Idea File
Pick Your Picnic
LUNCH IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM
Resources for three types of corporate summer gatherings. By LISA CERICOLA • To-Go Ware’s colorful, reusable bamboo utensil sets, $6.15 for orders of 99 or fewer, (510.225.4045, to-goware.com) dress up place settings, and staffers can use them at their desks when the party is over.
EVENING COCKTAIL PARTY
• Barbecue-inspired passed hors d’oeuvres add a sophisticated touch but will keep guests sated. Design Cuisine (703.979.9400, designcuisine. com) in Washington makes mini BLT “cupcakes” out of corn bread. Calihan Catering in Chicago (312.587.3553, calihan catering.com) serves tenderloin sliders with corn slaw.
• Add a summery vibe with a steel drum band, such as Los Angeles-based Nesta (310.666.3464, nestasteelband.com); rates start at $325 for a threehour steel drum soloist.
• Create a patio setting using lounge furniture with an outdoor feel. Props for Today in New York (212.244.9600, propsfortoday.com) offers a beachy love seat for $450.
• A family-style spread makes for easy conviviality. New York’s Francis Louis Catering & Events (718.403.0033, frankies spuntino.com) offers a threecourse meal including meatballs in marinara sauce and ricotta cheesecake for $37.50 a person.
• Hide a conference room table with a summery tablecloth like the Green Wave Organza, $20 for a 132-inch round, available in Toronto from ChairMan Mills (416.391.0400, chairman mills.com), or the Del Sol, $35 for a 90-inch square, available in the U.S. and Canada from BBJ Linen (847.329.8400, bbjlinen.com).
DAY IN THE PARK • Offer a bird’s-eye view with a tethered hot air balloon ride. Central Florida-based Bob’s Balloons (877.824.4606, bobsballoons.com) charges $500 an hour. Pennsylvaniabased Above & Beyond Ballooning (908.208.1869, usahotair.com) will do balloon tethers throughout the Northeast for $1,250 per hour. Travel fees are additional.
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• Hold a beer tasting. Through Beerology (beerology.ca), Toronto-based Mirella Amato educates people about Ontario’s craft beers. Guided tastings start at $25 per person. Washington Wine Academy (703.971.1525, wash ingtonwineacademy.org) now offers private beer tastings throughout the metro D.C. area, starting at $18 per person.
• Spice up a cookout with hot dogs and surprising toppings. New York’s AsiaDog (718.594.3254, asiadognyc.com) piles on Asian condiments such as kimchi and seaweed flakes and Thai-style mango and cucumber relish. Franks, sides, and beverages run about $12 per person. Gastropod (gastropodmiami.com), a Miami-based mobile restaurant in a vintage Airstream trailer, serves the Old Dirt Dawg, a short rib hot dog, with “stupid slaw” for $5 each.
• Branded folding chairs can be used as seating at the event and all summer long. Best Promotions (866.881.2378, bestpromo tions.com) offers the classic striped beach chair, $20 each for orders of 36, plus a $65 customization fee.
• Keep kids (and adults) busy with a kitemaking station. Teambuilding Unlimited (510.845.3600, teambuildingunlimited.com) turns the activity into a competitive project. Facilitators are available throughout the U.S.; prices vary. Or, do it on the cheap with kits from a toy store.
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF VENDORS
• Kitschy tiki drinks will get people in a party mood. Toronto-based Martini Club (416.778.9905, martiniclub.com) can make the Marikoriko, with rum, kiwi, mint, and lime; pricing varies. Alembic (202.558.2119, drinkalembic. com) in Washington can concoct hurricanes. Pricing starts at $100 for a consultation; on-site services are additional.