PICNICS

Picnic: Non-committal event with a lot of potential

A picnic is a specific type of event, which intends to bring fun to the whole family. More and more, the decision to prepare a picnic is taken by companies that want to integrate their teams and strengthen the image of an attractive employer. It is, therefore, a great tool for employer branding. However, the basis for a successful picnic that does bring tangible benefits to the host is the perfect organization that the event agency starStone will provide you with.

Sounds innocent, but a picnic is quite a demanding event.

It might seem like there’s nothing difficult about organizing a picnic. It’s just a pretense, though. In fact, the preparation of such an event requires detailed planning taking into account the expectations of the participants of the event. The biggest challenge is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to convince people to take part in such events. It is, therefore, necessary to show creativity so as not to duplicate boring patterns.

The starting point for the picnic is to answer the question of what is the purpose of the event. Here everything depends on who hosts it. We know from experience that there can be at least a few such goals:

  • Private company -> integration of employees, enabling them to have a good time with their families and, consequently, strengthening bonds with the employer, promotion of the company’s image in the target group, promotion of the offer;
  • Local government -> integration of the local community, a celebration of an anniversary, promotion of the region for tourists
  • NGOs -> raising funds for some noble cause, raising awareness of the organization’s brand;
  • Local associations -> taking people out of their homes, promoting active leisure activities, presenting cultural and sport offer;

The common denominator for each form of the picnic is that we are dealing here with an event for families, so the basic task of the organizer is to provide attractions for both the youngest and adult participants of the event. It is a difficult task, but we cannot allow a situation in which anyone complains about boredom.

What should be taken into account when organizing a family picnic?

First of all, we need to know how many people will participate in the event – if we are dealing with a mass event, then the organizer will fall on several additional obligations related to its security (which adds to costs).

Another issue is the location. The picnic is organized in the open air, but the weather in our country forces us to be prepared for various scenarios. That’s why it is good to indicate the place where we have access to roofed rooms or we can set up large garden tents.

When choosing a location, one should also pay attention to whether it guarantees access to basic utilities, such as electricity, running water and the Internet. If not, there will be additional complications, which the organizer will have to face (in such moments the differences between a professional and an amateur event agency will be revealed).

While preparing the picnic scenario, we analyze whether the event is to be loose and purely fun, or whether a more official part is planned (e.g. awarding prizes to outstanding employees).

We have already mentioned the attractions and now we need to develop this thread. We know from experience that a picnic which is all about serving food and playing music from CDs is a waste of time and money. Such an event will have no promotional effect and is unlikely to attract crowds. Therefore, the key challenge faced by the organizer of the event is to provide entertainment for its participants.

Bounce houses are of course essential, but children are becoming more and more demanding. That is why it is worth extending the range of attractions with additional elements, such as a bubble machine, VR stands, relaxation zones or animations for the youngest.

Of course, we cannot forget about the adult participants of the picnic. The most important thing is to make sure that they feel that their children are well cared for so that they can enjoy the picnic as well. The organizer must also make sure that the participants have an excuse to spend time together – for example, during a star concert or a popular cabaret group performance. In this way, small groups will not be formed, and integration will be more successful.

There’s no successful family picnic without catering. In the case of outdoor events, grilled dishes are traditionally the best choice, but let’s not forget that more and more people put on a healthy diet, so the menu should be as varied as possible – also with children in mind.

A well-organized family picnic is a way to improve team morale and strengthen employees’ ties with the company. It also integrates local communities.

The starStone event agency will organize a picnic for you, during which nobody will be bored. Safe, attractive, and most importantly – ideally suited to the assumed budget of the event. Contact us and ask for an offer for you!