Q: How long should the meeting last?
A: A small meeting or reunion may last for as little as a day or two, while others last for three or four days or even a week. The general rule is “The farther away, the longer the stay.” If visitors are flying in from out of state, they may want to spend several days in California. But their entire stay need not be organized in group activities. They may welcome a day trip to San Francisco or Wine Country.

Q: When should we meet?
A: Winter, so cold-weather relatives can warm up. Summer, when the kids are out of school. Spring or autumn, so you can enjoy baseball, basketball, or football season. Anytime is a great time in Oakland!

Q: What about varying schedules?
A: It’s almost impossible for everyone to do everything together. If your group is an association holding structured meetings, you’ll want to include some pleasure with the business. Breaking up into smaller groups for some activities and then coming together for one meal a day is a great way to integrate a vacation into a reunion or meeting.

Q: How many people should we invite?
A: The more the merrier! Don’t discount the value of even a small gathering as a starting point. You’ll learn from the experience, and may want to make your event in Oakland an annual one.

Q: Who pays for what?
A: The organizer can reserve blocks of rooms at hotels, but the guests usually pay for the stay and other charges individually. You may want to collect payment ahead of time to cover the main dinners, attractions that offer a group rate, and incidentals such as postage and flowers. If the group can afford it, a paid organizer can save time—and often money.