We had a blast at our well planned and fun reunion. It was great to catch up with friends. Thanks reunion specialists!

I was really disappointed in my recent class reunion. I skipped the 10 year (which was organized by these same people, so I'm glad I did), but I thought the 20 would be something special. I was less than dazzled. It felt more like a sales meeting. I think the venue could have been negotiated better and more attention to detail and care taken with our high school memories. The decor was a few balloons. Not even a banner reading "Class of...". There was a posterboard with some glitter and gluesticked pictures from our class. There was a small tv on a folding table that played a snippet from our graduation. The DJ played some 80's songs, but considering we graduated in 1991, it would have been better to have a playlist from our grad year, in my opinion. I heard "Oh Mickey" by Toni Basil at least 3 times. (1982! Almost a whole decade off!) The cash bar was fairly silly. There should have been 2 bars for that amount of people and I think an open bar for the 1st hour or wine on the tables would have been a good way to get folks to come earlier. The bartender was nice, but moved a bit slowly and had a hard time keeping up. The Catamaran is overpriced -- the room was totally plain, it was hotter than Hell, no matter how often we asked the RS reps to have them turn down the air. The food I skipped, but was shocked to discover our ticket price got us refried beans and tacos and a platter of cookies. Seriously. The "reunion booklet" we got was sad. I'm a designer, so I may be biased, but from the grumblings I heard, I'm not the only one. It looked like it was laid out in MS Word, folded and stapled in someone's living room and they didn't even bother to run a filter to omit empty fields like "Spouse" and "Children" if you're unmarried or have no kids. Way to rub it in, Reunion Specialists. This company needs some real competition. At $75-$100 a ticket, the money wasn't well-spent. I wouldn't hire them, Alumni -- find a fellow classmate who has experience organizing these kinds of events. You'd be better off rolling your own reunion. read more

I think the only benefit of this company is that they are the ones to worry about deposits and such... I know it takes a lot of planning to get an event like this running, so it convenient for the graduates/alumni committee to make a few decisions and leave it up to a company to take care of the rest. For the amount of money that was paid to attend(I feel really bad for those that paid at the door), I didn't really see much from it. A few balloons in the school colors for decorations and nothing else really to make it special to our graduating class. I feel like they advertise a lot more personal details than what we ended up with... I wish I would have know this before hand because we could have put something together. The so-called "signature drink" for your class... while it tasted good(I had a sample only), there was nothing special that made it a signature drink... it wasn't even our school colors! The photographers were awkward and a bit forceful when it came to taking candid shots... talk about shoving anyone that was near each other in order to take a picture! It will be a while before the results are seen, but they aren't likely to make much money unless the group shots came out great... we kinda had to push for more whole group shots to be taken(pretty sure that it takes more than just a couple shots to get a great group picture with over 20 people in the picture)! We had the 5th floor Skyline Ballroom and Pool Deck at the Doubletree in Downtown San Diego. While we had the ballroom to ourselves, we shared the pool deck with hotel guests/families using the pool and jacuzzi... awkward! It wasn't really setup outside anyways... unless you count the 3 round table they had out there for us(another misleading picture advertised on their website). I think the alumni did almost all of the advertising through social media themselves with a few random posts to our group page from reunion specialists. If you didn't happen to be a part of our social media group or didn't see a classmate advertising the event, you would have never known about the event because there was no outside advertising or contact. I don't think any of the alumni were found by the company using the tools only available to them... we provided a list of our graduating class, so they had a way to search for people. We tried asking to be provided a list of classmates and we would reach out to gather more attendees, but apparently its not allowed... well guess that means if attendance is down, then you're out money to cover the costs. Most of the attendees took off early for other opportunities... the staff was cleaning up by 10pm from what I heard since I took off too(2 hours before the scheduled ending)! I hope they had better success with the other reunion they were hosting in another part of the hotel that night! I think for our 20 year reunion, we will be going in a different direction... Reunion Specialists just didn't do it for us! I wouldn't use Reunion Specialist unless you are expecting a huge crowd and even then, I would be leery since reviews for larger reunions seem to come to the same conclusion that I did. For a company that specializes in High School reunions and seems to host a lot of the local reunions... it was just a disappointing experience overall! read more

