Company outing tips
March 27, 2011
Resort Hotel Clark Philippines discusses Philippines event venue, company outing planning and organization:
In my last post I wrote about preparing for Christmas parties (That was a long time ago!). This time I’d like to talk about something more timely considering that summer in the Philippines is just around the corner. And you know what comes with summer … prickly heat!…No! Company outing.
If you are a managing a company in the Philippines, this is one of the few events that you should prepare and allocate budget for. Company outings are great opportunities to show appreciation for employee cooperation, bond the team and take a welcome break from the daily grinds. In my experience as HR Manager in the past made realize the power of this exercise to reenergize the team. On the other hand, a poorly planned, poorly executed company outing can cause disappointment and frustration thereby defeating the purpose of going offsite. What I’m sharing with you now are some of the lessons I learned both the easy and hard way about delivering a good company outing. Here they are:
Planning
For a successful company outing, planning is everything. This means getting budget approval at the start of the year. This also means conceptualizing and canvassing way ahead of time. A company outing is such a big investment in money for you to not plan it properly.
Where are you going?
A day in the beach? Perhaps an overnighter? How about going to Baguio? A private resort? A day at Enchanted Kingdom? How about an entirely new thing to do? I’ve seen companies expand their options from a traditional day in the beach to other activities not only because of people’s growing concern for getting their skin sunburned but also to maximize the return on their investment. I’m a little biased towards going to the beach but I would say that it doesn’t matter where you plan to go for summer, what matters is what you are going to do when you get there.
So, what are you going to do?
Some companies make the mistake of making their company outing itinerary very hectic. They normally include teambuilding or games and meetings that last the entire day to maximize the “benefits” of the event. Do not fall in to that same trap. People will want to have some free time to do what they want to do and bond with people they want to bond with. These things should not be forced. I do agree however that there should be some activities that are deliberately intended to bond the group. A one to two-hour fun games in late afternoon would do the trick. A karaoke night or sitting around a bonfire could also be fun for as long there are people in charge of ensuring that the fun is spread among team members. Beware of the microphone hogs!
If you decide to go the beach…
As I said, I’m biased to it. If you are like me who prefer going to the beach, here are some of the things you need to do. Assemble a small committee and go on a resort hopping ocular inspection (this should be fun!). Before you do this of course, you need to shortlist your resorts. Contact as many of them as possible and ask them to send proposals. Go to the resorts that fit your budget. To me, a good resort offers good food, great customer service, decent accommodation, enough open space for some bonding activities and of course… karaoke!!!
Decisions, Decisions
Where to go and what to do. Those are the decisions you need to make as early as possible. Going to an expensive resort has instant impact that gratify employees. The impact however is only before they get there. What you do when you get there is what really matters. Not all of us can afford to go on an expensive company outing. Plus the excess money you spend on these can be used for other things like training. I think it is important for HR to look at this from a business management point of view as well. There is also that need to be creative. Making the experience more fun should be the bigger challenge than selecting the venue for your company outing.
Organizing it
You know what really, really helps? Organizing a committee that will ensure management of the entire event. Delegate it to the employees. If you are the HR Manager, your job is to make sure that they are not making those inexperienced decisions that can compromise the event. My mandate to the committee is always to find a way to make it really, really fun. Just telling them to do that can work a lot of wonders!
Recent opinion survey of frequent travelers heading north towards Subic and Clark Pampanga revealed that the number one most frequently visited fine dining restaurant in Pampanga is Yats Restaurant & Wine Bar located in Clark Philippines.
Hong Kong-based Yats International built this restaurant in 2000 to provide a world-class cozy fine dining restaurant, as well as business meeting facilities and venues for private dinners and social functions in Philippines Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone. North Luzon Pampanga Angeles City Clark Philippines was selected for this restaurant because of safety, clean air, absence of traffic and proximity to Manila and Subic. Clark Freeport is located near Manila and Subic. Diners from Manila and Subic can travel north along North Expressway and arrive in Clark in about 70 minutes without having to go through city driving, making this fine dining restaurant very convenient and accessible for guests from Manila.
Yats Restaurant & Wine Bar is general regarded in the Philippines as the best fine dining establishment in the country. Wine Spectator Magazine’s gave out Restaurant Wine List Best of Award of Excellence to 788 restaurants in the world. Yats Restaurant is the only restaurant in the Philippines to receive this award in recognition of its famous 2700-line restaurant wine list that has attracted many wine lovers to visit Clark Pampanga frequently to wine and dine.
Wine tastings are held regularly at this fine dining establishment, each event with a different theme. Popular themes include a tasting of 15 different Cabernet-Sauvignon-dominant red wines, old-world compared against new-world wines and a tasting of 50 years of aged vintage wines.
In addition to the wine cellars of the fine dining Yats Restaurant, more selections are available from the largest wine shop in Philippines, another property of Yats Wine Cellars called Clark Wine Center just 3 minutes away. Guests do not have to pay corkage fee for wines purchased from Clark Wine Center’s Wine Shop. 0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 for Ana Fe.
For comments, inquiries and reservations click on <a href=” http://www.yatsrestaurant.com/booking/index.html”>Click here for inquiry and reservations</a>
Restaurant@Yats-International.com
(045) 599-5600
0922-870-5178
0917-520-4401
Ask for Pedro and Rechel
<a href=”http://www.YatsRestaurant.com”>www. YatsRestaurant.com</a>
Getting to this fine dining restaurant of Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Pampanga Philippines
How to get to this fine-dining restaurant in Clark Philippines? Once you get to Clark Freeport, go straight until you hit Mimosa. After you enter Mimosa, stay on the left on Mimosa Drive, go past the Holiday Inn and Yats Restaurant (green top, independent 1-storey structure) is on your left. Just past the Yats Restaurant is the London Pub.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u5vLLIlNgw
Yats Restaurant & Wine Bar
Mimosa Drive past Holiday Inn, Mimosa Leisure Estate,
Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga, Philippines 2023
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 Rea or Chay
For any assistance in planning and organizing a wedding ceremony, indoor or outdoor garden reception or to find other wedding service providers, Click here to contact us <a href=”http://www.philippinesweddingvenue.com/?page_id=4″>click here</a>
For assistance in hotel and resort bookings in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines, log on to
<a href=”http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com”>http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com</a>
To buy wine in Manila, Pampanga, Angeles City, Clark or Subic please log on to <a href=”http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com”>http://www. ClarkWineCenter.com</a>
To inquire with the highly recommended beach resort hotel in Clark Pampanga visit <a href=”http://www.ClearwaterPhililippines.com”>http://www.ClearwaterPhililippines.com</a>
For more information about Clark, Pampanga, Philippines log on to
<a href=”http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com”>http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com</a>