How to Organize a Family Reunion

Organizing a family reunion can take a lot of time and energy so it helps to formulate a strategy for getting started.


Decide Who is in Charge of Planning
You can decide to grab hold of the reigns to get your next family reunion off the ground or it may be more realistic to recruit a couple of your other family members to help. This all depends on the scale of the reunion you have in mind. A small gathering takes considerably less effort, so it may be possible for one person to do all the scheduling, but as long as you are trying to get a large group of people together you need to consider getting help.

Fix a Date and Location
Setting a date and location for your reunion is not as simple as it would first appear. This is especially the case if your family is scattered across the globe because everyone would need to take time off work and have money set aside to make the trip. The location should be centralized so all family members have an equal opportunity to attend and it should also be set for a time that is convenient to the largest number of people.

Think About Financing
There may be costs to be shared by the group. For instance, the rental of the location for the reunion is a factor to consider, although you may be able to find a place for free. You also need to think about the cost of refreshments or entertainment if you are planning to enlist outside acts to get momentum going.

Communicate with Attendees
It is the responsibility of the designated planners to communicate with all the potential attendees. Updating people on the issues as they arise and passing on the general consensus of the family members.


Activities
Sharing the family history and playing games should be fun for all, so when you are planning your itinerary remember to consider the different age groups that are likely to be present.
Organizing a family reunion doesn’t have to be a very difficult task. A bit of planning can ensure that your gathering is a great success and it just might turn into the first of many.


Becky Esker is a certified professional organizer, national speaker, owner of Get Organized! L.L.C., and the forthcoming author of a new organizing book. Becky and her team provide hands-on services to those in the greater eastern Iowa area and also provide a wide array of products and service to businesses and individuals nationwide through their website. For more information access www.TheOrganizingChoice.com; www.SecondGOAroundAuctions.com; www.ItsSimplySerendipity.com; www.OutstandingSeminars.com