5 Corporate Picnic Theme Ideas

Corporations have to think ahead about what they will do to keep employee morale up and try to make everyone happy about the circumstances that they find themselves in when it comes to work. It is no surprise then that many companies look to host a company picnic from time to time to honor and celebrate their employee’s contributions to the company.

The concept of a company picnic is that it allows people from throughout the company to get together to enjoy some great food and games in a casual atmosphere. The hope is that team members from across the company will bond and will learn from one another during an event like this. With any luck, the people there will start to form connections with other people throughout the company, and perhaps they will even collaborate on events and ideas that could help bolster the company to the next level.

With all of this in mind, we want to cover some of the best ideas to use for throwing a corporate picnic.

Safety First

There are a lot of things that can potentially go wrong when working on a corporate event of any kind. It is important that safety be at the top of the list of things to take care of when handling a corporate event. This means safety both in the form of the physical security of the people who attend the event, but also in the sense that the business needs to protect itself from any potential damage that could occur at the event. Thus, business insurance is a good thing to have handy.

Events of any kind can have unforeseen things happen during the course of their duration that pose a risk to the health and happiness of attendees. From the awnings that are set up to the wet bar that may be made available, there is a potential for someone to inadvertently harm themselves or others. If that is to happen, then the company could be on the hook for medical expenses for that individual. Obviously, that is not an ideal situation for anyone involved.

The person who got hurt in that situation is going to be upset that they were injured, but the company may also be worried about what it might cost them to help get their employee back to full working condition. The venue may also suffer if they have not properly prepared for such events. Thus, you should try to make sure you get this part of the process completely covered before you worry about moving on to any other projects or concerns related to your event.

The Venue

It might seem obvious, but you should certainly check out the space that you are thinking about reserving for your company before you do so. You will want to look at things such as the acreage of the space and the lawn care that has been put into it. Does it seem like a safe and fun space for your employees to enjoy each other’s company and get the most out of what you have set up for them? If it is, then you have done a wonderful thing for them. If not, then you need to keep looking until you are able to find something more suitable for your needs.

The space should wow you. Remember, they are in the business of attracting business just like yours. If they are unable to do so, then something has gone terribly wrong. You shouldn’t have any trouble whatsoever getting the space to meet the needs that you have for that location. If they are unable or unwilling to do so, then it is time to move on to the next space that will take better care of your needs.

Even if you request something over the top like an ice block to provide at the location of your event, that should be entirely within the realm of possibilities when you request it from a space that is meant to cater to you. They may not have the ice block available themselves, but they should be able to source that for you if you ask them for it.

Catering Options

One of the primary draws for many people to attend a corporate picnic in the first place is the food, of course. People love to gather together and have an amazing meal. There is something about the act of eating together that brings people closer, and that is why you should carefully review your catering options so you never have to worry again about how you will provide great food for the crowd that you have assembled at the event.

There are plenty of different types of foodservice companies that offer catering. You should probably take an informal poll of sorts among the employees to see which of these companies they would most like to see provided at the event. If you can get some consolidation around a particular food type that most would like to see, then you can perhaps get the kind of food that people really want to see at the event and make everyone happy.

You should always check with the various companies that are attempting to win your business to see what kind of deals they are willing to make on catering. They may come out and say that they will make a special deal with you in their official publications, but you can sometimes find that they are more willing to make a deal when you speak with them one-on-one. The most important thing for you to do during the course of these chats is to make sure they understand that you are going to order in bulk from them. Try to put an emphasis on just how much food your order is going to be for, and try to make it crystal-clear that you would be happy to do business with them again in the future if they can come through for you on this.

Anyone who puts in that much effort to save some money on their catering for the company picnic should see the results. If you don’t get the results that you were hoping for, then there is a chance that the catering company that you selected is not the right choice for you. You may need to go with another company in the future. You won’t know this for sure until you have taken the time to get to know which catering company seems like the best fit for your situation, and you won’t know that until you start calling them up to see who can come through for you.

The Cleanup Crew

Another thing that could be important in the grand scheme of it all is how you get the event cleaned up after it is all over and done with. You need people who can come through for you on that as well, and that means you need a great packing service that can put all of your tables, chairs, etc. back into boxes where they may be shipped back into storage. You may see that the cleanup crew that you hire saves you an incredible amount of time and frustration by taking care of all of the chores related to cleaning up after the picnic. After all, you don’t want to waste your own time trying to get this all done when there are companies standing at the ready to help.

The great thing about hiring a packing company or a maid service is that they will happily work with you to make sure all of your belongings are taken care of in a way that is delicate and properly managed. You can count on them to come through for you because they have done so for many other companies in the past. Say what you will, but most people are quite happy with the fact that they might not have to worry about putting up all of the belongings that they got out when they set up the picnic in the first place.

Always make sure you go with a company that is properly licensed and bonded. You need them to carry their own insurance so that you know for sure that your items are protected even if something were to happen to them in transit. There is nothing worse than being in a spot where you can’t get your event cleaned up effectively because you don’t have the manpower to do it, but then you can’t hire a cleanup crew because they don’t have insurance and this doesn’t provide you with peace of mind. It is a tough spot to be in, and it is something that you should work to avoid by doing your research ahead of time to make sure everything is above-board and ready to go when your team arrives there.

Don’t Forget The Fun

Never forget that a big part of the reason why you are hosting this corporate picnic in the first place is that you want people to have fun and get to know each other better. You need to remember to include some fun activities that are genuinely a joy for the people who are in attendance. Remember, the people that you bring to these events work for the company, but they also want to have fun when they go to these things. They need to be able to have that space where they can make a genuine connection with another person that doesn’t feel as if it is being forced upon them because of their surroundings (aka a corporate picnic).

To get people to open up and enjoy themselves, think about games and activities that can be included as icebreakers. Many people need a little bit of a getting to know someone period before they are ready to jump right in to the next event. This means that they will want the company to go the extra mile to figure out what types of games there are that can bring people together and let them have a good time playing them. The games should be somewhat challenging, but not too much so. People need to feel like they achieve something when they play the game, but they should also be able to laugh when playing as well. There are certain games that companies have developed over the years that can help them reach the point where people are talking with one another and making connections. Don’t be afraid to steal ideas from what companies have done in the past if it appears likely that you will need some help getting the ball rolling.

A company picnic is an event that you will likely only throw once per year. You should take the time necessary to make sure this event is all that it can be. Employees look forward to events like this, and they only get them when the company has taken the time necessary to put something like this together. Employees count on their employer to show them a good time when they put in so much effort throughout the year to make the company a success. Thus, you ought to show those employees that they are truly valued and that their contributions are not forgotten. If you can get things this far with employees, then you should have them won over pretty easily. Always remember that, and you will be in great shape to host a terrific company picnic.

Get all of the ducks in a row and start working towards building an event that people will not soon forget about. If you can do this, then you can change the way your employees see the company and the progress that they are helping to put into it by their simple actions each day. Don’t forget that they are what really moves the company forward in the long run. They deserve the opportunity to cut loose and enjoy themselves as well.