From our very first meeting, I knew I found the right company to partner with in organizing our 50-Year High School Reunion. To give a bit of background, this is the 5th Reunion I've chaired and have used three (3) Reunion Companies in the past so I speak from experience when I say, "Reunion Specialists is the best!" Our 50-Year Reunion was extremely successful due to the help of this Reunion Company. They were always accessible, through phone calls or emails and were able to locate all but 200 of our alumni, and with a class of 1243, that was amazi The owner of Reunion Specialists was easy to work with, very knowledgeable about what works, what doesn't work, always quick to respond and flexible when I had changes. This was critical! I thought the pricing of the tickets (in three tiers) was genius! As a committee, we didn't need to worry about any of the finances, for Reunion Specialists took on the entire financial responsibility from the beginning! The mailings, including U.S. mail and regular email blasts, were timely and done on a consistent basis. Reunion Night was made simple and easy and we didn't worry about a thing: Their team of experts handled our registration process with ease. They were amazing. Our 50-Year High School Reunion was a huge success! A big "Shout Out" to Reunion Specialists! I'd definitely recommend them for all your Reunion planning needs. Big or Small, they can handle it all. :) read more

Recently attended a reunion coordinated by Reunion specialist. Although it was great to see everyone it was the consensus that the overall experience for the fee of $95 was in no way worth it. Some didn't want to spend the money to attend, some did not want to pay to bring their spouse because what you get for $95 is laughable. The boring banquet room, the "food", the non-hosted bar, you don't get pictures, you have to pay, the silly printed booklet that was immediately tossed on the floor (no need). It would be very easy for another event company to compete with Reunion Specialist and EASILY do a much better job at creating exciting and memorable events at more reasonable fees. read more

I had high expectations for this company, given that their web page lists reunions from nearly every high school in San Diego County. But I assumed incorrectly. Pros: 1. They take care of all the details and the reunion committee has no financial risk. 2. On the night of the reunion, the check-in staff were courteous and accommodating. 3. The alumni biography booklets were well done. 4. Signage and decorations were nice and done in your school colors. Cons: 1. Very poor communication and condescending attitude. Any new ideas are not welcome, and they push you to do things their way. 2. Reunion committee will not receive complimentary tickets. 3. Ticket prices are expensive, between $75-$95+ per person, based on when you buy the tickets. There is no sit-down dinner, only "food stations" and a no-host cash bar. 4. You do not get to choose the DJ or photographer (PPI Studios). Check out the reviews for PPI Studios here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/ppi-studios-san-diego You will not get any details on a budget - all they will tell you is that it is is very hard to estimate and "the vendors need to get paid." They talk to you as if you have never planned an event before and that they are the only experts. Also, they prefer to communicate over the phone, rather than email, so that they can change their answer if they need to. We were told that $175 discretionary funds could be applied toward the committee tickets, but then they changed their mind. On the night of the event, the DJ kept announcing that tacos were being served, when in fact, we had pasta. He also announced ballots for voting, which was not part of the evening's itinerary. I had to correct the DJ several times and he said, "Oops, we had tacos last night!" When I called to ask for an update on reunion tickets, I was told there were about 60 tickets sold, although about 160 people had RSVP'd. She then said, "Well, I hope those extra 100 people don't think they can just show up and expect there to be enough room." I explained to her that prices were expensive, given the economy, and that other classmates had independently organized a reunion pre-party using Facebook and Myspace. She proceeded to say, "I told the committee that they are supposed to SQUELCH those types of things, because we lose money when that happens." Right....like I'm supposed to tell people that are not allowed to meet up on their own because it is not the "official" reunion and that they must spend $95 to attend this event. Future reunion planners: use Facebook and MySpace in conjunction with a site like EventBrite (http://www.eventbrite.com) for ticket sales to plan your own reunion. Have a picnic, invite the kids and have the BEST reunion that you can make. Don't make the mistake of wasting your time, effort and money with Reunion Specialists. read more

