Planning a Corporate Picnic with Employees?

Working more than 7 hours a day can really stress people out. The routine life can get tiring and people would get bored easily if they always have a monotonous schedule for every day. Weekends are the only time when most working men and women get to spend the whole day with their families and loved ones. Refreshing your mind is really necessary at all times. The time spent with your friends and family provides you with the boost that can get you through the next week.

In order to show appreciation and gratitude, you sometimes need more than words of encouragement. You need to show through actions that you care for your employees and are thankful for the hard work they have put in your organization to make it successful and prosperous. At times there is also the case that only the most valuable employees are provided the opportunity to go on a lunch or dinner sponsored by the organization, but the office picnic has to be different.

To provide to its employees with an eventful day, organizations may organize different forms of interaction activities. Some of them include a long lunch or a specific day dedicated to more socializing and less work. The most effective may be planning a picnic on a weekend with your employees. It provides your employees with a new location to explore, to engage with each other and to make memories with their work acquaintances and possibly life partners if you have allowed plus ones.

Here are a few methods that you can use in planning a picnic for your employees:

The Number of Invitees

First you need to see if you can accommodate all your employees or not. It is best if you take your entire staff on the said picnic and not just the ones who are high above in your office hierarchy. But a picnic should be for everyone. Janitors, office boys and the lower staff members must be on your invitation list. Your internees must be included in the outing as well. Although the internees have been a part of your company for only a brief time but they are a part of your workforce. Students are already worried about their grades, are in student debts and might not get a chance to have a relaxing time on their own. This is why providing them with an opportunity for a picnic outing like this can certainly create memorable moments and provides much needed relief for the students. Moreover, if you have enough room, you must invite your employees’ significant others in order for them to have an even more memorable experience.

Budgeting Your Event

For every organization, budgeting is important. There is no need to create such a budget that you have to cut costs here and there just for one day. If the company doesn’t have enough finances then the picnic should be planned for some other time. However, if you have the resources then you would need to plan an affair that will have your employees sing your praises. The location, food and travel expenses should be handled by the organization itself. Moreover, a party photographer and an entertainer can be hired to make the party more lively and memorable. The entertainer can range from a DJ, standup comedian, a small group of performers and the likes. You can also decide a theme for the picnic to better navigate to the type of entertainment you would be providing.

Venue

A venue holds great importance in creating an atmosphere for the people. It has a vital role to play as the location can either make or break the excitement for the picnic. Choose the place depending on the weather. If it is the start of spring or summer then choose a beach or a resort that could provide multiple entertainments. A local vineyard can also be a great sight to behold during spring and summer seasons.

During the autumn days, plan a visit to a famous park or a well-known landmark and make sure to find out that weather would be mildly cold or sunny and advise your guests to wear weather appropriate clothing. Winter times are not the most appropriate times for a picnic, therefore it is advisable that you refrain from planning one in that weather.

Time

When planning the venue, you must make sure that it does not hinder in any of your employees’ schedule. Some people tend to have weekend plans well in advance or may have a wedding or any other prior commitment. This is why you must set forth at least 3 dates to your employee and ask them to have a small survey as to which date will be most suitable for the picnic. Make sure to include your internees in this survey as they may have a class on their weekend and then set a date accordingly.

An office picnic should be a time for fun and adventure and all of your employees must be invited. It is a great time for bonding and building better understanding with each other. Discussions related to work must be discouraged by the organizers and business should not be talked about when you are supposed to be having fun.

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