1/25 Reunion Committee:CWO3 Jim BaileyMSgt Dan McMorrowSgt Steve Shepard Sgt Jon Goldman HMC Greg Cinelli Cpl Martin Conroy Cpl James Mahoney Cpl Kelly Colvin

Rebranding, modifying, and use of any part of this document is STRONGLY ENCOURAGED. Please take our logos off and insert yours! We mean it.

Share what you find with all of our brothers as well.-LtCol C.T. Graves, CO 1/25

10 Year Reunion PrimerIdeas to assist in planning your reunion

Viral campaign III(guest reveal)Sales/fundraising

Facebook/Viral campaign (dates)Email campaign PII (list building)Mailing campaign

Logo Design/ThemeFacebook campaign designViral campaign designEmail campaignGold Star contact list assembly

Swag fulfillmentRound 2 fundraising

Venue ContractingLaunch Fund RaisingReunion Swag orderReunion Swag site creation

Location SelectionVenue SelectionTicketing Platform SelectionFund Raising Sponsor (SF Fund)Reunion Swag strategy

Engage EnablersSemper Fi FundMCL, etc(Have plan)VIP invites

Engage 1/24 BC, SgtMaj and I&IEngage 2007 CommandMarines and Family ProgramWounded Warrior RegimentPHOP, M4L, VA, 503

Convene CommitteeCross-section (rank, geography, companies, sections)Design Battle RhythmRole assignments

1st Battalion 25th MarinesFallujah 10 Year Anniversary Lines of Effort

Logistics

Comm

Leadership

Followup

I&I Ceremonial SupportDeployment photos and memorabiliaFallen Marine Memorials

Ceremony designFocus and Intent on eventCeremony

1st Battalion 25th MarinesFallujah 10 Year Anniversary Leadership Line of Effort

Convene CommitteeIndependent of the Command. Owned by Sgts & Cpls who have best contact with base. Representation should include different ranks, geography, companies, sections and MOSs. Look to include Union members and similar with access to community opportunities (fundraising, resources).Identify free central meeting place for planning.Create a Battle Rhythm that is sustainable but sufficiently frequent to keep things moving.Assign specific roles, and encourage that member to solicit “help” for these. Roles may include:

Communications/AdvertisingCommunications/Marine LocatorLogistics: SwagNon-Profit LiaisonTreasurerVenue & Ceremony Coordinator

Ceremony: make early decision on what the reunion will look like: formal, picnic, etc…Choose tech for collaboration: Google Drive, Skype, Conference Call number, etc…

Engage EnablersSemper Fi FundMCL, etc(Have plan)VIP invites

Engage 1/24 BC, SgtMaj and I&IEngage 2007 CommandMarines and Family ProgramWounded Warrior RegimentPHOP, M4L, VA, 503

Convene CommitteeCross-section (rank, geography, companies, sections)Design Battle RhythmRole assignments

Leadership

Make ContactContact current Battalion Commander, SgtMaj and I&I. They will be needed for command assistance.Locate and engage 2007 Command. This includes leadership, but also central “characters” who may be helpful in communication.Make contact with Marines and Family Program at Quantico and provide them a single POC.Reach out to ancillary organizations such as M4L, the PHOP, the local VA, and key official organizations.Engage a Fundraising Sponsor. You do not want to incorp your own 503. Options such as Semper Fi Fund and Marine Corps League have advantages and disadvantages.

EngageOrganize specifics of fundraising with Institutional Sponsor. You will have to fundraise to them to support your effort.Marines and Family Program can generate some lists of your vets for you.Plan for and invite your VIP guests. Consider CG 4th MarDiv, and CO 25th Marines. They are enablers.

“Let the corporals and sergeants take charge in planning, its their reunion. If we can trust them in

fighting the war, we can trust them in planning the reunion.” – CWO3 Bailey (Ret)

Begin 14 months ahead of D-Day

1st Battalion 25th MarinesFallujah 10 Year Anniversary Logistics Line of Effort

Initial SelectionsSelect your location and venue. Consider centrality, ease of access (bigger cities may be easier to fly into), and costs. Select an electronic ticketing platform early. You do not want to manage this manually.Engage the Fund Raising Sponsor (selected in the Command Line of Effort), and coordinate specifics. There are rules, and you must stick to this one organization. They can be parochial, and there are strict rules to understand. Get those right early.Decide on Reunion Swag, such as T-Shirts, patches, coins, silkies, etc

Contract and PurchaseContract with venue. This often has milestones you have to meet. Schedule those into your plan, and ensure you allocate fundraising income to meet these milestones. Order swag from vendor(s).Create a site for selling swag. 1/25 used eBay linked from Facebook.

