Company picnics are popular work activities during the summer months. A picnic is a time for staff to socialize and strengthen relationships, while also offering an opportunity for employers to thank their employees, reward hard work with awards and gifts, and even sneak some team-building activities into the mix.
As with any workplace event, a little preparation goes a long way towards a successful picnic. We’ve assembled some ideas for company picnic planning to help you create a memorable party your employees and their families will remember fondly.
Picnic Goals
Before company picnic planning begins in earnest, ask yourself what your goals for the event are. A company picnic should benefit the business in some way. Your goal may be simply to improve morale by having a fun day out, to recognize the efforts of individual employees with promotional gifts, or to improve employee relationships with some team-building exercises, such as a softball game or charity work. Picnic goals need not be complex, but knowing what you want to get out of the event helps you plan accordingly.
Ideas for Company Picnics
At their simplest, company picnics take place in a local park. The food is traditional burgers and hot dogs, and there’s no real theme or set activities. This can be perfectly fine, but it’s a bit predictable, especially if you host a picnic every year.
Working with a theme can turn a humdrum picnic into something special, and the possibilities are only limited by your imagination and budget. Possible company picnic themes include:
- Carnivals
- Beach parties
- Survior-style competitions
- BBQ
- Western
- Mardi Gras
- Casinos
- Hawaiian Luau
- Rodeos
- Softball/kickball tournament
Choosing Times and Venues
While it’s tempting to schedule the company picnic for a weekend, not all employees appreciate having to choose between a workplace event and their free time. Schedule the picnic during regular work hours and you’ll see a much better turnout.
Picnic locations depend in part on the theme you choose for the event. If you’re planning a beach party, for instance, the local water park is an obvious choice, while access to a baseball park will be needed for a softball tournament. Ideally, the location should be close to work. More distant locations may be difficult for employees to reach.
Activities for Children
Most company picnics are family affairs. Water balloon tosses, three-legged races, and other organized activities help keep kids occupied while giving parents a chance to socialize. If enough employees plan on bringing children to the picnic, you might want to consider offering on-site childcare.
Food and Drink Choices
If you’ve already settled on a picnic theme, your choice of food may be easy. If not, are you going for traditional burgers, or do you want to offer something more interesting? (Not that there’s anything wrong with a good ol’ hamburger!) Consider catering the event, and always be sure to include food choices for staff who have dietary restrictions.
Promotional Prizes
Company picnic planning should include prizes for events and competitions. Offering a high-value prize for picnic activities really encourages people to participate. Prizes might include:
Picnic Supplies
A company picnic is often a public event, in that people can see a celebration of some kind is going on. Capitalize on this by using brand-bearing picnic supplies where possible, so passers-by are exposed to your logo. Ideas for company picnic supplies include customized items such as:
A well-planned company picnic can be the highlight of the year for your employees. Take these ideas for company picnics and make them your own--we’re sure you’ll come up with some amazing events!