The way in which companies have traditionally marked their appreciation of all their employees’ hard work has for many years been fairly staid and unremarkable. The office Christmas party, a company day out or team bonding experience; these are all very well but they may not appeal to everyone.
Food, fun and the great outdoors is easier than you’d think
Why not go for something completely different this year? The corporate picnic is a fun way to say thanks and something which most people will thoroughly enjoy and feel comfortable with. Most of all it’s a great way to boost staff morale and strengthen good relationships between employees and between employees and management. But don’t feel that a picnic is something that could take a lot of organising. Here are a few ideas for what you will need to consider.
Three Steps To Success
Three things make a corporate picnic a sure success – the weather, the venue and the delicious food and mouth watering drinks. Firstly, the venue will largely depend on the numbers of people who will be attending including whether or not families will be attending the event. What better way to ensure everyone has a wonderful time than having your corporate picnic at a theme park for example? Many local parks, theme parks and holiday venues host corporate and family events throughout the year but make sure you get the appropriate permissions first, especially if you are planning to include a mobile bar.
Weather Worries
The good old British weather is notoriously unpredictable of course even in the height of summer so this may influence your choice of venue. The best and most fun picnics are the ones which are held outdoors and when the sun shines they can be very enjoyable and memorable events. However, always be prepared for any sudden changes in the weather by having an indoor location on standby. This could mean hiring a marquee so that your guests have somewhere to escape to in a deluge.
Food (and drink) Considerations
The whole point of a picnic of course is to provide a good range of good quality food and drink and to make sure there is enough to go around. Establish whether any of your guests have special dietary needs or preferences and talk to your caterers in good time before the event so that they can provide all that you need. Finger food is the best place to start – especially where families are concerned. Giving the kids food they can serve themselves is ideal – parents will be then able to enjoy their own food without having to spend their mealtime cutting up and feeding their offspring! When it comes to supplying the drinks, it can be a little more complicated and this is where event bar hire comes into its own. From the bar itself to the furniture, glassware, refrigeration, ice machine to glass washing equipment, you need to make sure you choose a company that ensures your guests’ needs are taken care of. Don’t forget to make sure there are plenty of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to make sure everyone is catered for – you’re pretty much guaranteed to feel the love if you serve kids non-alcoholic cocktails too!
Entertaining The Masses
Finally, you’ll need to think about what kind of entertainment to provide. For family-orientated corporate picnics you can’t go wrong with games, raffles and karaoke, but there are other options to make your corporate picnic just that little bit more special. What about hiring a relatively inexpensive face painter or character mascot? Or, perhaps you could consider an inflatable assault course designed specially so that every member of the family can participate?
With the three main considerations taken care of, it’s time to choose your date, put out the picnic blankets and get ready to host the most talked about corporate get together you’ve ever had.
