Peter Tartaglia, deputy commissioner for Westchester County Parks, said the number of bookings for corporate outings at Playland in Rye is significantly higher this year compared to the last couple of years. He attributed the improvement to the rebounding economy.
“I don”™t have the exact numbers to give you. But I would tell you that the number of activities are way higher than it”™s been for the last two years,” Tartaglia said.
He said corporate-outing activities at county parks have always been closely tied to the economy. “Strictly, in the case with corporations, it”™s really economy-driven, whether they go to Playland or play on the county golf courses. The economy, although it”™s not great, is a little bit better.”
Playland will officially open for summer in May.
All of the county”™s parks and golf courses remain popular and are getting more bookings, he said. “They started to come back beginning mid-summer last year. So we are in pretty good shape for the beginning of this summer. We see a lot of requests and a lot of bookings, specifically at Playland. We do a lot of catered outings prepared for companies. We have a food contract with a company called CulinArt as an on-site caterer.”
The county also rents out the Playland park on Mondays for groups and corporations that want to have private outings. “It”™s hard for me to say in April what the group results will be by the end of the season. But our forecast right now is looking steadily better than it”™s been over the last two years,” Tartaglia said.
Fun and affordable
For local companies still mulling over where to have their summer outings, Playland ”“ whose website urges visitors to “have some fun today” ”“ offers an attractive combination of professionally catered foods, family fun and affordable prices, Tartaglia said.
Playland is unique in that it allows companies to hold an outing at an amusement park, he noted. “You know, the whole idea is, it”™s family-oriented. A lot of corporations would hold their outings and it won”™t just be their workers but also their families. It can also be clients and their families. And we usually do some surveying after events, and it”™s been pretty successful and people are pretty happy. It”™s usually very, very well received,” Tartaglia said.
“We get requests on everything, from a company trying to do a comprehensive outing to a company wanting to do something for specific divisions. We get both Fortune 500 companies to mid-sized and smaller companies. We service anywhere from 100 people to 10,000 people. We have an events coordinator at Playland who works with groups from the day-one planning stage all the way and through to the actual outing.”
Companies can get catered outings, usually barbecues of any style, and all-access wristbands to be in the park and to go on the rides. “You know, you can”™t beat it. Companies have the amusement right there for both kids and adults. And it makes it easier on the people who are planning, because they don”™t have to really come up with any additional activities because they are all right there for them,” Tartaglia said.
“You”™ve got a historical amusement park. You are on Long Island Sound, which is a beautiful stretch of water. The location is unbelievable. They are affordable outings. We are very flexible with coming up with packages designed for specific groups.” Another attraction is its summer fireworks on Wednesdays and Fridays, he said.
Tartaglia said he”™s been seeing in the last few years some companies trying to plan corporate outings with shrinking budgets. “It depends on the company. But yes, I have definitely seen that over the last three or so years. There is budget-consciousness. But you know, companies want to have a good outing. They want to do something that people ”¦ are going to remember as a positive experience.”
In addition to Playland, companies are also making outing plans at other Westchester parks and golf courses. “You could also have corporate events and outings at any one of our six golf courses. And we have what we call regional parks ”“ so we have lots of facilities for corporate outings depending on the need and the size of the group. There are a lot of corporations in Westchester that are close to our county golf courses. And we are definitely an affordable alternative to a lot of private places.”
