Putting together a committee for a class reunion is a big responsibility. Learn what the important committees are which one you may need in this article.
Class reunion planning can mean different things to different people.
For smaller reunions, it could just be 4-5 people getting together and planning everything.
For larger class reunions, it can involve a dozen or more people meeting monthly to provide updates to everyone.
So how do you decide on how many committees you really need?
First, look at how big the class reunion is. If your class reunion is expecting less than 100 attendees, then you really only need 3-4 people organizing the class reunion with a bunch of volunteers helping out every now and then. You do not necessarily need separate committee’s for each thing since the four of you will be intimately involved in everything.
For a class reunion bigger than that, expect to have at least one additional person for every 25 additional invitees. For example, if you are inviting 300 people, then you should expect to have 12 people on the class reunion planning committee.
To determine what kinds of committee’s you may need for a larger class reunion, consider the length (weekend, vs. one day), activities, and the location (Hotel vs. park type event) of the class reunion.
Other factors that play a large role in how many committees are created is expected attendance, class size, and qualifications of the individual volunteers.
Every class reunion is different and therefore will require committees with varying needs. Below is a list of the most common committees for a class reunion along with a basic description of responsibilities.
Hotel Selection Committee
Did you know that a large portion of your classmates will have moved out of town by the time you have your first ten year class reunion? Inviting people back to the place of their school days will require that you have accommodations in place (unless you plan on having a few dozen people in your living for a weekend).
As soon as you have set the date for the class reunion, get group rates for hotels around your school. The quickest way to do this is to fill out this group hotel rates request form. It takes less than five minutes to fill out the form and within minutes, you receive quotes from hotels in the area. It’s fast, simple and best of all, the service is completely free.
Once you have the group hotel rates, then the hotel selection committee should compare the offers and make a decision on where your classmates will stay.
Read our detailed list of Responsibilities Of the Hotel Selection Committee.
Activities Committee
Most class reunion activities are planned in collaboration with your schools alumni office. Outside of those activities, the class has the opportunity to develop specific events and activities like lectures, Golf outings, Bowling, School tours etc. Here is a list of Class Reunion Games And Activities.
In planning events, the committee should keep in mind to include traditional events like a memorial service, a class meeting, and a banquet dinner.
In order to plan events that your classmates would like to attend, it is a standard practice for the activities committee to poll for ideas on the class reunion website or through a class reunion survey.
As a best practice, it is always better to plan an event or two for your classmates spouse and children. Activities like a scavenger hunt or a movie night are appreciated by everyone attending.
Here is a detailed list of Responsibilities Of The Class Reunion Activities Committee.
Catering/Banquet Committee
The catering committee is primarily responsible for sourcing out vendors to service any planned meals. The alumni office is a good resource to get a list of recommended vendors for catering. Other responsibilities are to coordinate with other committees (e.g. Hotel Selection Committee), plan a budget, finalize menus, finalize banquet details (linens, AV equipment etc).
A large Saturday night banquet is not all that the class reunion committee plans for. Provided they have the budget and time, they can also plan potlucks in the park, meals at a classmates house, or arrange for bowling night with food and drinks.
Here is a detailed list of Responsibilities Of The Class Reunion Catering Committee.
Reunion Chair
The reunion chair is responsible for putting together the committees to oversee the planning of the class reunion. They are also responsible for coordinating with the alumni office, arranging committee meetings, approving budget, approving hotel, following up with individual sub committees, and finalizing all contracts.
The reunion chair is ultimately responsible for the entire event from beginning to end.
Here is a detailed list of Responsibilities Of The Class Reunion Chair.
Finance Committee
The class treasurer is primarily responsible for creating the budget with input from other planning committee members. In addition, they are responsible for maintaining a bank account (paying bills, depositing registration checks), keeping track of expenses, adjusting budgetary needs, and approving expenses.
At the end of the class reunion, the treasurer should also present a summary of income and expenses along with any leftover funds. The person responsible for this position should ideally have an accounting background.
Here is a detailed list of Responsibilities For The Class Reunion Finance Committee.
Communications Chair
From creating the save the date cards to sending out class reunion questionnaires, this committee will keep very busy. They are responsible for creating and sending out invitations, registration materials, surveys, developing polls, and emailing updates to attendees.
This group of volunteers should also oversee the Class Reunion Website and the Memory Book.
Here is a detailed list of Responsibilities Of The Communications Committee.
Transportation Committee
Many of your classmates will have moved out of town in the years since graduation and some will need transportation from the airport, bus and train stations. The transportation committee is responsible for getting everyone’s travel agenda and coordinating pickups and drop-offs. Renting a van for the weekend is the best solution as it can be utilized for other transport needs as well.
A source of transportation that is rarely used is the hotel shuttle. If you are blocking hotel rooms for out of town guests (and you really should), then the hotel may provide complimentary shuttle service to your guests. If you business is large enough, they may even provide transportation to the school too.
Welcome Committee
This committee is responsible for staffing the welcome table on the arrival day. The committee should carefully select some familiar faces to welcome all your class reunion attendees. A good first impression can have a positive effect on classmates that may be quite nervous about attending.
Additional responsibilities are that they have to prepare the welcome table with name tags, welcome packet, directions, and some trinkets to hand out. For additional information, read Welcome committee responsibilities
Read more at Welcoming Committee Responsibilities.
Name Tag Chair
The person should prepare a budget for the planning committee with the actual cost to create name tags. Once approved, they will be responsible for ordering supplies (lanyards, holders, stock paper), maintaining a class list, adding new registrants and bringing of the actual name tags.
Once printed, the name tags should be delivered to the class reunion welcome committee so they can be handed out at check in.
Memory Book Committee
Memory books are a great keepsake that is appreciated by everyone regardless of whether they were able to attend. The communications committee usually assigns this responsibility to a group of 3-4 volunteers as it is a big undertaking.
The committee is responsible for researching the cost, determining an approximate number to order, and sending out a questionnaire to classmates. For more details, read the article “Creating memory books for a class reunion”
Setup/Cleanup Committee
This committee is responsible for recruiting volunteers to help with creating directional signs, posting informational posters, setting up memorabilia tables, chairs and help with decorations.
They are also responsible for keeping a log of what was borrowed (AV equipment, microphones, memorabilia) so it can be returned. Finally, they are responsible for clean up after any event.
Read more about Setup/ Cleanup Committee Responsibilities.
Other Committees
- Responsibilities Of The Fundraising Committee
- Responsibilities Of The Class Gift Committee
- Responsibilities Of The Class Reunion Website Committee
It is very unlikely that you will need every one of the above mentioned committee’s when planning your class reunion. Just select the one’s that you feel are needed and discuss them during your initial Class Reunion Planning Committee Meeting.
What should you do next?
Since you’re organizing a class reunion, why not take a look at our free class reunion planning guide?