Organizing A Successful Family Reunion

If your reading this article you're probably one of those family members who have a spot in your heart for family reunions. The questions is how to organize a successful family reunion event.

1. Get Help Early In The Project
Form a reunion committee comprised of at least one member per 25 attendees. Delegate all tasks. Your task is to follow up with the progress of each task and keep everyone on the same page.

2. Good Communication
You've heard it said "if you build it they will come?" That may be true when it comes to planning a special event. But if no one told them you built it don't expect company. That said, it's important to get the word out as early as possible.

3. Provide Plenty of Time To Rally Support
Often good communication and plenty of time is all that's needed to rally support. You want to let the family know that your planning a reunion well in advance. At the very least give them a date. Details can follow later. Now they can schedule time off or adjust their vacation plans to include the reunion.

To that end it is recommended that the reunion be planned at least 7 months to one year in advance providing plenty of time to foresee and execute action items.

To keep reunion meetings from getting bogged down with too much information and little time to follow up with delegated tasks make use of good scheduling, reunion planning tools and action item lists.

For example, if there is a need to schedule a tour of a memorial site, order catering and have a professional on location photo shoot one needs to know when to make calls, who to contact and when to follow up with that person. To avoid forgetting important tasks all that's needed is a good family reunion planner. Family reunion planners are usually in the form of software application, books or bound organizers.

Suggested Reunion Planning Tools
A good family reunion planner organizer should contain a time line checklist with preparation reminders, attendee database, scheduling worksheets, committees assignment sheets, reunion needs lists, meal planner checklists, a music checklist, supplies list, invitations, flyers, itinerary template, dinner program template, announcement submitter, budget and cost estimator as well as other essentials for time and cost effective family reunion planning. One such planner is called Fimark's Family Reunion Planner 3.0. Check out the evaluation version at http://family-reunion-planner.fimark.net/step1.html