I wish I could give less than one star. I've been planning events for almost a decade, and these people put on the worst event that I have ever been to. Add insult to injury: $75-$95 per ticket for tacos and a cash bar. Not even wine on the tables. Ridiculous. I just put on an event for $55 per person that included an awesome DJ, great food, and all you can drink alcohol. AND it was a CRUISE, AND we made enough from the tickets to donate the proceeds to charity!!! These people are nothing short of scam artists and I am appalled. read more

Where do I start?! We hired Reunion-Specialists to do our 30th high school reunion. Like the first reviewer, we experienced all those same problems AND MORE. They were most unprofessional and RUDE! We expected great customer service and received the opposite! Our class decided to have a band. While we understood the band would not be able to eat (unless they bought a ticket) Reunion-Specialists tried to CHARGE each band member 105.00 to play at the reunion. They insisted we told them the band was only 3 people, which was completely untrue! The worst part was that this all played out at the Front entrance for the entire class to witness. Our decorations were crappy, as was our "Memory Book". People who had paid upfront did not have pre-printed name tags. There was never an announcement about food being served, and many people never got to eat. They made a big deal about feeding the band, yet much of the food was thrown away. The worst part is that since our reunion last Saturday, no one from the company has attempted to call us to discuss the problems that existed. They took our money and RAN! I wouldn't recommend them to my worst enemy or my rival high school. They are highly unprofessional and a waste of money. Do it by committee or hire another company. read more

I was so disappointed at the job they did for my 20 year reunion this past weekend. $95 for cold blah tacos and a crappy memory book. Not everyone received a book. Only the first half of the people who came got one but their guests didnt even though they had to pay the full price. I was hoping to send my guests book to a classmate that could not attend. When I asked about it they ignored me completely. They had a photographer there but we have to pay an extra $30 to get a cd when they say it's ready. The dj wasn't very good, he played several songs more than once. There was a cash bar but with a couple hundred people the line was so long. They should have provided a second bar or more people manning the one they had. Decorations were a couple of cheap balloons in our school colors, nothing more. For $95 a person you expect a decent meal and a nice memory book. We got neither. read more

I was really surprised to read the poor reviews about Reunion Specialists since I have used them for two reunions. For the sake of disclosure, I am the organizer for the 20th reunion that Joanna O mentioned, so I am glad that she had a good time. That being said, I am not sure how a company who works with you once per decade can play favorites. People forget what an enormous task it is to plan your own reunion and how much MORE expensive it is. Before we decided to use an agency for our 10 year, I called several past classmates to find out the pros and cons of using an agency. Nearly unanimously, they said "You don't want to deal with it yourself. It is a LOT of time and a lot more money because you don't know any of the event planners, the caterers, the DJs, the bartenders, etc. In calling around,the different between planning it yourself and having someone like RS do it is $10 per person. Well worth it. For a 20th reunion, you want a nice experience. The differences is a few bucks between average and great, so tell your classmates WHY you are outsourcing it and that there is hardly any cost differences. They'll have 6 months to save for it, if money is an issue. When you use RS, you get all the control of the event and none of the hassle. Your choice of location is all up to you. For example, the cost to do a chain hotel in Carlsbad was more than to do the Bristol in downtown San Diego with an open-air roof and a cool vibe. Once you set ticket prices, you choose menus, programs, how you want to honor people who have passed, amenities such as slide shows and video, awards you want to give, centerpieces, everthing. Reunion Specialists does ALL the logistics, takes ALL the financial risk (i.e. you pay NOTHING out of pocket), handles all communications, ticket sales and managing of the event. The result was a great event that went off without a hitch and where the planning team could actual enjoy it. Nearly 50% of our class came, many at the last minute and if you read Facebook, people are buzzing about what an awesome time they had. That was Reunion Specialists. Think of them like wedding planners. You have to give you input if you want a nice event. And they have delivered twice for us. They have the highest recommendation from me and I have offered to be their reference. Highly recommended. p.s. Yes, I know there are typos. In a hurry. read more

