Budgeting for a company picnic is made easy when you work with the right experts. There are a few key factors that will 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.
Calculate Expected Employee Attendance
Attendance is the largest 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. It’s best to get a feel for how many employees will attend, and calculate how many additional people will be included if you’re inviting families. An average company picnic typically costs $35-$55 per person. Several factors go into landing on the price point that is best for your desired event.
Partner with a Corporate Catering Expert
Catering is an important aspect of any corporate event, whether it’s the highlight of the day or an addition. The menu and serving method 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. A buffet set up is the best serving method for several hundred or thousands of attendees because it is efficient when designed well. At RH Events & Catering, we specialize in menu design and serving layouts that get people through lines quickly with food that is fresh and prepared to the highest quality.
Craft and Event for Comfort
Choosing a venue that already has necessary facilities for a comfortable experience is ideal. Accessible bathrooms, ample parking, air conditioning or shade are just a few things we look for in an event venue. Often, your workplace is the best site to host an event since it comes with all of these things. It’s also the most cost effective choice that can save you several thousands of dollars. If your workplace does not have the space to set up an event, you’ll need to factor in the costs for renting a space, or building an event site from scratch.
Choosing Entertainment Options
It’s important to understand your audience when choosing entertainment for your company picnic. A variety of activities will offer something for everyone. 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. Games of chance and skill offer variety for children and adults. Popular company picnic games include sports inflatables and dunk tanks. 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. Live bands, DJs, petting zoos, artists and other performers are additional entertainment options that come with additional fees.
Company Picnic Costs for 2024
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.
