As we bid goodbye to winter, it’s time to welcome spring and summer… and get excited about warm weather outings. This means company picnics are right around the corner!

To ensure the most enjoyable event, preparation is always key. To help you plan ahead for your company outings, we present a few timely tips:

#1: Book Your Venue Ahead Of Time

Chances are good you’re not the only company looking to lock down a lawn for a company picnic. Getting a head start on booking a venue for your corporate picnic will ensure you have first dibs on a space that suits your company’s needs.

If possible, try and plan at least 5-6 months before your planned picnic date to give you enough time to secure the venue of your choice, hire a rock star caterer, and give employees enough notice to clear their schedules to enjoy the outing.

#2: Hire A Caterer For Your Picnic

Unless you’ve all agreed to a potluck-style event, when people attend a company picnic, they are expecting the food to already be prepared. The trick to pulling off a killer company picnic is finding a caterer who has the experience needed to properly cater this type event with high-quality offerings.

If possible, it is a real bonus to have a caterer who already has a partnership with the picnic venue. By working with a venue/caterer team, you’ll be able to tick off two important to-dos on your list, right off the bat.

#3: Planning The Perfect Menu

Prior to picking out a menu, it’s a good idea to check in with your employees (and their families) regarding any allergies, food preferences, and dietary restrictions. Having a menu that accommodates everyone is important. Once you have surveyed the office, work with your caterer to prepare a personalized menu that fits your company’s needs.

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Another successful picnic season has come to a close and we thought it would be fun to share some of the stats, including the astonishing 22,924 guests we served throughout the season and the team of 794 staff members it took to make it all happen.

Here are a few of the interesting numbers:

Thanks to all the amazing companies (big and small) that trust us each year with their annual company-wide picnics. Picnics are always exciting for us since we can really push the creative limits!

It’s never too early to start planning your 2018 picnic. Give us a call at (847) 966-6555 or contact us online to get started. Our experienced team of event coordinators are ready when you are!

Each year we get the privilege of working with our good client Denese at Rustoleum to help her plan their annual company-wide picnic. For many years, the Rustoleum Picnic has taken place at the North Bay Pavilion at Independence Grove. But when the picnic grew a bit too big for the picturesque space, we worked together to find an alternative event venue that would be suitable for the company’s growing needs.

Eventually, we decided on Banner Day Camp.

My client Denese is incredible at executing a vision she has for an event. Once she gets an idea in her head, it’s impossible to get in her way. We knew Banner Day Camp would be the perfect venue to allow her to really spread out and execute any theme she had in mind.

After talking back and forth to develop the theme for the event, we came up with some great ideas and elements:

• The dude ranch-type welcome sign was a hit.
• The décor throughout the space included thematic elements, such as haystacks, barrels, ropes, a couple of ranch-type lounge areas, rustic florals in galvanized vases, and pallet tables for the extensive raffle offerings
• We had actors dressed up as old-timey Western characters (one of whom was a lasso expert!).
• We catered Western-themed food, including pulled pork sandwiches, baby back ribs, roasted corn on the cobb and baked beans.
• Our caricaturists drew on pre-printed, fun and logoed paper.
• We also had pony rides, and tasked our hayrides to be valet transportation for remote parkers.

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