Start by assembling a committee of enthusiastic and energetic alumni to help with all the heavy lifting. Choose people who you get along with and who have enough free time to assist. A diverse group of committee members means each will bring different connections and skills to the table.

Hold the First Reunion Committee Meeting

It’s important to start planning as soon as possible. Once you’ve formed your committee, meet at the earliest opportunity to set a date, giving you a concrete timeframe for completing all necessary tasks.

Brainstorm ideas for venues, entertainment, and catering. When setting the date, consider that multi-day reunions allow guests to truly reconnect and create memorable experiences, while single evening events may feel too short. Weekends work best, with Saturdays being most popular—people typically work on Fridays and spend time with family on Sundays. For multi-day events, starting on Friday maximizes available time.

Consider various activities: school tours, homecoming games, golf outings, spa visits, and more. Remember, even casual gatherings like backyard barbecues require significant planning when accommodating large groups.

Research Reunion Venues & Set the Budget

Begin researching venues online, make calls, and visit locations in person. Your venue choice will determine many other factors, from guest capacity to catering options.

You might not need an elaborate ballroom for 300 people. Many successful reunions are laid-back affairs in intimate settings. Attendance typically ranges from 25-35% of your graduating class, with most attendees bringing a guest. Use these estimates to target appropriate venues.

Once you’ve selected potential venues, develop a preliminary budget based on expected attendance. This budget can be adjusted as details are finalized, but starting without a cost estimate can lead to problems. Research venue rentals, catering, production services (videographers, DJs, photographers), activities, and service-related fees to find the best price/value. Always overestimate expenses to avoid financial surprises as the event approaches.

Start Researching Ticketing Platforms

Key considerations to look for include:

• User-friendly interface
• Service fees and options
• Payment processing fees and options
• Tools and features
• Customer support

When looking for the best place to sell tickets to class reunion events, consider the ticketing platform and payment processor fees. Pricing can significantly impact your budget, especially if you cannot pass fees to the buyer. You’ll want a platform that allows you to collect 100% of your ticket proceeds to help budget for venue, catering, and entertainment expenses.

Look for a platform like TicketStripe that offers:

• Low service fees that can be passed on to buyers
• Stripe & PayPal payment processor integration
• The ability to pass on payment processing fees
• Discounted rates for class reunions (TicketStripe extends our Nonprofit rates to Reunion Events)
• Immediate funding as tickets are sold
• Personalized customer support in addition to self-service knowledge bases

A platform with low fees will make tickets more appealing to your classmates, likely increasing attendance. Additionally, having access to responsive customer support can be invaluable when questions arise during the planning process.

Find Your Classmates

Use social platforms and dedicated services like Classmates.com to reconnect with former classmates. Your fellow alumni are often your best resource for finding others, so start this process early.

Collect email addresses, mailing addresses, phone numbers, and social media profiles to track down as many graduates as possible. When contacting potential attendees, ask if they have information about other classmates or their relatives—sometimes parents or siblings are easier to locate than the classmates themselves.

Consider contacting your alma mater or alumni association for contact lists. Creating a Facebook group can help spread information and connect with classmates searching for reunion details.

Reserve your venue as soon as the committee agrees on it. Booking early ensures availability and provides a foundation for other planning aspects. Get all reservation details in writing to avoid double bookings, rate discrepancies, or “lost” reservations.

Reserve Hotel Blocks for Out-of-Town Classmates

For multi-day reunions or when alumni are scattered geographically, secure nearby hotel accommodations. Reserving blocks of rooms keeps everyone together and allows the reunion to continue informally after the main event.

Book Catering & Other Essential Reunion Services

Now is the time to secure major services: catering, bar service, photography/videography, and entertainment. These professionals are often in high demand, so early booking helps avoid scheduling conflicts.

All reunions should include food—eating together facilitates social interaction better than any name game. Options range from potluck dinners to professional catering with hors d’oeuvres or formal sit-down meals. Your choice depends on the reunion style and venue.

