are popular sites for company gatherings.
Companies are looking to change the venue of their corporate outings or team-building
activities, and state parks, beaches and even private school grounds are becoming
as popular as country clubs and hotels.
“A lot of companies are looking to make it easier on themselves by cutting back,” said Craig Sutton, owner of Boston-based Craig Sutton Entertainment Services, which plans events in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. “They might hire a caterer and do simple fare like hamburgers and hot dogs or they might supply their own food.”
Some locations, like a country club, offer everything – indoor and outdoor facilities, a golf course and pool, and that is usually reflected in the price for renting such a venue, Sutton said. But having a company outing in a park or at the beach allows companies to custom-design their events to their employees.
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“It’s a do-it-yourself event,” he said. “You bring your own activities. Sometimes simpler is better.”
The Department of Environmental Management’s Division of Parks and Recreation is routinely getting requests from companies wanting to plan events at the state’s major parks – Colt, Lincoln Woods and Goddard state parks. And because Fort Adams is the only one that allows alcohol, the Newport venue is a popular place for corporate events, said Larry Mouradjian, chief of the division.
“Each of the major facilities has its own personality, and geographically it becomes a local venue,” for companies in the area, he said. “We’ve done everything from car shows to powwows to company outings.”
Companies can supply their own sports equipment and activities, and Sutton has special team-building games designed specifically for outdoor events, like an 8-foot-tall inflatable basketball hoop.
“Some schools have ample grounds that you can use – it’s a great alternative,” he said. “In the off-season, especially, private schools” are well-suited.
There are certain restrictions when holding a company cookout at a park or on the beach. In Massachusetts and Rhode Island, there are a set of guidelines including alcohol and use of barbecues that must be adhered to. Depending on the crowd and the type of event, both states require a park ranger or DEM law enforcement official to be present.
At Fort Adams, which qualifies to allow alcohol on the premises, companies book events and use the Eisenhower House as well as the grounds. Many of the outdoor events there, Mouradjian said, are under tents, and include the annual Newport Jazz Festival.
The other three parks are used mostly during the late spring and summer months for family and company outings – from summer picnics and pig roasts to catered events with air-bounce machines (for which companies need to have proof of insurance). Animal Planet is looking to hold an event at Goddard soon, Mouradjian said, and the Governor’s Bay Day is also held there.
“If a company wants meeting space and recreational activities after, we have a carousel” to hold meetings in, he said. Colt usually hosts local tribe powwows.
The other state parks like Bretton Point and Beavertail, as well as the state beaches don’t lend themselves to hosting corporate outings, Mouradjian said, unless there is a special circumstance. The state won’t section off part of a beach during the summer, he said, but would work with a company if the plan were to hold it in September.
“We’re always receptive as long as public access is preserved,” he said.
Companies are encouraged to contact the regional park manager for that facility when planning an event, to work on the details, Mouradjian said. There is a one-page special use application for each facility. Groups larger than 100 people, who might interfere with neighboring groups might require a special permit or at least work with the manager to be placed somewhere that won’t conflict with other groups.
There are some nominal fees with some of the parks, Mouradjian said – the most expensive being $200 a day for a private company to use the carousel and $100 for a nonprofit that can show proof of status.
“Our experience is with companies who want to do a family day or an appreciation day – they want to get them out of the office,” Mouradjian said. “We see everything from very small to large businesses doing it.”
Weather is certainly a consideration when planning for an event, but there’s only so much that can be controlled. Always try to have an indoor shelter as a backup, Sutton said, in case of rain or snow.
Every company usually has a different vision of what they’d like for a corporate event. “If they want more of a community, camp-like experience,” having an event outside is preferred, Sutton said. “People feel like they need to be connected to each other. Personally, I like that approach.”.
