ASGN’s Vineyard Carnival

300

Minutes of Fun

Entertainment Options

150

Employees and Their Families

Menu Options

The Perfect Location

Here at A Company Picnic, we feel the location truly makes any corporate outing. Whether it’s a beautiful seaside resort, or a working mine in the desert, we love beautiful or unique backdrops for our staff picnics. When we were contacted by ASGN, we decided to fit the location to the theme.

ASGN is an innovative IT and digital marketing company established in 1985. Their talented staff works in both the private sector and the federal sector, providing top-of-the-line tech support and marketing strategies to the company’s clientele. ASGN understands how important each member of their team is, and they value everyone in it. So, they wanted to celebrate their team, and host an exciting employee appreciation day in sunny California.

A Carnival Cookout

Our theme was Carnival, and we wanted a location that was spacious as well as full of magic. Vineyards have a certain charm to them, and we thought a vineyard would fit well with such a fantastical theme.

We decided on Trifuno Creek Vineyards. Backdropped by the Santa Monica Mountains and nestled on a private, secluded road in Malibu Valley, the vineyard with its hedges and greenery would be a beautiful scene for any company cookout.

There’s also plenty of flat, open grassy lawns to set up a host of carnival games. We and ASGN felt it would be a perfect setting for a big, exciting Carnival employee picnic.

Getting Ready

It was a sunny day near the end of June when we arrived at the vineyards. As always, we pulled up early in the morning in order to have plenty of time to get everything ready. After consulting with security and getting our caterers ready, we began setting up the props for the picnic.

We’d brought in a beautiful “welcome” balloon arch to greet that day’s guests, as well as circus-themed statues and tabletop decorations. We busied ourselves setting up our picnic tables and booths and decking them out in bright colors and fanciful centerpieces.

The sun cast a beautiful hue over the rolling hills and spacious fields of yellow flowers and green grasses. From where we were located, we had an amazing view of the Santa Monica Mountains in their towering glory. The spot in the vineyard we chose for this event was nestled in a valley surrounded by the green foothills, a comfortable and beautiful location indeed.

Our breath was definitely taken away by the view, and our photographer captured beautiful images of the landscape and our setup. We hoped the staff and their families would enjoy this view, too.

Marvelous Menu

That morning was hustle and bustle for all of our crew. The caterers set to work prepping that afternoon’s meal with vigor.

We worked with ASGN to plan a delicious menu tailored around their employees’ dietary needs. We wanted everyone to be included in the fun.

Our vendors prepared pulled Kalua pork sliders on Hawaiian rolls with some seriously tasty pineapple slaw, tender tri-tip, and hot dogs, both beef and vegetarian. They also whipped up some fresh salad, corn cobettes, potato salad, and fruit salad, and readied the buffet with plenty of hot dog toppings and condiments.

The smell of such a delicious meal wafted in the air, mingled with the smokey scent of their grills as we worked. We could tell it was shaping up to be a perfect meal.

The Guests Arrive

The valet team arrived with the guests at 11:00 that morning. The picnic turnout was fantastic. It was to be 150, and everyone came in that we’d expected. People of all ages and entire families arrived on the scene, and suddenly, the vineyard sprung to life. Groups posed for photos under our balloon arch and picked up ASGN’s branded handouts. Kids ran and played, and the vineyard was full of laughter and conversation in no time.

We’d brought in plenty of excitement for the staff and their families to enjoy. Guests visited our talented balloon artist, where they got balloon animal bracelets or hats, or simply balloon animal sculptures to take home. Our photographer was sure to snap pictures of everyone with their sculptures.

Others visited the caricature artist, whose booth stayed busy all afternoon. He did an excellent job at his work, and everyone who received one was thrilled. Our photographers were sure to snap pictures of the drawings, too, and everyone who got one was more than happy to show it off.

Carnival Fun

We’d brought in an airbrush tattoo artist to the event that day. He’s truly amazing at his work, and brings a huge lineup of pieces to paint. It’s always a blast to watch guests stand in front of the flash sheet signage and decide which ones they’d like to get. He, like our caricaturist, stayed plenty busy that day, and pretty soon, the crowd was filling up with body art all around us.

Our arts and crafts station also stayed plenty busy that day, with people of all ages making beautiful keepsakes to bring home with them. Between that and the booth-less photobooth we’d brought in, it looked like everyone would have a unique keepsake of their own. It always thrills us to be able to provide artistic memories for employees and their families, and we know it makes companies like ASGN happy, as well.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a carnival without plenty of game booths. We’d brought in eight different booths for guests to try out, stocked with plenty of prizes. There were games for all to enjoy, from ring toss to our Six Ball Roll game. Adults and kids alike spent the afternoon trying out each game and winning adorable plush prizes for their efforts.

Fun and Games

We’d brought in lots of novelty foods for the event, seeing as it was Carnival themed, after all. Guests had their fill of Sno-Cones, popcorn, kettle corn, and cotton candy. For the adults, we brought in beer and wine, including some of Trifuno Vineyards’ very own house wine. There was something for everyone to enjoy, and we were happy to see all the guests satisfied.

Our game leader had plenty of field game fun for everyone to partake in. The field games were staggered throughout the day, as we usually try to do. We like there to be plenty of team building activities and fun in a staff barbeque, but we also want guests to have breaks to enjoy the rest of the entertainment. That day, we had four game sessions scheduled. First up, about half an hour after the guests arrived, our game leader hosted a musical hula hoops competition. Around noon, two teams competed in water balloon parachute volleyball, which was a big hit. At 1:30, we hosted a round of jumbo Jenga for the group, and later in the afternoon, a round of bingo. We’d brought in prize booths for the winners of each game, with prizes like coffee makers and board games.

A Beautiful Day

The afternoon passed in a flurry of joy and excitement. It seemed everyone was having a blast.

We love watching a crowd have such a great time and looking on as they win games or simply have fun.

We felt that we’d done exactly what ASGN hoped for: give their valued team an afternoon of fun and relaxation.

By 4:00, the staff cookout was winding to a close. Our guests stopped for their last photos at our signage or our carousel horse statue. They gathered the crafts they’d made, their branded gear, or the artwork they received.

We could tell, by the way everyone was still smiling, that they’d all had a wonderful day. As the valets returned them to their cars, we set to work with the last of that day’s duties.

Feeling Fulfilled

The vineyard may have been empty, but the buzz and excitement still coursed through our veins.

The sun which had cast hues over the landscape that morning now bathed everything in the golden light of afternoon. We busied ourselves packing away décor and breaking down booths.

As we worked, we felt proud of how amazingly that day had turned out. We hoped the happy memories staff and their families made would bring smiles to their faces for a long time more.

As we got into our cars, the joy from that day filled our hearts. We hoped our guests would treasure this day, too, until the next employee picnic.