STEP 5: Create A Website
At this stage, you want to start to create some interest in the reunion. The more content that you can put on the website the better. Classmates who visit the website will see that you are serious about the reunion and will help to spread the word.
You should post a message that tells visitors you are in the early stages of planning the reunion. Invite everyone who visits the website to register on the classmates page and to tell their friends about the website. Encourage people to come back often as there will be many updates in the coming weeks and months.
The 5 Best Things the Website will do for your Reunion
It is a great way to create interest in the reunion and increase attendance.
It is a great way to sell tickets to the reunion.
It allows you to get feedback from classmates about the reunion.
It is the best place for classmates to get reunion updates.
It is a meeting place for alumni.
Recommended Pages
Here are a few pages we recommend that people use on their reunion website:
- Classmates / Registration Page: This is where people can enter their contact information, 2 pictures (then and now) and tell everyone what they’ve been up to. On your home page, you should remind people to submit a profile on the page commonly called “classmates” (or “registration”).
- Missing Classmates Page: Classmates visiting the site can get involved by helping to find the missing! On the home page of the website encourage visitors to see if they know anyone on the missing page and tell them about the reunion. Remember Word of Mouth is your best way to promote the reunion. You can use one of the “Extra Pages” (in your control panel) for this or use the home page. Simply type in the n ames of the missing people and update it regularly.
- Memorials Page: Pay tribute to those classmates no longer with us with the “memorial page” (in your control panel). This page has special tools that allow you to enter an obituary, upload an image and allow others to pay tribute on the website.
- Sponsorship Page: An excellent way to raise money for the event. Offer ad space on this page to classmates or vendors who give cash or prizes to benefit the reunion. Use an Extra Page (in your control panel) for this and create a “package” in your dashboard for the ad.
- Purchase Tickets Page: Offering classmates the ability to purchase tickets online with a credit card is a great way to increase attendance at the reunion and reduce your workload.
- Photo Albums: A picture says 1000 words. Providing your classmates with images from high school will go a long way to illicit feelings of nostalgia that are a key ingredient to helping classmates decide whether to attend the reunion. Great before and after the reunion and for those who could not come to the event. These are the pages we recommend you use on the MyEvent.com Reunion Website Builder.
- Flashback Page: One thing your classmates will surely enjoy is a trip down memory lane. This includes a list of all the things that were current the year you graduated. You can find information about events of a particular year simply by doing a search on that year. It’s fun for everyone to see the pictures and content related to music, tv, movies, sports, and politics. Use an “Extra Page” (in your control panel) for this.
- Questionnaire: This page (called "custom form" in your control panel) can be customized with all sorts of questions, that allow for answers in all formats (true/false, multiple choice, paragraphs…). It’s a great way to collect information for the memory book if you are planning on having one or to use in some games you will play at the reunion. The custom form is also a great survey tool if you want to get opinions about when to have the reunion or what theme everyone would like.
- RSVP Page: When you first start planning the reunion, many classmates will be reluctant to buy tickets. The RSVP page is a good way to at least gage if people intend to come to the reunion. This can give you important planning information and give you a list to follow up with as the reunion approaches. Use “free” tickets to create an RSVP page if you are planning very far ahead.
- Travellers Page: A very important page that conveys many important details about hotel accommodations, recommended restaurants, things to do and links about the city where the reunion is taking place.
- Happy Birthday: Who can resist their own public birthday announcement? This can be done on a section of the home page or on an "Extra Page".
- What’s New: Here classmates can post life events: engagements, marriages, new babies, grandchildren, honors, awards, etc. This can be done on a section of the home page or on an "Extra Page".
- Reunion Tips: Include humorous lists on how to behave at the reunion, what not to do, how to mentally prepare. Keep them light and funny. This can be done on a section of the home page or on an "Extra Page".
Top 5 Ideas to Keep Alumni Returning to the Website
Post Guess Who photos. This can be a classmate, teacher, administrator, picture of a building or classroom. It is fun to use current pictures of classmates or teachers for this.
Create a Who’s Coming page so that others can check and see who is planning to attend. We advise that you wait until there is a critical mass of tickets sold (60, for example), before you post this information. The reason for this is that people are less likely to buy tickets if they know that only 12 tickets have been sold so far.
Post old pictures of classmates and teachers on each page. Change them periodically.
Include a last updated date on the home page so people will know when new information has been added.
Include video clips. This can be of reunion committee meetings, clips from the old school, random clips from classmates. It is very easy to add a digital video clip to sites like youtube.com.
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