If you are planning a reunion, and you need a reunion venue, we have the checklist you need to have a smooth experience. We are Tarrant Events Center, serving the Greater Fort Worth area with our all-purpose event center. Call us at 817-996-3636 for more information and helpful advice.
We can’t possibly include everything you need to know, and do, in one article, but we can give you a generalized Top Four things you should do. Let’s get started!
Reunion venue Tip #1
This should be the absolute first thing you do, and it really should be decided upon a full year in advance of your reunion; we’ll tell you why in Tip #2.
Decide upon your reunion budget and decide upon a date. Until you decide upon those two vital pieces of information, there is no point in going forward. Make sure your budget includes the cost of a reunion venue reservation plus the secondary costs like decorations, entertainment, food, servers, etc.
Our suggestion: make a spreadsheet listing everything you will need to make your reunion a success. Include the smallest of items, like napkins. Later, in these tips, it will become obvious why you should list every single item needed.
Reunion venue Tip #2
Next, and this really needs to be done at least a year in advance, visit venues, ask for a quote, decide upon the event hall rental you like the most (and the one you can afford), and make the reservation.
Almost all event centers will take reservations a full year in advance. This is an important point. The sooner you make you reservation, the better chance you will get the date you want. Secondly, making a reservation a year in advance lock you in on the agreed upon price, protecting you against possible rate hikes during the year.
And Tip #3
If money is an issue, and you are doing this on a shoestring budget, this tip involves adopting a DIY attitude and approach to the reunion and your event space rental. You do not need a caterer. You do not need a professional decorator, nor do you need professional musicians. Tap into your circle of friends and let them know what you need, and then decide what you can do yourself.
If money is not an object, or you simply do not like the DIY idea, begin contacting food vendors, entertainment managers, and decorators. It is time to find the best deal, and it will take a considerable amount of time to call all of the vendors, negotiate with them, and decide upon the ones you like.
Followed by the final Tip #4
Finally, Tip #4 is this: stay vigilant the entire step of the process. We suggest a “stay in touch” phone call, at least once per month, with everyone involved, not only your reunion committee, but also all of the vendors and anyone else involved with the staging and completion of your event.
There is an old saying that the greasy wheel gets the grease, and although it may be a somewhat annoying adage, it is also true in business. Those involved with the reunion you are planning may not enjoy being contacted so often, but the will remember why you call, and they are more apt to remember exactly what it is you want them to do.
That’s it, from Tarrant Events Center. Call us for more tips, and if you are in the Fort Worth area, call us for a tour of our facilities. Ask us about the ten floor plans, and our all inclusive pricing policy.