A company picnic is an opportunity for an organization to show employees how much it values their contribution and to let them know they're an important part of a team effort. That can mean greater camaraderie and renewed trust, which can lead to increased productivity. Company picnics can be recreational and may include families, or they may be used for employee-only team-building exercises in a more relaxed setting away from the office. You may want to have the picnic at a nearby park, or you may prefer having everyone get away from it all to a more remote location. If it's a recreational event and the company's large enough, consider renting an entire amusement park or other facility. Keep in mind that most caterers require a guaranteed number of guests that you'll be required to pay for, whether they show or not. Limit guests to the immediate family of employees or to one guest, if they're unmarried. Many parks or caterers have promotional posters or flyers you can use to generate interest in the event. Make sure there are organized activities, but not so many that employees think the picnic won't be relaxing. Be sure to have plenty of activities for kids, as well as adults. If you serve alcohol, employees must know that they're welcome to attend and have a good time, but they're expected to act responsibly and abide by the company's alcohol and substance-abuse policy. If the event is too large and time-consuming to be planned by an employee committee, consider hiring a party-planning service.