ExecutionSwag fulfillment is exhausting. Apportion enough manpower to do this. Think about volunteers outside of the committee to assist. Someone with mailing experience will be valuable here.Launch second round of fundraising. Corporate sponsors are preferred, but sometimes difficult to secure. Strategies will be hit on in Communications Line of Effort.

Swag fulfillmentRound 2 fundraising

Venue ContractingLaunch Fund RaisingReunion Swag orderReunion Swag site creation

Location SelectionVenue SelectionTicketing Platform SelectionFund Raising Sponsor (SF Fund)Reunion Swag strategy

Logistics

1st Battalion 25th MarinesFallujah 10 Year Anniversary Communication Line of Effort

Communication StrategyDesign a Logo and a Theme. Get this done early. Logo should reference the 10th year, as it needs to remind as much about the specific event as the battalion.Design a Facebook strategy. Create a public Facebook group, and encourage “thought leaders” to join early, and frequently promote. Share stories as they come up. Look to link to ECP 1A site, and similar cross-battalion sites, as well as existing sites, even private sites. Design “viral” campaigns, such as clever videos, etc. to gain attention.Launch an email campaign (via bcc so that you don’t create problems).Designate a Gold Star contact to assemble family lists, etc.

SustainmentContinue to execute viral campaigns, and be aggressive about it.Launch an email campaign via historic chains of command (Company Commanders, Company 1stSgts, section leaders, etc).Follow up on the above campaigns. These require regular vigorous attention to succeed. Snail Mail: after a couple of months of ticket sales, execute a snail-mail campaign of postcards to the IRR recall roster. This is expensive, so you will want to reduce the mailing, excluding those you know you have contacted, or who have purchased tickets.

SustainmentAs time progresses, use the announcement of “special guests” and the Guest Of Honor as further solicitations for ticket sales and donors. Encourage Marines in fundraising effort. Encourage Marines to COMMITT to the event by buying tickets.

Viral campaign III(guest reveal)Sales/fundraising

Facebook/Viral campaign (dates)Email campaign PII (list building)Mailing campaign

Logo Design/ThemeFacebook campaign designViral campaign designEmail campaignGold Star contact list assembly

Comm

1st Battalion 25th MarinesFallujah 10 Year Anniversary Comm: Facebook

Create Open CommunityUse Designed Logo, and create a recognizable version to use on the profile. Over time, Marines have come to recognize this logo on their timeline. This type of recall is important to 1) drive their participation and 2) encourage them to execute on ticket purchase.Have one person on committee coordinate the Facebook effort.Link in to other private groups. For 1/25, we hit not only the 1/25 site, but other Groups and Pages such as ECP 1 (a cross-battalion group), or sub-units like Wepaons Platoon C Co 1/25 (it does exist, and it is strong!)Have your Facebook leader post regular, interesting posts. Some funny, some in remembrance of fallen brothers, some as sales. Slow, steady rhythm of communication.Get “thought leaders” to share the Group and use the Group to solicit participation.

Sales OpportunitiesPost links frequently for Electronic Ticket site.Post links on a regular basis for various swag, and have “thought leaders” wearing/using the same as a promotion opportunity.

Photos and VideosPost some of the great videos and photos of the event. Remember to hit all Companies, sections, AOs and the like. Junior Marines, NCOs, Officers, local “characters”, etc… You never know what will catch attention.

1st Battalion 25th MarinesFallujah 10 Year Anniversary Comm: Swag

DesignIt starts with a design. Design should emphasize and brand the 10th year to provide high-recall among target audience and “frame” communications that it accompanies. It needs to be simple enough to leverage in multiple forms as well (electronic, print and apparel).

PatchLower cost of production, and shipping, patches are important early products. Marines should be encouraged to “share” delivery of their purchased patches on Facebook and Twitter. Patches can also be used in the Distinguished Visitor communication plan as a “follow up” method (“Gen Puller, hope you are still available to attend our reunion. Here’s a patch as a simple reminder”)

T-ShirtsMore expensive, but critical advertisers. Encourage Marines to sport T-Shirt in certain events and share on Facebook. Especially important to have these available for ancillary memorial events leading up to the reunion. Helps to remind Marines about the upcoming event.

