Planning a Perfect Company Picnic: Essential Event Team Roles
Company picnics are more than just outdoor gatherings; they play a crucial role in fostering employee morale and building camaraderie. These events offer a break from the daily grind, allowing colleagues to connect in a relaxed and enjoyable environment. However, the success of a company picnic depends significantly on meticulous planning and organization. In this article, we’ll delve into the essential event team roles that contribute to planning a perfect company picnic, ensuring a seamless and memorable experience for all attendees.
1: Onsite Event Manager
At the helm of the company picnic operation is the onsite event manager, the orchestrator of the entire event. This individual plays a pivotal role in coordinating with various departments, ensuring smooth execution, and addressing unforeseen circumstances. From troubleshooting issues to overseeing the big picture, the onsite event manager is the linchpin of a successful picnic.
Onsite Event Manager: Oversees the Entirety of the Picnic
At a small picnic, the event manager will function as the event planner as well, managing staff directly across departments.
At a large picnic, there may be more than one event manager. They will act as the second-highest authority under the client, and handle staff’s needs and communication with the client.
2: Event Planners
Working hand-in-hand with the onsite event manager, event planners assist in staff management and event oversight. Their responsibilities include collaborating with event leaders, coordinating with vendors, and handling administrative tasks. For large events, event planners may be assigned to specific stations to ensure seamless operations in designated areas.
Event Planners: Oversee Departments & Manage Staff
At a small picnic, the event manager may also be the event planner. The event planner will handle all departments simultaneously.
At a large picnic, there will be an event planner overseeing every station.
3: Event Leaders
Event leaders head specific departments such as catering, beverages, games, and waste management. They oversee staff, ensure departmental goals are met, and collaborate closely with the onsite event manager. From coordinating catering services to managing waste disposal stations, event leaders ensure that each aspect of the picnic runs smoothly.
Event Leaders: Heads of Specific Departments
At a small picnic, event leaders may handle a broader range of responsibilities like coordinating with vendors and overseeing event logistics.
At a large picnic, event leaders will be able to hone their focus onto specific tasks, like guest relations, ambience, and decor.
4: Waste Management Team
Maintaining cleanliness and environmental consciousness is paramount during a company picnic. The waste management team is responsible for collecting, disposing of waste, and managing waste disposal stations. Their collaboration with the onsite event manager ensures adherence to safety regulations and the integration of waste management activities into the overall event plan.
Waste Management Team: Keeping the Picnic Clean
At a small picnic, this team’s size reflects the picnic size.
At a large picnic, the same is true. The waste management team will be large, oftentimes utilizing carts and large dumpsters, to keep the picnic space tidy.
5: Safety & Security Team
Ensuring the safety of all guests and staff is of utmost importance. The safety & security team conducts safety inspections, develops safety plans, and provides first aid when necessary. Their collaboration with the onsite event manager ensures that safety measures are seamlessly integrated into the overall event plan. Security may or may not be included in the team, as many companies utilize their onsite security when a picnic is hosted at their own location. So, too, may the security team be local law enforcement. Safety staff work closely with the local fire department and safety inspectors to ensure the picnic is up to code.
Safety & Security: Ensuring the Picnic Stays Safe
At a small picnic, safety and security might be combined unless the company is using its own security.
At a large picnic, safety staff expands. So, too, is it even more crucial to bring in dedicated workers to ensure exit plans and paths are prepared.
6: Food & Beverage Team
The food & beverage team plays a key role in providing high-quality and safe food and beverages for picnic attendees. From food preparation to serving, they adhere to food safety guidelines and work closely with the onsite event manager to align food service with the event timeline. There will be separate teams per food station, be it popcorn, novelties, or the main course. Each team is skilled in their station and knows best how to run it.
Food & Beverage: Cooking, Serving, and Keeping Food Fresh
At a small picnic, food and beverage personnel may cover the waste management for their own stations. There may also be fewer workers per station, or fewer stations.
At a large picnic, waste management assists in keeping the stations clear. There will be dedicated personnel to ensure the food remains proper temperatures, beverage stays flowing, and utensils and plates are on hand.
