Planning Your Company Picnic

Congratulations on being selected to organize the Annual Company Picnic this year! Truly an honor and opportunity! It is also a very large responsibility!

Just think of it, you have the chance to shine in the eyes of your peers by organizing a company event that will be long remembered by all of your coworkers. You will be well respected for all of your hard work and who knows, you may impress your boss so much that he gives you a promotion or a big fat bonus.

On the other hand, if you screw this up, then, well, I'm sure you can imagine.

People around the water cooler will stop talking and glare at you when you walk by. Somehow you'll keep missing the memos and will be left out of the weekly meetings. Lunchtime will become very lonely and you'll soon end up eating at your desk from a brown paper sack in solitude and despair, pondering why you ever agreed to organize such a sacred thing as the Company Picnic. It will be a sad lonely time for you if you screw this up.

Not too pleasant of a thought to think about, is it?

Not to fear though, with a little knowledge and some good planning you'll give them a picnic that won't soon be forgotten!

Even if you're a small company with only a few employees these tips will help in planning your company picnic. The only real difference is the amount of invites. The planning remains the same no matter how many guests will be attending.

But where do you start?

First off, you have a few things to figure out such as, the Number of Guests, Budget, Location, Date and Time, Picnic Theme, Food, Entertainment, and Prizes.

You'll also need to think about, invitations, liability insurance, transportation, and cleanup.

Now is probably a good time to do some Q&A and begin your preliminary lists.

We'll start off by asking a few "need to know" questions:

* What is the Estimated Number of Guests?

If employee family members are invited you will have to do some research. Your PR department may be able to give you the overall head count for employees and family. Handing out invitations with a response request of amount of family members that will attend will give you an accurate count. This way you won't have wasted food, or even worse, not enough food!

* What is the available Budget?

Logically, this is a major factor in the planning of your picnic. You must know how much money you have to spend in order to do much planning. In many cases you may be required to submit a proposal to your boss containing your overall plans with picnic theme, picnic location, estimated costs, etc. You may also be required to submit several versions of this proposal with varying themes and expenses.

* When is the Date of the Company Picnic?

Will it be held in the spring, summer or fall? Hopefully it won't be held in the winter time. At least not in a location where it's below 65 degrees. People won't stay very long if it's cold. Discounted park rental rates are often available in non peak months

* What will the Picnic Theme be?

Will the theme be based upon the company? Will it be a BBQ style picnic? Perhaps a seasonal type of theme? I once attended a company picnic that had a medieval type of theme. The park that was rented contained medieval scenery complete with a 20 foot plastic dragon and a miniature golf course. It was simply the best company picnic that I had ever attended! If you're not too sure upon your picnic theme one idea would be to poll your coworkers by giving them a selection of themes to choose from. Tally up the votes and you have your theme. Another idea would be to set out a "Picnic Theme Suggestion Box" in a frequented area of the company or if you have a company intranet get your webmaster to post your poll on the company Bulletin Board. See what the masses want. You may get some good ideas along with appreciation from your coworkers for letting them have some input into this company event.

* What will be the Location of the Company Picnic?

The selection of the location will depend upon a couple of factors. If you have a large amount of people that will attend the event then a park with only a couple of picnic tables will not suffice. You will need an area that can adequately contain the amount of guests. You will also want to try and locate an area that is relevant to your picnic theme. A tropical picnic theme may not work very well at a medieval miniature golf course. A beach area on a lake or ocean would be more appropriate for this. Many company picnics are held at amusement parks such as Six Flags. Special discounts can often be obtained for large groups along with private picnic area reservations. You will have to research your local area and make a few phone calls when seeking your picnic location. If possible an area with shelter from the weather is desirable. This way if it rains on your parade you can continue the festivities in a dry location. Large open air tents can be rented to provide protection from the sun along with keeping everyone dry in the case of rain. Look in the phone book under "Party Rentals". There is a good chance there is a location nearby.

* What type of food will be served?

Here again budget plays a major role. If you have only $10 per person to spend on food, rib eye steaks may not be a wise idea. You will also want to vary your selection of foods for various appetites. Vegetarian and vegan choices should be included along with kosher foods. It's always better to be safe than sorry. You can always have the affair catered if budget permits. Many companies exist that specialize in catering company picnics. You can find caters for a very small amount of guests up to thousands of guests. A catered affair also gives a nice professional atmosphere. Trust me, the cost of a caterer is well worth the time and hassle saved. If you're going to prepare the food yourself then you will need people and facilities to do this. It may get a bit overwhelming if you're out there flipping burgers for 600 people. You will want to try and find some volunteers to chip in part of their picnic day to help you out. Perhaps put up a volunteer signup sheet on the company bulletin board. Even if you cook everything at home and bring it to the picnic you will still need help with transporting, serving and cleanup. You will also need to ensure that you have grills and stoves available for your use at your picnic location if you plan on cooking. Large BBQ grills and stoves can be rented at many places. Hint; Propane grills are much easier to work with and a lot less messy than charcoal grills are. Some parks may not let you bring in your own grills so be sure and check with them when researching your picnic location.

* What type of Entertainment will you have?

Quality entertainment is a key element in a fun, successful company picnic. If all your picnic contains is food, once the eating is over everyone will soon be gone. If your company picnic is to be held at an amusement park then most of the battle is won. If not, then renting a band or a D.J. works very well. Everyone loves music, and if it's a good band then all the better. You will want to check references when considering a band or D.J. At the very least go and watch their performance. Plan some games such as volleyball and Frisbee Golf if the area permits. Many people enjoy horseshoes and yard darts also. Keep kids in mind when planning your games. Rope off areas where items such as horseshoes and yard darts are tossed. Nothing ruins a picnic faster than having to remove a yard dart from a 10 year olds head. Give away gifts and prizes. By holding a drawing near the end of the picnic people are more likely to hang around to see if they win anything. Prizes can range from restaurant gift cards to Bahamas Cruises. Nothing adds excitement quite the way winning a 5 day Bahamas cruise does.

* Are there any legal issues?

Check with the company lawyer to see if you will need to take out any sort of liability insurance. If someone gets hurt, such as a yard dart stuck in their head, you will want to be sure that you are covered. Some parks such as Six Flags may provide this type of insurance. Check with your PR Department also to see if the company's existing insurance policy will cover such events.

This should give you a good start on planning your company picnic. Use your imagination and at hand resources during your planning. Don't try and do everything yourself. Many people will be willing to help you out just for the asking. Delegate tasks to your volunteers where their strengths lie. If they're an accountant, assign them to the budget plan. Ask for and listen to their input also. Two heads are often better than one after all.

Make lots of lists. Categorize your lists and then break them down into smaller lists. Keep records of even the smallest things. You can even make a list of your lists and whom you have assigned them to. Check off completed items as you do them. This will ensure that every detail has been dealt with and nothing overlooked.

By organizing in this way and paying attention to detail your company picnic will run smoothly and is certain to be a big success. You'll be greeted at the water cooler with a smile come Monday morning and not hissed at as you walk down the halls. In fact your shoulders may well get bruised from all of the pats on the back that you will get. The next thing you know you may have an office on the top floor with a desk bigger than your kitchen table with a window view overlooking the bay. The boss popping in to see if you're up for lunch this afternoon and if you will be able to attend the cruise that is being organized in your honor.