Size ordering is expensive and difficult to manage. Sizes may need to err on the larger side.

CoinsCoins enjoy fairly broad popularity, but are more expensive to initially produce. Great to provide certain donors. Leverage Battalion Commander to help present if needed.

Intent/MissionSwag is only partially about fundraising, and perhaps more importantly about awareness. The return on investment is difficult to justify if for fundraising alone. Encourage Marines to show off these items, and highlight the importance of “committing” to the reunion by purchasing tickets. Make sure the committee is onboard with intent with swag, as it will guide you on visibility versus profit.

FullfillmentDon’t underestimate the burden of fulfilling orders. This takes time and effort. Reach outside of the committee for help on this.

1st Battalion 25th MarinesFallujah 10 Year Anniversary Comm: Snail Mail Post Card

Include both ticket sales site and Facebook or social media sites on back.

Eagle Globe in Anchor, because America!

Include an image Marines will recognize to know this is their brothers sending this out, not “the Man” or VA.

Have a QR code for ticket sales site.

Use Microsoft Word’s “Mail Merge” to create labels printable on Avery Labels. Don’t try to do this manually. Just too many of them!

You need a return address to help identify bad addresses that need to be researched

LCpl Ima Binotz1234 Home RoadSomewhere, MA

Have Logo on front, prominent, and with minimum details. This is the attention gainer.

Post office sells rolls of postcard stamps, which are cheaper than 1st class stamps

Post CardYou can print four post cards per page, using “card stock” paper, then cut them using a paper cutter. Print these 2-sided on a color printer. Microsoft Publisher is great for this. Many corporate printers can print two-sided color on card stock. These are expensive, so reduce mailing list as much as possible.

Mailing ListThe IRR Recall Roster from Marines and Family can be used here. You may need to do this with a member of the current command, as this list can not be distributed (but can be used to print labels)

Post Card EffectivenessThe effectiveness of this method is only moderate. Many

postcards came back undelivered due to poor IRR addresses.

1st Battalion 25th MarinesFallujah 10 Year Anniversary Communication Line of Effort

Ceremony Design and IntentKnow what is priority in the event. If connection is important, consider limiting the formality, or accommodate a post-ceremony rally process.Have pictures of deployment around venue. Consider AV solutions such as computers with slide shows, etc.Have memorials for our fallen brothers, and leave space around them. Group by Company, as this will be important rally point.Have psych professionals around, both at stated locations, but also in crowd.

SustainmentCoordinate with local I&I for COMREL support of the event. Recommend discussion with I&I SgtMaj for input on ceremony.Contact agencies who can set up tables in the lobby, or if a picnic, in tents at the picnic.Battalions and Regiments may be able to support outdoor events with tentage.

FollowupHave a place where Marines can enter their emails and contact information. This opt-in can be saved by the committee and used in the future. If you use an online ticketing process, save the emails and mailing addresses from that effort for future contact. Schedule a “Second Annual 10th Anniversary Reunion Event”, and publish during the Reunion.

Followup

I&I Ceremonial SupportDeployment photos and memorabiliaFallen Marine Memorials

Ceremony designFocus and Intent on eventCeremony

1st Battalion 25th MarinesFallujah 10 Year Anniversary Issues

Two issues plagued our reunion. The first was funding. Going with a formal venue was expensive, and the committee early on committed to funding Gold Star family participation (which I recommend). But there are no federal options to assist in funding, and this is a major hurdle. The 1/25 Committee happens to live in the midst of the Semper Fi Fund and was able to leverage their assistance with a direct, in person solicitation. Battalions in the middle of America or not so fortunate to have a large philanthropic organization around will have difficulty getting off the ground, as many things require an initial injection of capital, such as shirt orders, venue deposits and similar.

The second issue was tracking down the veteran community. The IRR rosters had less than 10% accurate email addresses, and only had half of the Battalion listed by name. This is due to our Battalion’s composite nature, wherein we were heavily augmented prior to deploying. Even locating some key leaders proved to be difficult, as 10 years is a sizeable amount of time. Collecting names at funerals had some success. Passing around paper soliciting email addresses gets a foot in the door. Email FROST calls through the historic chain of command was slow but did uncover some Marines as well.Facebook was the most successful medium, but even then it has limitations, and it is difficult to aggregate lists from it.Budget significant effort in locating these Marines. Have a Marine dedicated to doing so.