Planning the Perfect Class Reunion

We have produced many class reunions and there are always questions as to what to do. Give yourself plenty of time and contact us as early as possible. Here are some tips to help you.

First get some help. Recruit some dedicated and enthusiastic individuals who are willing to help plan and get the word out. Keep the core committee group small with 3-5 members. You might want to appoint a reunion chair to arrange meetings and a treasurer to oversee finances. The rest of your team can work on various reunion tasks. Don't underestimate the work involved. Share the work amongst as many who are willing to offer their help. There are many details and arrangements. A professional planner can save you time and money and provide suggestions.

When do we start? Some committees start planning up to two years in advance. The amount of lead time you need really depends on how elaborate of an event you are planning but generally speaking the more time you give yourselves the better! Whether you are planning a simple family picnic or a formal event you will minimally want to start planning at least 12 to 16 months in advance. Don't expect to pull off a successful reunion if you start planning just 6 months before the event as many of your classmates will need significant lead time in order to participate especially those living far away.

What work items does the reunion committee need to consider?Consider dividing the work activities of your reunion committee into subcommittees or work groups.

Here is a listing of some of the tasks you will need to consider:

• date selection
• determine event venue and format
• event program
• event location / lodging selection
• financing
• classmate contact listing
  • postal addresses, email addresses, phone numbers
  • search for missing classmates
• web site development / maintenance
• decorations
• entertainment
• photographer
• registration & name tags
• momentos
• reunion / memories booklet
• marketing & communications
• mailers, emailings
  
  • newspaper and internet advertising
• deceased classmates tribute
• additional reunion activities
  • school tours, pre & post reunion events
• class gift to your school

While there are many other things to consider this give you a glimpse at what a reunion requires. Pierce Events can assist you with ticket sales, online promotion, website development, group discounts, site selection, accommodations, entertainment and more.

Let us plan the perfect reunion for you. Call us today! 724-986-6939

Pierce Events offers complete event planning, production and management services for corporate, social and non-profit events. For more information and other helpful tips visit our website at www.pierceevents.net ◦

Planning the Perfect Class Reunion

Brian Olsen - Rockin The Canvass

Brian Olsen's Art in Action is an explosion: a colorful display of paint, energy, music and passion. Using fingertips, palms, elbows and up to three brushes in each hand, Brian paints portraits of famous people including musicians, sports figures, and top corporate heads on a four and a half by six foot canvas in just a matter of minutes. His creations are choreographed to music that is powerful and stimulates the senses. Brian’s Art in Action is described as "an emotional experience" taking his audience through an amazing journey of excitement, suspense, cheer, and surprise. His ability to captivate his audience and share the experience of color, music, and action is a way to bring people into the world of art and creativity. It is a new artform that brings people together to share the explosion of art and stir up the personal creativity we all have within.

Pierce Events offers complete event planning, production and management services for corporate, social and non-profit events. For more information and other helpful tips visit our website at www.pierceevents.net ◦

Brian Olsen - Rockin The Canvass

The Power of Promotion: Social Media

It does not matter how wonderful your event is if no one comes. I just heard of a recent event in which the planner was expecting 2000 people to attend over 3 days. Final count was 200. A huge loss in many ways.

We at Pierce Events use Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and even this blog to keep up to date with clients, friends, other event pros and those interested in the events we produce.

Social media is a great way to engage with your audience, or potential audience, before and after your next event. Social media platforms are the quickest, most effective way of reaching out to your audience to promote your event and increase attendance. When combined with traditional advertisng just about anyone can launch an effective campagin. So what are some of the best ways to harness the power of social media to help spread the word of your event? Here are some important things to keep in mind:

Start NOW – The earlier you start spreading the word, the better off you’ll be. Get your event listed in Facebook Events and start sending out introductory Tweets about it. If you have videos, get them uploaded early. You want buzz about your event to build.


Update Often – The more updates you make and information you add about your event, the more contact you will have with your audience. In turn, the more likely they will be to attend and spread the word of your event for you. Content is king, so keep it coming.

Aim Wide – One post won't do much. Get your event information in front of as many people as many times as possible. Hit Facebook, Myspace, YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr and Blogger to promote your event.

Remind Them – Don’t forget to keep reminding people about your event as it approaches. Keeping your event at the top of peoples’ minds leading up to it does not give them a chance to forget the event.

Post-Event Follow – If you’re going to promote your event via social media, wrap up with it as well. Share photos, videos, and quotes through the same channels you used to promote. This will give those that did attend a chance to recap the event and those that didn’t a chance to see what they missed.


Pierce Events offers complete event planning, production and management services for corporate, social and non-profit events. For more information and other helpful tips visit our website at www.pierceevents.net ◦

The Power of Promotion: Social Media