Kids entertainment and the company picnic

 

A carnival atmosphere, clowns juggling colourful balls, shrieks of delight coming from the bouncy castle, and your work mates?  This may seem like a surreal dream but in fact it is probably very reflective of your company picnic.  Kids entertainment and company picnics go hand in hand.

Kids entertainment covers everything from pony rides to clowns and face painters.  The company picnic is nothing new, generally a low key event and simply a gathering of workmates, their families with basic catering and a few half hearted games.  However, with growing work pressures, and increasing hours it’s becoming increasingly common for companies to go all out and hold major family events complete with kids entertainment to say thank you to both employees and their families for their continued support. Such events are talked about months afterward and awaited with eager anticipation.

Companies need to view the company picnic as an event, and as much energy dedicated to a product launch. The formula is simple, create a party like atmosphere with great food (something for everyone from a BBQ to candyfloss), give away great value goodie bags and then engage the expertise of kids entertainment professionals to produce the entertainment aspect of the event. Essentially, companies need to create the “must attend” event that becomes the envy of employees’ friends.  Some companies even go as far as making it a weekend getaway to an exotic location.  Such events increase employee retention and are often co-funded by company suppliers thus lessening the direct cost on the company.

The kids are the key to the success of the company picnic and success come from treating the kids entertainment almost as its own event.  In fact many events companies now have specialist kids entertainment divisions devoted to delivering the latest and most enjoyable kids entertainment at company picnics.

Supervision is key, as providing a relaxing environment means parents don’t want to worry about their kids.  Hiring kids entertainment that also includes childcare professionals, works well.  Given the short attention span of kids a workshop based approach works well and ensures boredom is alleviated.  Kids are split into groups and spend 20 minutes at one of six shows or tasks.  Ideas for each station include clowns making balloon animals, a corporate magician, mimes, living statures, street shows and the ever popular bouncy castle.

Kids entertainment street shows will draw the crowds and create a group like atmosphere.  Organisers should hire a talented street performer who strikes the right balance between entertaining both the parents and the kids.  It’s popular to have parents participate in the show to the delight of their children.

A successful company picnic is one that truly does reward the family for their hard work and support throughout the year.  Smart companies will realise that kids are key influencers in the perceived value of an event. Outstanding company picnics contribute to employee retention and are looked forward to with anticipation by the kids largely because they focus on kids entertainment. 

 

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