Your employees are the lifeblood of your business. Without them, making deals, brainstorming products, and meeting your goals would be impossible. When it comes time to show your team your appreciation, you have a few options. That said, nothing says “thank you” to your hardworking team like an employee appreciation picnic.

It can take more effort than you expect to plan an employee picnic, though. Fortunately, there are tips and tricks you can keep in mind to make your event planning as straightforward as possible.

Involve Your Employees in Planning

Employee appreciation events are all about your team members. Why not consult your team when putting together an event, then? Reach out to your staff and get their opinions on different aspects of the coming event. Some of the best questions to ask include:

  • What does your availability for a large event look like?
  • What foods do you like, and do you have dietary restrictions?
  • Are there activities that you enjoy participating in with your team?
  • What beverages would you like at a picnic?

You can also include questions about preferred personal items or hobbies if you want to integrate those elements into your picnic. For example, you can host a silent auction at your employee appreciation picnic that includes the personal items that your team mentioned enjoying during your initial outreach.

Consider a Potluck

While catered events tend to be less stressful than self-managed ones, you can still get your team in on the fun. Consider asking your employees to bring tableware, small treats, or dishes that mean a lot to them. If you want a more structured food plan, ask your employees to bring snacks or desserts while your caterer handles the bulk of the work.

When you integrate your team’s favorite goods into your event, you can encourage community building. At the same time, you can celebrate the diverse tastes that bring your team together.

Bring Games and Activities

Food and drinks are some of the biggest draws at company appreciation picnics. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t have games scattered throughout your event, though. Simple picnic games like cornhole or horseshoes can keep your team occupied as they wait for their teammates to get their food.

Alternatively, you can work with an event manager to arrange team-wide games after the eating’s finished. Icebreakers and trust games can celebrate your team’s success while also building up additional bonds between your staff. These games are particularly useful for cross-department bonding.

Watch the Weather

While you are handling the catering, the events, and the venue, make sure you keep an eye on the weather. While most picnics may take place outside, you can move your event indoors if it looks like the weather is going to take a turn.

Managing a picnic in the face of poor weather is easier when you have a team on hand to help you. With that in mind, don’t be afraid to reach out for help planning your company picnic. Our team can help with set-up, tear-down, and every element in between.

Let’s Plan Your Next Company Picnic

Company picnics can serve a variety of purposes. If you want to encourage your employees to get to know one another, picnics are informal events ideal for inter-department networking. You can also use a company picnic as a celebratory event, bringing a company together to reap the benefits of your hard work.

You don’t have to plan a company picnic on your own, though. Instead, you can contact Frogbridge Events. Our corporate event venues in Central Jersey specialize in helping you bring together the venue, catering, and activities they need to make a picnic truly memorable. You can contact us at (609) 208-9475 or fill out our contact form for more information about our services.