Reunion Companies
At the first meeting make sure to address the advantages and disadvantage of reunion companies, so that everyone understands and agrees to what decision would be best for their class. Hiring a professional reunion company is more expensive, but they will handle almost every aspect of planning a class reunion. Some reunion companies are not secure in their business. Do not be apprehensive when it comes to asking reunion companies important questions to guarantee great quality of service and security. Find out how long their company has been in business. If their business has been operating for five years or more, this shows strong stability and management. Find out if the reunion company has taken the time to obtain any accreditations in their industry, this will prove that they are committed in providing great service to their customers. Ask how many reunions they organize each year and how many they plan to do this year. Asking these questions will let you know if this company is stable in their business.
Pros and Cons of Reunion Companies
Payments - Pros
A reunion company will usually handle classmate's reunion payments on the company site, so that classmates will be able to pay on-line with major credit cards, PayPal, or check. Make sure that the reunion company ensures a secure Internet site and that they are a well established business. This can be done by viewing user's comments, calling the Better Business Bureau, asking other's about their services, or looking for security features on their website. The reunion company will be handling a lot of money, so make sure they know how to manage it.
Payments - Cons
It is more expensive to hire a reunion company. You're also not guaranteed that they will plan the event up to your standards. Deciding on whether or not to hire a reunion company will probably be the most stressful part of the planning process.
Deposits - Pros
A good reliable reunion company will pay all deposits for your class, which is one of the biggest benefits of hiring a reunion company. This means no one in the committee has to use any personal funds for deposits, which in some cases reach as high as $10,000 dollars. Before you agree to the contract make sure you know if the reunion company assumes the risk of deposits, if for some reason the event never takes place. It's important to make sure that everyone in the committee reads and understands the contract before signing.
Deposits - Cons
The reunion company is assuming the risk for deposits and organizing the event for you, so the ticket cost of each classmate will usually double.
Locating Classmates - Pros
Even with easy access to the Internet to search for classmates, it's still the hardest part of planning a class reunion because it is time consuming. Hiring a reunion company means they will locate most of your classmates for you and will ensure that no classmate is uninvited and left disheartened.
Locating Classmates - Cons
The task of locating classmates can easily be split between each committee member. This cuts down on the time and money spent when hiring a reunion committee.
Location - Pros
A reunion company will locate the best venue for the reunion. If the company is local, they are more than likely knowledgeable of the best locations and services for your reunion. They may also be able to negotiate costs.
Location - Cons
If the reunion company is not local to where the reunion is taking place, be careful about the facility that the company decides on and don't be afraid to speak up if it does not seem like a good choice. Remember that you know the best venues in the city better than they do. If a reunion company is not hired, make sure to network with other people from other high schools, including your own. Research different venues for the best location and look for other classmates and friends that have planned reunions to ask questions. You can also post questions on different reunion Web sites.
Music - Pros
Reunion companies handle the arrangement of music and will also pay any deposits. Again, if the reunion company is local, they may know the best bands and DJ's. If they are not local, you may want to get references from their choice and listen to their rehearsal. Make sure you that you communicate about what kind of music will be played and understand the agreement for the amount of time and pay that the DJ is contracted for.
Music - Cons
Take into consideration that most classmates attending plan to reunite with old friends and will be socializing instead of dancing. You may not want to put forth a lot of money in this area. Creating your own play list of music is a great way to cut cost but takes some time and effort. iTunes is an easy software program to create play lists from an iPod to make sure that everyone enjoys the music.
Photographer - Pros
Reunion companies will also find a professional photographer for your reunion. For a reasonable cost, reunion companies offer a CD containing pictures of the reunion. This is also nice for those unable to attend the reunion.
Photographer - Cons
Keep in mind that a lot of classmate's will bring their own digital cameras and will not be willing to pay for professional photographs. To cut cost, you could provide throw away cameras on tables or download pictures posted on the class site from classmates to gather and create a CD.
Invitations / Decorations - Pros
Reunion companies will mail out all of the invitations and follow up on those that they do not hear from; this will save your committee a lot of time and effort. Committee members decide the cost for all of the decorations, name tags, souvenirs, etc... that the reunion company handles.
Invitations / Decorations - Cons
Remember that classmates attending the reunion are there to reunite with old friends and most likely won't notice the decorations as much as you'd think, so you might not want to spend too much money in this area. It's most likely that decorations and invitations can be done in a more cost efficient manner if classmates take on the responsibility.
Now that all of the pros and cons are laid out, it's time to decide if you want to hire one. Good luck!
