Get Organized - Get volunteers for a planning committee. Even if it's the old committee-of-one, keep in mind that if the planning isn't organized, the event will not be organized. If you haven't already, maybe you should consider sending out a survey asking what they would like to do. This could help give you ideas for activities and projects..  Select the Type of event - How many people,w many days, and how expensive will it be?  These may be some of the more important decisions that you'll make as the group planner. Choose a Date - You can't have an event without a date. So, to start, what time of year is best for the kind of group you're planning for?  You'll not only need a date, but also a start day and an end day.  Make sure, in your planning, that you leave enough lead-time to do all of the necessary planning for this affair.  Don't force attendees to scramble with their already tight schedule so they can attend.  If most of the people travel a significant distance to get to the event, they’ll most likely want to justify the expense by staying more than just a day or two.  Keep in mind, no matter how hard you try, you may never find a date perfect for everyone.

About here is where our staff can become very helpful. Some people think of summer as the best time to hold events and reunions.  Warm weather is good for outdoor sports, but so is spring and fall.  Many events are certainly not weather related and Quail's Nest's rates are considerably less during Spring, Fall and Winter.  Long weekends during "the cheaper off-season" can also be a great time for a get-together and that usually works well for most families with school age children. Of course, the most economical and the least crowded time is the weekdays during the winter.

 

Find a Location - Choosing the right location may be the most important decision you’ll make.. It's easier to choose a location once you know what type of event or reunion you want, the desired dates, and having a fundamental idea of how many people will be attending. When you find the perfect site and decide to make your reservation, always request a confirmation letter or contract that spells out all the details that were agreed to verbally.  You'll want it all in black-and-white so that there's no room for misunderstanding. Pick the Guests and Send out Invitations - What's a family reunion without family? What's an event without attendees? Who gets invited should depend upon what type event, what's it cost, where it will be held, and the purpose of the get-together.  Now, it's time to tell everyone about this event that you’ve worked so hard on. But remember how invitations go. You'll have to keep reminding them over and over. Seeing that you want a well organized event, you'll need to establish some agreed upon rules about reservation deadlines, cancellation dates and deposit refunds. You can include that information as well as asking about special needs on the return response card sent out with the invitation. Develop a Budget - By now, you know about what you're going to be paying to have this event. Even if you are planning a self pay event, there can be miscellaneous group costs.  A fairly detailed budget will save lots of problems later on.  There are many areas that you can trim costs, but  food is an area that can be one of the biggest expenses or cost savers Feed the Folks - Meals seem to be the only activity that brings everyone together. Providing food and refreshments for your crowd can be handled in a number of different ways.   It all depends upon the type of get-together you're planning.  Always the big question is, who's providing the food? For example, everyone could be responsible for one meal each day.  The disadvantage is that folks tend to go off on their own and may not make contact with others.  Everyone could get together for a casual lunch meeting and maybe have a more formal dinner.  Dinner at a restaurant or hotel banquet room is a very nice option, but the disadvantage is that a restaurant meal usually costs a lot more than other choices.  The advantage is that no one has to worry about cooking or cleaning up afterwards.

You may find that a combination of choices will work best. Many of our groups have found that catering services provide individual meals and some can even provide prepared food in bulk at a lower cost.  Quail's Nest has a list of affordable reliable catering services.  Remember that you'll be needing plates and eating utensils so make sure you find out what the caterer provides.   Quail's Nest meeting facility, also, has a warming kitchen for bulk foods or food from home. Quail's Nest allows your group to provide your own refreshments with no surcharge. Many hotels do not allow drinks or food to be brought on property for group usage.

 

Keep People Busy - Use your imagination and try to think up as many fun things to do as possible.  You can recognize members for every reason under the sun.  Possible recognition categories could be: The oldest and youngest Who traveled the least and greatest distances  Who has attended the most consecutive events or reunions Activities for a group or family reunion could be: Team Building Activity Golf Day Dinner Cruise on the Lake Picnic at Ha Ha Tonka State Park

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