Fans of Major League Baseball look forward each July to the All-Star Game (this year the 94th contest will take place on July 16 in Arlington, Texas). Fan-chosen players will make up the rosters for the American League (AL) and the National League (NL) teams and a Home Run Derby will take place the day before the game. See https://www.mlb.com/news/2024-mlb-all-star-game-starters.
Just as these all-stars before the big game, when it comes to reunion planning, you don’t want to swing and miss. Here are three ways to make sure you hit it out of the park with your next gathering.
- Work as a team. While each player selected for the All-Star game typically brings impressive statistics for individual contributions, they all work as a team to be victorious at the end. In similar fashion, planning a reunion solo is a challenging task, so building a good team to help with invitations and communication, menu planning, shopping, scheduling/running activities setup, cleanup, and more will help ensure a successful outcome.
- Serve up stadium-worthy snacks. Fun family times are often associated with favorite foods. Plan a varied menu that fits within your budget but also considers attendee’s dietary needs and your reunion theme. Classic baseball foods include hot dogs, peanuts, and cracker jack, but you can jazz up your menu with some other ballpark favorites. See https://pitcherlist.com/the-top-20-baseball-ballpark-foods and https://www.foodnetwork.com/restaurants/photos/best-baseball-stadium-food for creative ideas.
- Celebrate your reunion’s “All-Stars.” Recognize milestone birthdays or anniversaries with a cake or small souvenirs. Remember those who have passed away with a photo memory board, or a ceremony that includes memorial tribute video. The Vivid-Pix Memory Station https://www.vivid-pix.com/memorystation offers a perfect solution to help you scan, restore, and share memories. Consider ordering plaques or souvenirs to commemorate special achievements and accomplishments.
And don’t forget to build in a “seventh-inning stretch” to get attendees to take a break and mingle!
