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Reunion Communications Guide Getting the word out

Organizing an event for many families, spread out over many cities and involving hundreds (okay, maybe your family is smaller, but trust me, some of these reunions are big!), requires a great deal of communication.

The first step is a survey. We suggest sending out a simple survey asking folks what kind of event the want, where they want to hold it, and when is a good time. This is also a good time to collect addresses you don't have. (Do you have the address for Uncle Jim? I haven't seen him in 5 years.) This gets people involved early. Do this by email if you can. It will speed the process and save you money on postage or long distance calls. 

After you collect the addresses and pick a date and location it's time to send out invitations. It's a special event and we suggest a special personalized reunion invitation from Party411's Creations for You. Whether you use a caricature of the family matriarch, a family motto, or a picture of the family estate you can send an invitation that's unforgettable and that promises a truly special event. Be sure to include a picture of a family member! It's a good idea to include a RSVP. It will save you time chasing down responses later. Include a space on the RSVP to collect email addresses. Identify a member from each branch of the family to act as a liaison. You'll never get everyone to respond directly but your Aunt Marge in Cleveland will let you know whose coming from her family. 

You can also dress your invitation up by including some summer cookout confetti in the envelope. Or have fun with it by mailing the invite in a padded envelope along with a small deflated beach ball. Take a permanent marker and write "Hope you will come, it will be a BALL" on the side of the beach ball, everyone will love it!

Have a central e-mail address for all questions and comments. Include the e-mail address (and a phone number for that rare person that doesn't have e-mail)? in the invite and encourage everyone to contact you with any question they may have.

When the subcommittees are formed send out an email to remind everyone of their responsibilities. Don't forget to send out updates and reminders. It will really increase excitement about the event.

Create an agenda. You can send this out by email before the event but have a printed version for the event itself. It's really helpful for out of town guests and everyone benefits from knowing when to be where.

If you have any questions about getting the word out contact the PartyGirl.

Go back to the Family Reunion Planning Guide

Questions about reunion planning? Ask the Experts!