Budgeting for a company picnic is made easy when you work with the right experts. There are a few key factors that can help drive your decisions and ultimately, your budget. If you are among the population of HR professionals looking to make a statement with an event your employees will appreciate, consider planning a company picnic. Company picnics are excellent events for companies with 150+ employees who want to include families in their celebrations. Company picnics provide unique opportunities to interact and connect.
Attendance is the number 1 determining factor for budget. Your expected attendance will drive the decision for a venue; the first decision to make. The venue will dictate everything else. An average company picnic typically costs $35-$55 per person. A few things to consider within this cost include:
Catering– Catering is an important aspect of any corporate event. What is your desired menu? Is food the highlight of the event? The menu and serving methods you choose will impact your budget based on the varying food and staffing costs. Choosing higher end menu items like steak, mashed potatoes and roasted green beans will require more for your budget than hamburgers, chips and baked beans.
Comfort – Your venue choice will determine what additional costs will be associated with necessary items and facilities for comfort. Building an event site from scratch will likely require tents for additional shade. Other necessary additions may include portable bathrooms, and parking. A venue with these logistics in place will reduce some of these potential costs.
Entertainment – A balance of activities is important to keep everyone entertained. The demographic of your attendees is important to understand when making decisions on what activities to include. For larger crowds, you’ll want to include ‘high capacity’ games that can cater to a lot of people in a short period of time. Live bands, DJs, petting zoos, artists and other performers are additional costs to consider.
Another aspect that can influence your budget is the theme or culture of the event. What is most important for you and your company regarding the company picnic? Are you looking for something to make a statement? Ziplines and large rides are exciting and memorable pieces, but these pieces will also increase your costs.
The average price for a company picnic in 2024 delivered by RH Events & Catering was $50,314.70. The average number of attendees was 931. Below are specific examples of what 3 different companies spent on their 2024 company picnic.
A large manufacturing company in Georgia with 4,000 attendees spent $154,000. This event included a variety of midway games, large rides, inflatables, sports throws, concessions, food, a petting zoo and more. This is an example of a large company picnic that has an emphasis on big fun and entertainment for people of all ages. This event had many families with young children.
A Tennessee company with about 3,000 attendees spent $91,000 on their company picnic. This event was all about interactive games and high-capacity activities. It included food, concessions and additional entertainment.
A manufacturer in Kentucky with 850 attendees spent $49,000 on their company picnic. This event also had more focus on high capacity games, and included food, concessions and more.
Need help creating a budget for your company picnic?
Budgeting for a company picnic is done best with your people and specific goals in mind. These events are not ‘one size fits all’. If you want to dive deeper into the possibilities for your company picnic, contact RH Events & Catering today for a custom quote. Let us build a company picnic plan tailored to your specific needs. Click here to get started.
