ordered for your Class headquarters (stay within your Reunion budget set in December/January).
  • Review food and beverage consumption chart in the Reunion Planning Guide and look at sister class usage.
• April
  • Place order for wine/beer and significant food with Class Programs by completing the Reunion update request form.
• June
  • Be on hand to accept deliveries of wine/beer, significant food orders to your Reunion HQs.
  • Direct clerks on expectations for display of these items and instructions on refreshing/keeping the space clean and inviting.

Headquarters Décor

• May
  • Consider ways to make Reunion HQs welcoming: examples – purchase decorations, order small floral arrangements for tables, plan how best to layout the dining room and common room at your HQ, display memorabilia. Your Reunion staff contact and Conference Services can help provide photos/information about the space.
• June
  • Arrive to Reunion early (Tuesday/Wednesday before Reunion begins on Thursday).
  • Work with class clerks (student workers) to decorate or purchase decoration supplies in Ithaca for your HQs.

Housing

• April (of your Reunion year)
  • Begin review of classmates who registered for on-campus Reunion housing
• May
  • Work with Conference Services to place classmates according to needs/preferences as indicated in their registration information as best as possible.
• June
  • Assist class clerks and housing clerks with fielding on-site room questions/requests from classmates.

Souvenirs/Rentals

• September/October (leading up to your Reunion year)
  • View souvenir displays at Reunion Kickoff (RKO).
• November
  • Consider what kind of souvenir your classmates might like or if one is needed at all (see pre-Reunion survey results).
• December
  • Communicate souvenir options and price information to Reunion chair for final decision.
  • Work with Reunion staff contact to complete souvenir paperwork.
  • Arrange for vendor to deliver items to your Reunion HQs in June (Tuesday/Wednesday before Reunion) or arrange for storage locally at a classmate’s home.
• January
  • Make sure Reunion staff contact has souvenir information and contract/price information.
  • Plan to place order by March at the latest.
• March
  • Work with Reunion Chair and Reunion staff contact to consider what kind of rentals your class may need at HQs.
  • Place souvenir orders.
• June
  • Arrive to Reunion early (Tuesday/Wednesday before Reunion) to accept souvenir and rental deliveries at HQs.

Examples of Additional Reunion Committee Roles

(Created by the class of 2013 for their 5^th Reunion. We encourage you to consider other roles that may suit the specific needs of your Reunion class or association)

Creative Officer

Primary responsibilities:

This role is very ambiguous on purpose and the person in this role should define the role. The person who takes on this role should propose and execute initiatives to answer the following questions: How do we make our Reunion as unique as we can? How do we innovate using technology? How do we brand Reunion to our class?

Preferred experience/skill sets:

Marketing or branding experience would be valuable in this role in addition to product management.

Publicity Officer

Primary responsibilities:

This person owns getting the word out about Reunion and maintaining publicity throughout the lead up to Reunion including creating and executing a multiplatform promotion plan for Reunion.

Preferred experience/skill sets:

A person with strong written communication skills as well as experience with managing social media accounts on multiple platforms.

Events Officer

Primary responsibilities:

This person owns the proposing, execution, and logistical coordination of Reunion events.

Preferred experience/skill sets:

A person with event planning experience, strong organizational skills and an ability to maintain timelines related to any required  event deadlines.