We attended my reunion recently and the tickets are WAY overpriced for what you get. The website for reunion attendees was not very informative. For $75-95 per person I expected the buffet to be a nice (or at least decent) dinner. Instead we were treated to three types of mashed potatoes and some prime rib - that's it. My husband is a vegetarian so he got a $75 plate of mashed potatoes. No drinks were included and the room they selected had acoustics so horrid you couldn't actually talk to the person next to you without shouting. Decorations were a few colored balloons and some Dove chocolate and assorted candy on the tables. This was a $25-35 event at best. If you are on a reunion committee, do your classmates a favor and avoid this group. read more

Reunion Specialists helped us plan, organize, and create our amazing 10-year reunion in October 2009 at the Carlsbad Sheraton Resort and Spa. From our initial committee meeting continuing through the day of the event, the staff were extremely helpful, resourceful, and professional. Reunion Specialists did everything from finding classmates to decorating the room with our school colors. The little details like engraved centerpieces and spotted gold balloons representing the school mascot made the event really shine. The event garnered much praise from all attendees and many asked when our next reunion would happen. Our class looks forward to working with this company again in 10 years. read more

Horrible company! DJ - did not have any music from the 80's, he spent the night texting on his iPhone. Food - pasta, pasta, and more pasta. I couldn't seeing as I am staying away from carbs. Decor - none Bar - cash bar - $6 for really cheap wine in plastic cups, $3 for a 1/2 a can of soda Photographer - was interrupting people every 5 minutes to take photos. Tickets started at $80 and went up to $100. When I complained to the Reunion Specialists they blamed it on the reunion committee. Call a real event planner and make the most of your money - this company is a ripoff!!!! The classmates would have been happier having hot dogs in the park and saving their money, not to mention more people would have been able to attend. read more

Our 20thy reunion was way over priced for what we received. The DJ played 80's music but was not very lively. Food was awful and they only had one bartender so we waited in a long line for drinks. I've been to formal events for half the price that had a sit down steak dinner so I know it can be done. Of course in those cases it took people working together to get the best service for the price. Paying one company that has no interest but a huge profit is never a good idea. read more

I just read all of the reviews, unfortunately my 20 year reunion was last Saturday night. I would advise people to use a company that is honest and forthcoming with information. I would save your emails from your correspondace with them, and I would only correspond by email. Although none of that matters after the fact when they embarrass people in line, go back on their word, alter the accepted seating chart and menu. It is not like the recourse is worth it. They lacked prizes for the number of winners on the ballot and overall- just plain fall short. I could go on and on but you get the point. As for the good review, maybe he started drinking before he got to his reunion? Again another recomendation ;) read more

These people are scam artists and I would STEER CLEAR! $100 per ticket and we got refried beans in a chaffing dish, a DJ that played a mixed tape on a loop, two balloons for a center piece, a cash bar, the list goes on and on! One of my friends got a name tag that said he was a guest and not a classmate... when I went to ask if he could have a new name badge because he was from our graduating class I was told "NO!" and she didn't even bother to look up at me or acknowledge me. RUDE! These people are hired to barter with venues for you and give you the biggest bang for your buck! With 200 people at $100 a pop it makes me wonder where that $20,000 went to... OH I KNOW! Their POCKETS! I know they are entitled to their fee... but OMG these people are THIEVES!!! The worst part: there was a memory board for our classmates who had died but they left out two names... when I went to their website that had the "Have you seen these classmates" link, the names of the forgotten deceased were not on there... so where the hell do they think they were? Did they not even BOTHER to get a class list??? Because if they were on there I would have clicked on their names to register them as deceased. Any 5 star venue that charges $100 a head or even $70 a head would give a better service then what we got... read more

My husband and I both had our reunions this year through Reunion Specialists and the organization was adequate, but the response time for the photography was extremely upsetting. I pre-paid for the pictures at his reunion, after emailing and texting for over 2 months, I still hadn't received any confirmation on whether my order was on its way or not. I finally had to threaten that I would reverse the credit card charges if I didn't hear something by a set time. I finally received correspondence and my order. Then my reunion occurred, and I didn't pre-pay for pictures, but have emailed 6 times since August (reunion was July 29th) to see the proofs and only heard once that they didn't work on the particular day that I emailed. I am still waiting, actually begging to order pictures. This is a business, customers shouldn't have to threaten or beg to get the service that was suppose to be provided. Please help me see the pictures that were taken so I can pay you for your service. read more