7: Restroom Management
Clean and well-stocked restrooms are essential for a positive picnic experience. The restroom manager oversees restroom cleanliness, addresses any issues, and coordinates with the onsite event manager for maintenance, ensuring that this aspect of the event runs smoothly.
Restroom Management: Handles All Restroom & Hygiene Facilities
At a small picnic, restroom staff will handle cleaning and maintenance of the restroom facilities themselves as well as their usual duties of restocking and maintaining hygiene.
At a large picnic, restroom staff will have help with the cleaning and maintenance of facilities. So too will they monitor traffic and supervise the additional staff needed for the amount of guests.
8: MC & DJ
The Master of Ceremonies (MC) is the host and entertainer, responsible for keeping the energy high and engaging with guests. Their responsibilities include making announcements, and potentially running major games. For larger events or those with a multilingual audience, having multiple MCs may be considered. A DJ for the event will be responsible for playing music. Sometimes, MCs are DJs as well, but not all DJs are MCs.
MCs & DJs: Leading the Fun
At a small picnic, the MC and DJ may be the same person. In this case, they’ll make announcements, engage with guests, and play music as well.
At a large picnic, multiple MCs may be needed. There will be a dedicated DJ at these events, as well, whose sole responsibility is to keep the music flowing.
9: Game Leaders
Game leaders oversee and manage all picnic games, assigning game leaders, running carnival booths, and serving as ride attendants. Their collaboration with the onsite event manager ensures that game activities are seamlessly integrated into the overall event plan.
Game Leaders: Overseeing all Picnic Games
At a small picnic, there may be less individual game leaders, since there might be fewer games. However, ride attendants and booth attendants may need to work in shifts. Ride attendants are usually specialists in their specific ride, so care will need to be taken to find a second shift worker.
At a large picnic, more games mean more game leaders! Having multiple workers for each ride to cover one another is also extremely important.
10: Load-In and Strike-Down Staff
The load-in and strike-down staff play crucial roles in setting up and dismantling event equipment, respectively. From unloading vehicles to coordinating setup and teardown activities with the onsite event manager, their efforts contribute to the smooth execution of the picnic. Load-in staff are experts in ensuring heavy tents are set up and secured without a hitch. Strike-down staff work efficiently to ensure the park is returned to its natural state before the day ends.
Load-In & Strike-Down: Ensure the Picnic is Executed Smoothly
At a small picnic, cleanup is much easier at day’s end. Loadin may still be bustling, depending on the setup needed.
At a large picnic, loadin and strikedown will take considerably longer. However, staff is adept at working on a time crunch without sacrificing quality in these situations.
11: Parking Attendants & Shuttle Drivers
Efficient parking and shuttle services are vital for smooth guest transportation. Parking attendants direct traffic and manage parking areas, while shuttle drivers transport guests to and from the picnic venue, contributing to a hassle-free experience. Shuttle drivers are needed if the picnic is in a park or beach with minimal parking, or if the picnic area is far away from the lot. So, too, do parking attendants need to work seamlessly to coordinate traffic in large venues.
Parking Attendants & Shuttle Drivers: The Driving Force Behind Picnic Success
At a small picnic, parking onsite may be sufficient, but shuttle drivers may be needed to get guests to and from a distant picnic area. Parking attendants will ensure that everyone gets where they need to go.
At a large picnic, multiple shuttles and parking attendants may be required to keep the flow of traffic going smoothly. So, too, may parking offsite be required.
All Picnic Staff, All in One Place
A well-organized and well-staffed company picnic is essential for its success. Each event team role, from the onsite event manager to parking attendants, plays a crucial part in creating a memorable and enjoyable experience for all attendees. Our company picnic planning agency works with the finest staff in the industry. When planning your next company picnic, we’re the prime destination. To get started, simply fill out the form below. Our company picnic staff are eager to collaborate with you!
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2022 A Company Picnic Division of Event Solutions
2023 A Company Picnic Division of Event Solutions