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Ten Steps to Plan the Perfect Reunion

For Families, School, Military, Friends

The historic Interlaken Inn has hosted hundreds of reunions during its 110-year history.  Through the years it has acquired several helpful tips to planning an effective and happy reunion, whether for the family, school mates, military buddies or just good friends who enjoy each other's company.  The Interlaken Inn's Ten Top Tips For Planning the Perfect Reunion are: 

1. Build your guest list carefully.

Searching for names and addresses is a vital part of planning many reunions. If yours is a class or military group and you've not had any reunions recently, researching may be the focus of much of your initial planning in order to locate missing members. If yours is a family reunion, getting back in touch with long lost cousins may be time consuming but worth the effort.  Many families search for individuals and even branches they've lost contact with through the years, doing so through genealogy searches, with great help from the Internet. Be sure to create a list or database that includes names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and a place for notes.  Update the list as you gather more information.

Seek the help of relatives, classmates, etc., as you expand your lists.  It's likely that many of the people you are trying to locate are already in the address books of people that you know - you just need to ask.

2. Choosing a date

What time to have the reunion may be an easy decision for some, but for others it can be one of the most important choices to make. A key rule of reunion timing is to pick a date and stick to it. For most reunions, there will be people who are not able to attend due to date conflicts.  If you start changing the date to accommodate select people, you'll then inconvenience others and ultimately end where you started - not everyone will be able to attend.  Try to select a date with significant advance lead-time and at a time during the year when most will be able to attend.  For family reunions involving school age children, it's best to choose a week near the end of July or at the beginning of August. These are, admittedly, prime tourist travel months and can be more expensive, however, your attendance may be much higher. 

Once you've announced the date, do not change it … you will save yourself many headaches.

3. Share the load

Everyone involved in reunion planning needs to work together to help make the reunion successful. This includes sharing costs and time and showing the needed commitment to success. One person can't do it all so form a committee, led by a highly responsible and organized person. Then delegate like your life depended on it.

4. Establish criteria for choosing your reunion site.

The reunion location should be centralized so that the maximum number of people can attend.  Keep travel costs low by planning the gathering within 100 miles of a major airport. The smaller the airport, the more expensive the flights. 

Also, be sure to consider elevation (especially in mountainous areas) to accommodate people with health concerns at higher elevations.

5. Agree to a budget and stick to it!

Consider condos, inns, lodges and other nicer accommodations for your reunion guests. It takes some shopping to find affordable rooms with cooking facilities and a meeting room where all can congregate.

Sometimes resorts with condos offer accommodations that sleep 10 to 12 people, offering great savings.  You don't want cost to keep anyone away, so take into consideration seasons -- perhaps reconsider certain venues during high-demand seasons, such as winter ski season.  These same venues are more price-flexible during low demand periods and so you can negotiate a better room rate.   Agree to your reunion budget ahead of time and find accommodations that enable you to stick to it.

6. Amenities are Important.

Many reunions have attendees that love outdoor sports and dining, so look for properties that offer a vast array of amenities, such as swimming pools, golf courses, lakes, bikes, horses, skating rinks and beaches. Try to secure a large meeting room for getting together as a group.  Choose an area that offers additional activities such as museums, sightseeing, water sports, historic sites, or live entertainment.

If the reunion is for older individuals, such as a military or class reunion, take the age and ability of the attendees into consideration. 

7. Be weather wise.

Come prepared for the usual weather experienced by your reunion destination - research this before you leave home.  If the location you are considering becomes cool in the evening, be sure to prepare for this by taking a jacket.  If rain occurs often, umbrellas are a must.  If your gathering occurs in the winter, heavier clothes that enable "layering" are a must.

8. Get the word out.

There are many ways to communicate. While receiving mailed invitations can be nice, it is a lot easier and considerably less expensive to communicate by email, which is what more and more reunions are doing.

If your group invests in a brochure to promote your reunion, be sure the brochure is succinct yet descriptive of the event and the location, and offers a response tool, such as a tear off self-mailer card.  Reunion organizers complain about getting the mailings out on time and getting the responses back in late.  Given the near universality of email today, this inexpensive tool may be your best bet for promoting the reunion and securing timely RSVPs.

If you do mail out brochures, many hotels and resorts are happy to share their brochures but the heavier the mailing, the higher the postage.  Including the hotel's website address in your email invitation can be just as effective.

9. Start planning ahead for next time.

For those who did not attend, report to them on what they missed.  The word-of-mouth attention created will pleasantly surprise you and make the next reunion easier to promote.

Keep your reunion database current - this may start at the reunion event.  Ask everyone for updated information.  Assign a responsible committee and leader for the next event and set an initial date and location.

10.  Most of all have fun!

Reunions are wonderful opportunities to reconnect, reminisce, and enjoy special time with people you care about, have a common history with, or love like family.  Try not to let the work involved get in front of the joy of the reunion experience.  Be sure to have a great time!

About the Inn:

The Interlaken Inn Resort is located in the foothills of the Berkshires in historic Litchfield County, Connecticut, between two picturesque lakes.  With 90 first-class guestrooms and award-winning dining, the Inn features extensive resort, recreation and fitness facilities. The Interlaken is adjacent to the Hotchkiss Golf Course, recognized as one of Connecticut's most scenic and challenging courses, and near Route 7, Connecticut's renowned antique route.  Less than two hours from Manhattan, The Interlaken is ideally located, between New York's historic Hudson Valley and the cultural center of Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

For more information on the "Ten Steps to Planning the Perfect Reunion" or to make reservations, please contact The Interlaken Inn Resort at 860-435-9878, 800-222 2909 or visit www.interlakeninn.com.

Edited by Erika Wright

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