How to Safely Plan an Outdoor Summer Event for 2021
There is light at the end of the tunnel! Outdoor Event capacities have increased and are projected to continue as more and more of us get vaccinated. This news is sparking a surge of interest in getting people back together as soon as possible. Our goal is to help our clients get ahead of the rush and plan stress-free for their in-person summer event! Here are a few tips to get you prepared for a smooth summer planning process:
- Don’t Delay, Start Planning TODAY – The more time you give yourself to plan the event, the better. It’s best to gather all the information you need now including proposals for your event so you are armed and ready for when your team wants to start making decisions. Now when everyone else is waiting on proposals from event spaces handling a rush of new inquiries, you will already have your proposal in hand! Take advantage of the calm before the storm!
- Let a Placeholder Date Be the Ace Up Your Sleeve – Date availability at the best outdoor venues is always a hassle but throw in the pent up demand from the pandemic and finding a date a month or two from now is going to be a nightmare. If you have an annual Summer Picnic that typically falls on the same weekend each year, why not put it on hold and get a proposal done now? You will be the hero when your team starts finalizing their plans because you already have a solid option ready to go just in case.
- Imagine the Best Case Scenario – It feels weird to plan for a large scale event when we aren’t technically allowed to host large events right now. But the best defense is to plan now for your ideal event so you have space and time to accommodate a “normal” event. Don’t be shy! It is easier to scale back or split the group in half than it is to start planning for 50-100 people and try to increase to 300-500 within a month of the event. That way you are ready for any set of guidelines including your best case scenario!
- Think Outside the Box – As a great alternative to large scale summer picnics, team building programs like Scavenger Hunts or Outdoor Team Challenges break larger groups into smaller teams or pods. Your employees get to reunite with a smaller subset of coworkers while competing against the rest of the office teams in the same high-energy activity – just not in the same area. This separate but together approach brings the entire office together in spirit while keeping the groups in small cohorts. Win-Win!
Whether your team is large or small, excited to get back to in-person or still waiting, we are all looking forward to summer. Planning your company summer event is a great way to spread hope and positivity in a year where we need it more than usual. Set the optimistic tone this summer by calling Murrel (773-486-7403 murrel@wcfevents.com) to start planning your summer events today!
