Organising a Reunion
Organising a reunion on campus is a great way of re-uniting old friends who have lost touch or a fantastic excuse to hold a celebration for those who are already in contact with each other.
Royal Holloway's Alumni Relations Office supports many alumni-led reunions every year. It is the hard work of alumni who organise such reunions that help other alumni to stay in touch with each other.
Organising a reunion may seem daunting, so we have prepared some simple steps to help you along the way!
Why?
What is the reunion/event in aid of? This will help you determine the format and the venue.
Who?
It is important to consider who you would like to invite and the size of the group (this will also help you determine the venue choice). We can contact alumni (that we have details for) on your behalf to invite them to your reunion. To invite people, please complete the Contact Your Friends Form and allow four weeks for processing.
Under the Data Protection Act we are unable to pass on alumni contact details. If you want to directly contact alumni you may wish to search the Alumni Directory or our alumni groups on Facebook, LinkedIn and Friends Reunited.
Where?
You need to think about the style and format of the reunion/event e.g. drinks reception, informal buffet lunch, sit down dinner, disco or activity related event e.g. Campus Tour or visit to RHUL Archives.
Consider both the budget and date for your reunion – these will influence which venue you choose. We have a range of venues on campus that may be suitable for your gathering/reunion with catering options at highly discounted prices.
When?
We recommend organising your reunion at least 6 months prior to your event, although 12 months is not too early! You need to consider what time of year to run your event, and what other events, sports, public holidays etc. may affect attendance.
How?
The more people you can get to help organise your reunion the better. Things to consider include:
- Set yourself a realistic timeline
- What do you want to say in your communication e.g. where, when, RSVP?
- Keep a record of who has accepted the invitation so that you can confirm with the venue and catering on the numbers
- Plan your budget – if you want to charge for an event ensure you cover all your costs
- The Alumni Relations Office can help facilitate secure online payment from guests for events organised on campus.
- Consider sending a list of attendees prior to the event/reunion
- It is advisable to supply guests with name badges, especially for larger reunions
After the event
- You may wish to send a thank you letter to your guests.
- It would be great if you could produce a report on your event and send photos and any new contacts to the Alumni Relations Office to display on the alumni website, along with any quotes from alumni.
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