 
In the downsized economy of 2009, when it comes to the company summer outing ”“ bigger is better.
In lieu of individual outings tailored for specific departments this summer ”“ a costly proposition in the aggregate ”“ some area companies are instead opting for old-school mass outings at their corporate facility or local parks. And with some employee groups already using the summer outing as a good excuse to perform community service, that could become more prevalent this summer as a way to help community organizations badly needing volunteers and contributions.
On one hand, companies are already trimming budgets for client-facing meetings and events to cut costs; on the other hand, many executives are wary of the backlash from anything that smacks of ostentatious spending when it comes to employee perks, already scheduling fewer golf outings and other traditional outlets for networking.
If a trend, some local entertainment venues could see a decline in business from small cohorts of workers planning outings with corporate credit cards at the ready. On the plus side, caterers capable of serving hundreds or thousands of employees and family members could see a bonanza of business.
Pitney Bowes Inc., which handles mailroom operations for several corporations in the lower Hudson Valley, is planning a mammoth outing at its Stamford, Conn., headquarters this summer, which the company nevertheless expects will save it money.
“We are going to have facility-wide events this summer in lieu of department-based outings,” said Matt Broder, spokesman for Pitney Bowes. “This has the twin benefits of encouraging greater employee networking and reducing the expense to the company.”
Broder added the company got positive employee feedback from in-house gatherings during the holiday season last December. In addition to being one of Fairfield County”™s largest employers, Pitney Bowes has a large database operation in the Albany area.
At deadline, the Westport-based Cantering Caterer L.L.C. was finalizing a contract to serve 3,000 people at a separate corporate outing this summer. On the philanthropic front, the company this spring launched Feed Our Friends, in which it will donate leftover food from events it caters to a local shelter that serves more than 2,000 meals daily.
“We”™re trying to have a good recession,” said Christian O”™Dowd, owner of the Cantering Caterer. “People are definitely scaling down a little bit, but with a little creativity you can make up for it.”
As an example, last summer the Cantering Caterer organized an outdoor outing for nearly 400 Walt Disney Co. employees in Westchester County, creating ambience on the cheap by hanging paper Chinese lanterns from park trees using fishing wire.
The nexus of any summer outing, of course, revolves around the grill or pit ”“ and while many small companies might throw the job to the colleague who is a self-proclaimed grill master, larger entities won”™t take any chances and instead bring in a professional caterer ”“ if more costly, also bringing the guarantee of a successful meal.
Like others, the Cantering Caterer offers picnic options ranging from upscale featuring a traditional New England lobster bake; to the classic smokehouse ribs, shrimp and grilled chicken; to the basic burgers, hot dogs and potato salad.
“The best thing is to be upfront about your budget,” O”™Dowd said. “If you tell me your budget we can get it done for you.”
