Suppose a classmate called you and said “Hey, we’re having a class reunion next month. See you there!” Could you attend? For many classmates - even those who still live in the same town where the reunion is held - the answer may be a resounding no.

Let’s consider the variables in play: If you don’t want weather to put a damper on things, spring or summer are the most logical times to host a reunion. But those times of year are also natural choices for those planning vacations or weddings.

With vacations, ticket and lodging reservations often have to be made well in advance, without guarantee of getting a full refund in case of cancellation. And weddings often require months of advance notice as well, even if it’s not your own. We’ve all had those years where friend and family nuptials were happening seemingly every other weekend.

Oftentimes classmates with families have their children involved with summer sports or other activities. Some employees may not have any vacation days left in the year. The possible scheduling conflicts could be endless. Add in the logistics of arranging travel, lodging and budgeting expenses, and one thing quickly becomes clear: If you want people to show up, you have to give them time to plan ahead.

So what’s the magic number? We recommend 18-24 months notice. This may not seem ideal if your 10-year reunion is only 8 or 9 months away, but you’ll get a lot more kudos if your 11- or 12-year reunion rocks the house than if you’re bound and determined to hit that classic 10-year date, and wind up with a sparsely attended event.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 18th, 2009 at 11:32 am and is filed under High School Alums. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.