Company Picnic Ideas and Planning Tips
By
Ellen Zucker
The company picnic is a beloved tradition at many firms.
It's an opportunity for employees to mingle and "let down their hair."
A well organized company picnic with planned activities can help integrate employees with each other. This is particularly important if the company has undergone recent reorganization. As such it functions as a "team bonding" mechanism.
A company picnic can be held for an entire firm of thousands or for a single department of 30.
In my role of party entertainer (and prior to that corporate employee), I have attended countless such events. Here are some observations, tips, and ideas I picked up along the way.
General Considerations
Like any other type of event, you need to decide what you want your picnic to be like and how much you want to spend.
As with any event, it is important to keep the needs and tastes of your attendees paramount.
Allow yourself sufficient time to book your venue if the picnic is offsite. Demand for some venues is at a premium during peak periods. It is not uncommon to make reservations several months or more in advance of a given date.
You'll need to plan food and beverages, and activities and entertainment and, in some cases, transportation to the picnic site.
Allow enough time so you can give your employees sufficient advance notice to include the picnic into their plans. This is especially important if you'll be inviting family members or if it is held on a weekend.
Company picnics and company picnic ideas can range from the very simple to a pull-out-all-stops extravaganza. My observation is that people have a good time at both.
Do you want to have a theme? A theme is fun! Plus it makes it easier to organize food and activities.
WHEN do you want to hold you company's picnic?
Here, in the Philadelphia area, companies hold their picnics beginning in June through early October.
Considerations such as your company's workflow, availability of a desired venue, etc., will help you determine the date. Employees are less apt to be away on vacation in June or September, but they will really enjoy the chance to kick back in July or August.
There are pros and cons to weekday picnics versus weekend picnics.
Company picnics held during a workday will ensure a greater attendance for employees when they would normally be in the office. And, they don't cut into precious personal time.
But spouses and children are generally more available for a weekend date.
WHOM do you want to invite?
Staff only? Members of the employee's immediate family? What about significant others, friends? Decide where to draw the line.
Family picnics are a great way for employees to meet co-workers’ families. It humanizes co-workers by allowing them to relax their at-work personas.
On the other hand, single or divorced employees can feel like the odd wheel at a very family oriented event. That can be overcome by planning activities suitable for people of all ages.
Activities that require participants to form groups can help integrate the attendees. And it keeps your guests occupied.
WHERE do you want to have your company picnic?
While many picnics take place under a tent in the company's parking lot, offsite venues can make people feel more relaxed. If you're on a strict budget, one option is a nearby state park. Many have large pavilions ideally suited for such events.
I've also been to company picnics given at the home of the firm's CEO or owner. This kind of setting adds a homey touch to the festivities. In some instances, facilities were set up
Aerial View of IBM Headquarters in Armonk, North Castle NY
Info for Armonk Limousine Service
The Town of North Castle is situated at the narrow waist of Westchester County where the corner of the State of Connecticut extends west toward the Kensico Reservoir. The bulk of the Town's land area lies north of this corner, but the most densely populated part of the Town lies to the south. The Kensico Reservoir separates these two parts of North Castle.
The Town has been divided into three distinct geographic areas: North White Plains, Armonk, and the Eastern District (the hamlet area in the Eastern District is referred to as Banksville). North White Plains is the most urban portion of the Town. The Eastern District retains its low-density residential character.
The seat of Town government is located in Armonk. This is why North Castle is often referred to as Armonk though the town has other equally beautiful and thriving locations including the hamlets of Banksville, North White Plains and Middle Patent in its area of 26 square miles.
Along King Street one can easily find the 400-acre world headquarters of IBM Corporation. IBM is Westchester's largest private employer, with about 9,000 workers. Besides IBM, North Castle also has in its distinguished roster of conglomerates Swiss Re and the Municipal Bond Insurance Association. Municipal Bond bought land on Cooney Hill to make way for additional corporate space. These corporations help keep residential property taxes down, as does New York City, which also owns 3,000 acres in North Castle, including the Kensico Reservoir.
Place Names
Armonk originated from Armonck, the name the Siwanoy Indians gave to the Byram River. Another theory explains the name Armonk is derived from another Mohican word, 'Cohamoog', which means 'the wide, flat place where the water runs'.
Many of North Castle’s locations were named after the Native Indian sachems (or chiefs): Wampus Pond and stream from Sachem Wampus, Mianus Gorge and River from Sachem Mayano, Kensico Reservoir and the lost village of Kensico from Sachem Cokenseko, and Coman Hill School from Sachem Cohamong.
North Castle's name is said to derive from a barrier built by the Mohican people to protect themselves from enemy attacks. This stood on the same hill where the IBM Headquarters can be found. The site was called "North Fort" and later, because early settlers felt it resembled a castle, it became "North Castle".
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