QTC’s Splash Zone Family Fun Day

Exciting Games

450

Staff and Families

Menu Options

300

Minutes of Fun

Giving Back to Their Team

We like to book our events early here at A Company Picnic. This gives us plenty of time to gather any permissions we need, plan a menu with our clients, and arrange any props or entertainment we need for the event to be amazing. It was an unseasonably warm day in March at our California headquarters when we met with someone looking to plan a big corporate cookout that summer.

Our client that day was QTC Management. QTC is a disability and occupational health management service working with private clients as well as federal-level clients. They focus on providing both health services and case management to disabled people in a wide variety of employment settings. Their mission is to help each individual in need, and they’re an extraordinary client-first and caring company.

A Wet and Wild Cookout

QTC cares about not only the individuals working for their clients, but their employees as well. Without their staff, they know they wouldn’t be able to reach all those in need that they do. For 40 years, they’ve made it their goal to provide care to not just workers, but their own staff. So, they came to us looking to plan an amazing staff-and-family fun day close to their California headquarters.

The event being in summer, we proposed an exciting and fun theme for it. We take care when planning events in California’s notorious summer to ensure that guests will be able to beat the heat. Our favorite theme to conquer the sun’s wrath is our Splash Zone theme. QTC was all in for this. Our Splash Zone theme incorporates every kind of water games you could imagine, and during our meeting, QTC picked some really amazing games for their team to enjoy.

Making Magic Happen

The months, for us (and likely for the staff at QTC), sped by in a hurry. Before we knew it, it was the day of the event. It was a beautiful morning in July when we arrived at Brookside Park in Pasadena, California. The park is a wide-open space, with plenty of gorgeous green lawns and quite a few shade trees. We chose a stretch of green encircled by trees to set up the main hub of today’s picnic.

Our BBQ catering team arrived just as we did, at precisely 7:00 that morning. The sun hadn’t yet reached its hot zenith for the day, and we, clad in our khakis and short-sleeved shirts, stayed comfortable while our preparations began. Our barbeque vendors set to work prepping that day’s delicious meal. QTC wanted a traditional company cookout menu, with burgers and hot dogs and plenty of sides. Our vendors set up their grills, and, pretty soon, the park was bathed in the mouthwatering aroma of that day’s lunch.

Our pumps for inflatables purred softly as we bustled to and fro setting up all that day’s entertainment. We’d brought in plenty to choose from, from a giant slide to a rock wall. QTC wanted plenty of games for staff and their families, so we set up inflatable sports games as well as bounce houses and a super soaker battle arena. Before we knew it, the day was shaping up to be fun and exciting for their crew.

The Guests Arrive!

That morning was chock-full of action as we worked to set up booths and arrange props and décor. Everything came together splendidly, and at 12:00, when that day’s guests arrived, the park was turned into the perfect scene. 450 guests, staff and their families, arrived at the park at noon that day.

Their faces lit up as they filed into the registration line, eyes darting from attraction to attraction. Once they’d registered, guests made their ways to various attractions. Children laughed and played around the grasses and adults mingled and chatted.

The park was alive with joy and the buzz of human activity. People moved both in groups and solo, a swimming sea of excitement and gleeful faces. A large crowd gathered before our reverse dunk tank, where staff and their kids took turns being both the one who got dunked, as well as the one to throw the ball at the setup. Our Big Kahuna reverse dunk tank is always a hit, most especially on warm days.

Laughter and cheers rang throughout the park as guest after guest had buckets of water dumped over their heads from the game.

Fun in the Sun

There was no shortage of excitement to partake in. Some people tried their hand at an obstacle course or our rock wall. Others gravitated to the carnival booths or our volleyball setup. People of all ages partook in our Water Wars super soaker arena or battling it out with Paintless Paintball. We, from the sidelines, could see just what a great time everyone at the park was having. Smiles and laughter were all abound, and the crowd was a flurry of happiness and chatter.

QTC wanted plenty of artistic memories to be made that day. We’d brought in a flash tattoo artist, an airbrush face and body painter, and a talented balloon artist for guests to enjoy. Staff and their families kept each artist busy, and much of the crowd ended up with beautiful artwork all over them. We smiled on, watching guests carry their balloon sculptures back to their picnic tables to show off or showing off their airbrushed face paint to our photographers.

Guests had plenty of team building activities and a raffle to partake in. Throughout the afternoon, people filtered to sign up for the raffle, excited to see what they might win. Among other things, a nice bicycle and a coffee machine were up for grabs that day.

Excitement Aplenty

Besides the standard staff cookout foods, QTC wanted plenty of fun novelty treats as well. Guests had their choice of plenty fun foods, be it Sno-Cones, funnel cakes, ice cream sundaes, or all of the above.

QTC wanted plenty of team building field games for their staff to enjoy. So, we’d brought in a fair share for each guest to partake in. We hosted games of wet sponge relay, water balloon toss, company bingo, giant cup stack, and Minute to Win It.

At 3:30, drawing for the company raffle began. Everyone gathered at their picnic booths, while one of our team took the stage. We had so many winners, all of whom looked elated to come up and gather their prizes. We love company raffles; they seem to get the whole crowd excited. It’s hard not to get excited from winning a prize, big or small, anyways, let alone at an already exciting staff picnic!

A Job Well Done

Before too long, the event was winding to a close. We’d had an amazing turnout, and, from looking on, we could see the company barbeque had been a hit. Each guest had a great time, and, though it was nearing 5:00 that afternoon, everyone was energized and cheerful from all the excitement. Guests began to filter out, and pretty soon, the park was empty and still. As always, we were glad to have seen everyone have a great day. We knew that’s what QTC wanted; their valued team members to have a good time.

We began packing things up for the day, as the sun began its descent to the horizon. Our hearts were full and warm as we worked. Cicadas and birds sang a melody for us as we deflated games and took down all our booths. Before too long, the park was neat and tidy, empty and returned to its original state. As we headed for our cars, we looked over our shoulders with a smile. The employee cookout had been a success. Our work here was done.