Alumni Events & Reunions

Reunions can come in all shapes and sizes, but general steps that should be considering are:

• Forming a planning committeeand assigning specific tasks as needed.
• Setting a date and time.Summer is typically a time when people have more flexibility, and the holidays are a time when non-Tucson classmates return to visit family still in town. Setting a date farther in advance will allow people more time to plan their attendance. 
• Creating a budget.Line items to consider include venue rental, catering, entertainment, decorations, printed materials, gifts, etc.  This will help you set ticket prices while considering affordability and the need/desire to obtain donations or sponsors for the event. Your planning committee can also consider a reunion gift to the school (e.g., to a scholarship fund).
• Securing a venuethat will accommodate your expected number of attendees. Common venues include bars, hotels, banquet halls, parks, etc. Now that the venue contract may include terms for a deposit, catering, and other fees. If you anticipate many attendees coming from out of town, consider if there are hotels nearby and transportation options.
• Deciding on food and drink, which may be dictated by the budget and desired “feel” of the event. Catering options include buffet-style meals, plated dinners, finger foods, etc. You will also need to determine if you plan to serve alcohol and in which manner (e.g., open bar, cash bar, BYOB, discount tickets). 
• Planning entertainment and activities.Planning the reunion music is likely a first step: will you hire a DJ? Create a playlist from your high school era? Plus there are many other activities that reunions can have, including a memorabilia display (with old yearbooks, photos, school trinkets), photo booths, awards (e.g., best dressed), speeches and presentations, etc.
• Promoting the event, which normally involves creating a website or social media page to display event details and updates as well as finding and adding your classmates to that portal. Consider save-the-date emails before formal invitations, and make sure to include a link for ticket purchasing.
• Organize ticket sales, which is normally done through event/finance platforms like Eventbrite, PayPal, Venmo, etc. Ticket packages can also be considered based on your reunion sophistication (e.g., couples tickets, early bird pricing). If event funds are going into a personal account, get approval from your planning committee and be forthright about to attendees if applicable.
• Handling event day logistics, include setup, registration table management, vendor coordination, etc.
• Following up post event, which can include sending thank you notes to attendees or support groups and sharing photos. UHSFAA will likely contact you for photos (if appropriate) and testimonials on how the event went.

 A general timeline for these steps are:

• 12-18 months before: form committee, set date, choose venue
• 6-12 months before: budget, book vendors, start promoting
• 3-6 months before: finalize activities, catering, ticket sales
• 1-2 months before: confirm final details, send reminder emails
• Event day: execute logistics, ensure everything runs smoothly

Unfortunately not. UHSFAA can only contact those alumni who have subscribed to our mailing listserv and cannot share their contact information outside of our organization without consent.

It has been difficult for many reunion planning committees to reconnect with all of their classmates. UHSFAA has heard that the school administration might have a database that can be used for this purpose, but we have not been able to verify this.

One reunion organizer said they went about it more tediously: they got out their yearbook and tried to find classmates through social media as best they could. Use your school contacts, and the contacts of those you can get ahold of, to try to reach as many classmates as possible.

If you want UHSFAA to contact prospective reunion attendees/classmates, please provide us with all the information you want shared (e.g., email language, event details, links to event registration, etc.).

Honestly – it depends. Is the reunion being held in a public or a private location? Does the venue have specific rules? Are their any local privacy laws to consider? What are the likely expectations of privacy for attendees?

These are questions you should ask yourself and research before finalizing how your group will be taking and sharing pictures of your event. Know that it is generally advisable to get consent from individuals before taking or sharing their photos. This is especially true if children may be in the photos.

Not to date. While UHSFAA wants to help our alumni as much as possible, the organization minimizes reunion organization due to liability concerns. If support is needed on these logistics, see other information on this page.

Just like with any insurance policy, the answer to this question lies with how much risk you and your planning committee want to take on if something were to happen at the event that you may be liable for (e.g., injury, property damage, cancellation/postponement). Such risks typically increase as the size and complexity of the event increase. Some venues require event insurance as well.

One insurance agent told UHSFAA that these types of events are “dynamite” for getting insurance claims against the organizing parties, especially if there is alcohol involved and depending on how that alcohol was provided to attendees. Thus UHSFAA highly recommends that such insurance is considered by your planning committee.

Many insurance companies can offer one-time event policies, as can specific event insurers like EventHelper, Tulip, or WedSafe.