Chalk Talk (Q&A)

Here are some questions asked of Class Act over the years by reunion-committee members, reunion-goers, competitors, the curious, and even ourselves:

Q: Is the admission cost really important as to whether a person will attend a reunion? Our committee is thinking that people in our class would pay $65 or $75. Are we right?

A: An unequivocal "yes" - cost is very important. But a respectful "no" - most people in a class won't pay $65 or $75 (or even $50!). As we mention on the What We Do page, our admission cost is rarely more than $45, and often less.

Rule No. 1 in reunion planning: Higher price = lower turnout. More than any other factor, price determines whether a person will attend. Members of the committee obviously are excited and enthusiastic about the reunion (or else they wouldn't be on the committee). So they're likely to pay whatever the cost is. A few others in the class may feel the same.

But - and this is a Big But - the vast majority of the class isn't nearly as fired up. For some, a reunion is as exciting as a root canal. They're almost looking for reasons not to attend, and a high admission price all but guarantees that they won't. It's not that they can't afford the price; they just don't think this type of event should cost that much.

Q: OK, so you keep the price down. But does that mean you cut corners and offer fewer services and touches than other reunion planners?

A: Not at all. A Class Act-produced event looks a lot like the typical reunion - nicely decorated room, with food, music, a photographer, etc. But there's one key difference: more people. We've found that most attendees judge the success of a reunion primarily by the turnout. A lower price, combined with a good job of tracking down classmates - and we pride ourselves on our "detective work" - translates to a roomful of reunion-goers.

In fact, of the largest and best-attended reunions held in Houston each year, almost all are coordinated by Class Act. That's due primarily to our ability to locate classmates, our reasonable admission prices and not making the event too formal.

Q: Our committee is thinking about doing our reunion on our own. We'll use the Internet and various social and high-school-related websites to find everyone and to publicize the reunion. We might even set up a class website. So we don't need a company, do we?

A: Maybe not - if you have 100 hours or more of time and can assume a financial commitment that typically exceeds $6,000. But be careful: When you contact hotels or other possible locations, many will want at least a $500 deposit, often $1,000. In addition, they'll put you on a "payment schedule" leading up to the reunion. That can create a cash crunch for the committee because most people attending a reunion don't pay until the last two to three weeks.

Also, if you count on the Internet as your main means of locating classmates, you'll be disappointed. The majority of people in most classes aren't listed on The Web. And of those who are, it's not because they're particularly interested in a reunion. They're simply looking to find, or be found by, one or two former classmates. Also, for many people whose names appear online, the email addresses linked to them are outdated. As for locating people by way of Internet "white page" services, more than 50 percent of the phone numbers in the U.S. are unlisted and won't show up online.

Q: But we have people on our committee who've planned parties and events like banquets, benefits and galas. Doesn't that matter?

Not really. A reunion is a much different animal: Party planning is only about 10 percent of what's involved. The other 90 percent is good detective work. Sounds boring, but it's true. Committees working on their own tend to focus much more on party planning than locating classmates. When that happens, the stress levels are high and committees can - and often do - get in a financial bind. We've heard many stories of committees "passing the hat" at the reunion in order to pay the bills.

Quite a few committees that hire us for their 20- or 30-year reunion had handled a previous one on their own. If you ask them afterward which they preferred, going solo or using Class Act, they're likely to point in our direction. Freed from the time and financial burdens discussed above, they were able to enjoy the event like the other attendee. Ever see Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion? Staffing the check-in table isn't exactly the most exciting place to be on reunion night.

Why go through all of this when it costs nothing, other than the price of admission, to enlist the services of Class Act? We'll give you the reunion you want, without the hassles you don't want.

Q: I see that your company is doing quite a few reunions on Friday night, instead of  Saturday. How did that come about? Are there any advantages to it?

A: This is a trend we noticed a few years ago in other parts of the country. So we first tried it in 2004. We've found that the attendance has been on par with Saturday - and sometimes better. The main advantage of Friday is that people have a full weekend day to be together after the main event. So the party can continue for another day, and there's still another day (Sunday) to recover and get ready for the work week. With a Saturday-night reunion, that isn't possible. Another advantage is that locations usually charge less for space on Friday night than Saturday night. That allows us to set the admission price even lower than we normally would. And that, in turn, boosts the turnout.

Q: We think hotels are pretty boring. We want our reunion in a country club or other "stand-alone venue." How do you feel about those types of locations versus hotels?

A: There's a wide variety of stand-alone venues, so our opinion varies. At country clubs, for example, the lights usually have to go up at midnight. That means attendees have to shuffle out even though they're still in a partying mood. Also, country clubs tend to charge a lot for their ballroom space, which finds its way to the admission cost. And, you know the drill: Ticket price up, attendance down. But some clubs work out just fine. And there are other venues that can work well, and whose decor adds to the party atmosphere. 

Q: I've heard that reunion attendance has dropped in recent years. That seems really strange, especially in the age of the Internet and instant communication. Is it true, and why?

A: Yes it is. The Internet helps to spread the word about the reunion. But along with cell phones and cheap long-distance rates, and even discount airfares, The Web makes it easier than ever for people to "reunite privately." People don't need to come to their reunion to re-establish contact with each other, like they used to.

The fact that people are busier than ever also plays a part in the attendance decline. They're working longer hours. They have more family commitments. It's harder to get their attention than it used to be. So, it's especially important to make a reunion appealing and affordable. Maybe we're succeeding: Of the 10 reunion companies that served the Houston area when we began in 1995, only one besides Class Act is still in business.

Q: How many people in our class will come to the reunion? Is there any way to predict? Will half of the class be there?

A: Let's put it this way: If half of each class would attend their reunion, we'd be retired by now - and you wouldn't be reading this! Unfortunately, half of each class has little or no interest in a reunion. It's not that they hated high school or anyone in their class. (Well, OK, in some cases that's true.) But for a lot of people, they might keep up with two or three friends from high school, and that's about it. A reunion just isn't important to them.

So we're drawing from the remaining half of the class. In most cases, about 20 to 30 percent of the class will attend. So, for any group interested in our services, don't worry: We won't be retiring anytime soon!

Q: Just as people scrutinize the elements of a reunion, so too do they question whether they really want to attend. The decision-making can be quite personal. People ask themselves: "How do I look?" "Am I doing OK financially?" "Will I feel awkward attending the reunion by myself?" "Have I achieved the goals I set when I was younger?" How does your company address those concerns?

A: The best way is by staging events that appeal to a wide variety of people. One thing we've learned is that if a reunion is perceived as being too expensive, formal or stuffy, people will stay away. And the purpose of a reunion is to bring people together, not to scare them off. Remember: A Class Act reunion is a party, not the prom! ©