Planning not practice, makes perfect!So, you're planning your family reunion? You're probably feeling a mix of emotions ranging from excited to nostalgic to overwhelmed. That's all perfectly normal. And, you're not alone. According to the Travel Industry Association, 34 percent of U.S. adults have traveled to a family reunion in the past three years, which translates to nearly 72 million Americans.Luckily, a few simple tips can get you well on your way to a successful and memorable event. Just consider the five "w's" and the "h"- who, what, where, when, why, and how (not necessarily in that order)- and soon, you'll have a winning and workable plan. Who? While this might seem like an odd question at first, the answer can have a big impact on the rest of your planning, including deciding on location and date. You need to determine, for the purposes of this gathering, just "who" is family. Is it all the descendants of a certain branch of the family tree (your great-great grandparents, for example)? Or will it be a more intimate gathering of more immediate relatives? Why? What are the reasons for gathering? To reminisce? Have fun? Work on family geneology? Forge deeper family ties and instill a sense of belonging and tradition in the younger generation? Answers to these questions will help you frame the tone of the event, as well as determind logistical concerns and possible themes. When? Most families plan their reunions for the summertime, so as not to have to work around school schedules. While some reunions remain a one-day affair, many have evolved into multi-day events. In determining the timing, you should also think about whether you will hold your family reunion each year, every other year or on some other mutually agreeable timeline. Because the majority of family reunions are now planned one year or more before the date of the event, and because many family members will be traveling to attend, selecting a date should be one of your first tasks. Once the date has been chosen, you may want to send a short letter or postcard asking family members to mark the date of the reunion on their calendars. Enclosing a "Save the Date" magnet or similar item is a nice touch and will help keep the upcoming gathering at the forefront of everyone's mind. Where? The location you choose for your family reunion must be both accessible and convenient for most of those planning to attend. It is important to take into consideration the time and distance people will be traveling, as well as anyone who may need the assistance of a wheelchair or other mobility device. Depending on your expected attendence, the location you select could be anything from a family member's home or backyard, to a pavilion at a local park or a local rental hall or restaurant. Another populat opion is a destination gathering, where family members take their reunion on the road to meet up at a large resort or theme park like Disney World, go on a cruise or visit a place with historical family significance. A fun way to document your trip and stand our from the crowd is to design special reunion t-shirts, with one design and color for the whole group or shirts that share the same design, but feature different colors for the different branches of the family tree. A great resource, no matter where you decide to hold your family reunion, is the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) in your host city. Often, host city CVBs will assist with various aspects of your planning, including locating a venur and reserving blocks of hotel rooms. Many even provide complementary "goody bags" packed with promotional items. What? What will be the theme (if any), tone and itinerary of your reunion? Will it be a simple social gathering with a barbeque or potluck- a time for family members to catch up and have fun? or a more elaborate affair with a theme, entertainment and catering? Of course, there is a wide menu of choices between these two extremes. Make sure to think about the demographics of your family and be sure to plan something enjoyable for everyone, from the seniors to the kids and everyone in between. Many family reunions feature old-fashioned picnic games like sack races, three-legged races, balloon toss and others. Also popular are pick0up team contests like softball, touch football or soccer. If you're reunion is lasting more than a day or two, you can plan a golf outing or similar group activity in addition to the reunion itself. It's also a good idea to have plenty of venue-appropriate toys and activities for kids, such as sidewalk chalk, bubbles and balls to keep the little ones occupied and entertained. Why not ordeer custom Frisbees that everyone can play with and then take home as a souvenir? How? How in the world will all of this ever get done? The first thing to remember is you can't do it all alone. Enlist family members to help and then delegate tasks. Some large, established family reunions have standing committees, elected officers and voting bodies. Whether you go the formal, democratic route or just grab your sisters and a couple of cousins, get some help and divide and conquer. In today's fast-paced digital world, there are many online tools that can help you organize your reunion and locate missing family members. To get input on the many decisions that must be made during the initial planning phase, you may want to consider sending a survey. Several sites, including SurveyMonkey.com and SurveyPro allow you to create free online surveys, then collect and download the results and analysis. Utilizing Interney forums, message boards or social networking sites like Myspace or Facebook can help facilitate planning without the need for meeting in person. Specialty sites, such as MyFamily.com even allow you to upload family geneology information, in addition to offering many different posting and messaging tools. Above all, have fun and remember that you're creating precious family memories that may endure generations. Want some more ideas, need a resource for purchasing family t-shirts and other goodies? Check out The Reunion Zone Have any questions, call us at 866-863-8705 or email us at info@thereunionzone.com |