The best platform to sell tickets to class reunion events will offer:

• Ease of use
• Ability to pass fees to buyers
• Discounted rates for reunions
• Payment processor options: Stripe and PayPal
• Registration and promotional tools
• Discount codes
• Manual orders
• Custom order form
• Donation options
• Mobile app for scanning tickets
• Box office app for selling tickets at the door

TicketStripe meets all these requirements and offers personalized support through scheduled Q&A sessions and email. Unlike many ticketing platforms that provide only self-service knowledge bases, TicketStripe gives you access to friendly support staff who can help with any questions.

The platform offers discounted, low service fees, 1.5% + $0.50, that can be passed to buyers, allowing the organizer to collect the full ticket value. Organizes can also pass on merchant fees, maximizing cash flow for reunion expenses.

Connecting TicketStripe with a PayPal account takes seconds and allows classmates to buy class reunion tickets with credit and debit cards, Venmo, PayPal, and Pay Later online. Connecting TicketStripe with a Stripe account is equally fast to connect and allows classmates to buy tickets with debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Klarna. Check out this payment processor comparison to see which is right for your event.

Create Your Class Reunion Event Page and Start Selling Tickets Immediately

Sell tickets to class reunion events in less than 30 minutes with TicketStripe.

1. Create a free account and choose “Nonprofit” for organization type.
2. Customize your event landing page with an image, colors, and unique URL for easy sharing. Add reunion details, venue information, and a brief description.
3. Create Tickets and Donations.
4. Connect to a payment processor, Stripe or PayPal.

While ticket sales help offset reunion costs, they may not cover everything. Balance ticket prices to maximize attendance while covering expenses. List donation options on your event page to help cover additional costs. Be sure to pass on the fees for tickets and donations to eliminate organizer expenses.

Start Promoting the Reunion

Share your event page through social media and email. Your event page serves as a comprehensive resource where guests can find information, purchase tickets, and share details with others. Consider contacting your school or alumni association to include the event in newsletters or social media posts.

TicketStripe’s promoter feature is particularly valuable for class reunions, where reaching scattered classmates can be challenging. This tool allows you to create unique tracking links for committee members or well-connected alumni, who can then share these personalized links with their own networks. Each promoter’s sales are tracked separately, showing which outreach efforts are most effective. This approach exponentially increases your reach by leveraging individual alumni connections—especially helpful for finding classmates who have fallen off the radar or moved to different regions. You might even consider creating friendly competition by recognizing the most successful promoters, encouraging widespread sharing and maximizing attendance at your reunion.

Plan Fun Reunion Activities

Reunions need structured activities to prevent awkward silences. Consider:

• Icebreaker games to initiate conversation
• Video or slideshow presentations of old memories
• Designated quiet areas for personal catch-ups
• Well-paced scheduling with breaks between activities
• Request digital photos or videos from classmates early to create memorable presentations.

Confirm arrangements with all service providers and venues. Meet with hotel and venue staff to review expectations and limitations.

Continue promoting your class reunion page containing all event information: location, time, contact details, and ticket purchase options. Send reminders through mail, email, and text, increasing frequency as the date approaches.

TickeStripe allows you to email all ticket purchasers from your dashboard with just a few clicks.

Continue promoting through social channels and email to reach maximum attendance and keep the event fresh in guests’ minds. With TicketStripe, you maintain complete control over your event and attendee information, allowing you to refund tickets, reassign orders, and communicate with all attendees or specific groups.

Send clear, timely communications:

• Two weeks before: Email all attendees with event details, directions, and parking information
• 48 hours before: Send a final reminder with any last-minute updates

One week before the event, train your staff on the TicketStripe mobile app:

• Ensure all team members are added as Check-in or Box Office users
• Practice printing and scanning sample tickets
• Verify each staff member can log in with their own credentials

On event day, set up an efficient entry system:

• Assign one check-in staff member for every 250 attendees
• Ensure all staff are connected to venue Wi-Fi before guests arrive
• Print an attendee list as a backup

Handle last-minute details and use TicketStripe’s flexible attendee management tools to generate digital tickets for guests who pay offline or our box office app for anyone who wants to pay at the door. This keeps registration accurate and centralized.

Your class reunion should be enjoyable for everyone—including you. Don’t let planning and hosting responsibilities prevent you from having fun. Give yourself permission to enjoy the event alongside your guests.