Students are a great help at most class reunions and are regularly used as volunteers at these events.
Also known as onsite management committee, this group of volunteers is responsible for getting things ready for the class reunion and then cleaning up afterwards.
One committee member should be responsible for overseeing this group of volunteers (mostly students). Keeping things organized will reduce the confusion at the class reunion.
The setup/cleanup responsibilities listed below are the most common ones at a class reunion.
Signage
The setup/cleanup committee leader should coordinate and create all signage ahead of the class reunion. Number the signs so that they are easy to refer to (For example. “Place sign number 12 on the doors that lead to the lobby where guests check in”. Coordinate those numbers with a detailed map that gives you a birds eye view of where each sign is placed.
A student volunteer would be perfect for this job. Make sure you provide them some good quality stencils.
Arrival Set Up
The class reunion welcoming committee will need a welcome table set up at the hotel for guests that are coming from out of town. If your class reunion is small (less than 10 attendees), then you don’t need to do this. If your class reunion is larger, then consider getting a block of hotel rooms at one hotel and set up a welcome table in the lobby.
Decorations
The decorations for a cocktail hour, banquet, and any other event will have to be taken care of by the setup volunteers. Storage, set up, and clean up of decorations will have to be coordinated with the hotel so everyone knows what is expected of them
Hospitality Suite
The setup/cleanup committee makes sure that the hospitality suite is kept clean at all times. Many hotels will not clean this area without a charge so its best to have volunteers handle it. Also, this committee is responsible for restocking drinks and snacks in the hospitality suite.
Final Clean Up
The final cleanup will require volunteers to:
- Take down and store decorations
- Move furniture back to where it was before it was moved to accommodate reunion needs
- Return any borrowed items like linens, tables, chairs etc. back to hotel or school.
- Return all AV equipment
- Clean up all areas where reunion was, including trash
Ensuring that an area is cleaned properly will also save the class reunion from any surcharges. Many venues (like hotels) may impose a cleaning surcharge for anything beyond its normal responsibilities. As a general rule of thumb, a class reunion setup/cleanup committee should leave an area in good or better shape than they found it in.
What should you do next?
Read our class reunion planning guide to get some more great ideas on organizing a great event.