WCF’s fun and interactive programs ranging from Summer Picnics and Great Amazing Races to Deep Skills Team Building events provide the results you need to build a high performance team with enthusiastic, motivated and loyal employees. WCF accommodates your every need by matching and customizing its programs to fit your unique mission and objectives.

Click here to read WCF’s most recent newsletter – The Insider (PDF)

1. 90% of WCF’s events are executed at Offsite Venues including Company Grounds, Hotels, Restaurants, Forest Preserves and much more.
2. WCF’s fastest-growing event segment is “Events for a Cause” – combining WCF’s Team Building with Charitable Giving.
3. WCF Events offers programs as short as one hour to events lasting an entire day including team building programs, summer picnics, scavenger hunts and more.
4. WCF is able to provide as little as one piece of entertainment for your event all the way to full-service event planning and management.
5. WCF has been voted Team Building Company of the Year 4 out of the 5 years since industry experts and peers began voting for the award and it is nominated for the 6th consecutive year!
6. WCF was named one of the fastest-growing private companies by Inc. Magazine.
7. WCF’s 55,000 square ft. venue is located just 10 minutes north of downtown right off the Kennedy Expressway.
8. WCF’s Summer Picnics and Outings are higher than any point in its 14 years of business.
9. The experienced staff at WCF have planned and executed over 2,000 summer outings.
10. Just because “Fieldhouse” is in the title, does not mean events are physical in nature. You can have fun without sweating and activities aren’t just sports related!

The New Year brings updated strategic goals and objectives as well as a need to build a strong foundation to meet these goals.  Choose from WCF’s engaging and innovative Team Building Programs to meet these goals and set the tone early in 2012:
• Team Challenge
• Dance if You Have a Chance NEW
• “Gauntlet” Challenge
• Great “Amazing Race” Chicago
• “Mission Impossible” Scavenger Hunt
• “Meeting Energizer” Program
• Interactive Reception
• And More!Click here for more information on WCF’s Award-Winning Team Building Programs

Get your team ready and focused for a successful 2012!  For more information on how to set the tone and help your employees get a fresh start in 2012, Request a Proposal or contact your sales representative at 773.486.7403.

Has it been a couple years since you planned one or is there a new committee or person in charge this year?

Have you heard any of these comments in your meetings:

• We want something different and fun.
• I can’t let planning the event become my full-time job.
• We want to enjoy the event this year and actually participate.
• We need to find something that makes everyone happy.
• I need to bring some new event ideas to the committee.

No problem! Contact WCF’s expert planners to help guide you through the process of selecting the best type of event for your next summer outing.  Ask about WCF’s SUMMER PLANNING GUIDE and take advantage of WCF’s experience from executing over 1,800 picnics and outings.

Request a Proposal or for more information on utilizing WCF’s team of expert summer outing planners or contact your sales representative today.

When considering a program, the first step is identifying the objectives of the event.  Is this a group of new employees who need to get to know each other?  Are these co-workers who need to enhance communication skills?  Or is this a group of seasoned employees who are being treated to an afternoon of fun?  Each of these scenarios produces a different type of event, geared towards the specific needs of the group.

A considerable benefit of working with the WCF sales team and event coordinators is the team’s overall top to bottom expertise and experience helping clients identify the true objectives of their event — producing an outing that caters to those needs and delivers maximum value to the client.

Another important question to consider is the size and location of the group.  WCF works with planners all over the city, suburbs and nationally to customize events to fit the logistical needs of each client.  Whether in downtown  Chicago, at your company grounds in the suburbs, at a hotel or meeting venue, or any national location, WCF accommodates the size and location of any client.  Here are a just a few of WCF’s recent locations:

• University of Illinois at Chicago
• Busse Woods Forest Preserve
• Grant Park
• Navy Pier
• Lake Geneva
• Miami
• Denver
• Monterey
• The Greenbriar
• Indianapolis

“WCF specializes in focusing on its client’s needs to recommend a specific event or, if required, create a new program that exceeds expectations,” says Murrel Karsh.  “The end result is that employees leave the event much more energized.  In addition, the company receives a major boost in goodwill and productivity along with generating the lasting value they desired from the event.”

For more information on selecting the right team building event for your group, contact your expert planning representative, Request a Proposal or Visit WCF Online.

Want to see the sights and hear the sounds of the city?

The Great “Amazing Race” Chicago has turned into one of WCF’s most popular team building programs in the past two years.  The Great “Amazing Race” Chicago elevates team building to a new level of fun by incorporating strategic thinking and planning into an environment designed to entertain and energize your employees. With NEW MISSIONS and DESTINATIONS taking you to fun and exciting locations all over the city, this event is sure to be one your employees will never forget!

SPOTLIGHT:  Great “Amazing Race” Chicago for 300 People
WCF is excited to execute one of its largest ever Great “Amazing Race” programs this summer – 30 teams lead by WCF’s “Race Guides” compete in a thrilling race across Chicago! Teams are given a packet of clues for each destination throughout the city and “Race Guides” to assist each team.  Each “Race Guide” is a critical component leading to the success of the event. With a “Race Guide” assigned to keep people focused and answer questions, WCF is able to create a significantly more sophisticated and challenging event, even with groups as large as this. As the 30 teams race all over Chicago from the Magnificent Mile to Lincoln Park, Wrigley Field, the Loop, Greektown, Chinatown and more, “Race Guides” provide clues and missions, take photos for the group and assist the group throughout the event.

For more information Visit WCF Online.

Some recent comments:

• “Companies are passing off recreational activities and entertainment as team building.”
• “Team building of old is gone…”

While it is true that there are many different types and variations of team building available to businesses, certainly the team building of old is not dead.  In fact, as companies continue to rebound from the recent recession, it is more important than ever.  Team building programs must evolve to match the client’s objectives.  While some clients may request “deep skills” team building, focused mainly on business messages and strategies, others may request a more laid back event designed more for mixing and mingling.  It is the event planner’s job to sift through the client’s needs to create an event designed to match their objectives.

Of course, not every client needs the “deep skills” focus.  However, no one is trying to pass off an evening at a bar as true team building either.  A good event planner is able to create an effective team building event regardless of where it falls on the spectrum from “deep skills” team building to recreational activities and entertainment.

Let us know what you think…is old-school “deep skills” team building dead or has the range of team building needs simply expanded to offer a wider range of options?

As the winter weather takes hold of the Chicagoland area, WCF is already busy working with clients planning and selecting their 2010 summer outing.  Even though some of its many longtime clients were unable to hold a summer outing in 2009, most of them along with the 2009 summer picnic clients are returning for their summer outing in 2010.  Over the past 12 years, WCF has planned and executed over 1,600 corporate summer picnics and outings for clients including JP Morgan, Seyfarth & Shaw, IBM, Allstate, USG, James McHugh Construction Company, Fortune Brands, Children’s Memorial Hospital, and more.  Even during the economic downturn in 2009, WCF planned and executed over 200 summer picnics and outings.  Through its experiences with summer outings and client feedback, WCF has identified key components of the decision-making process clients should consider to ensure their summer outing matches the mission and objectives of the event while maximizing value, participation and fun.  Most importantly as the economy continues to rebound, don’t wait!  Many clients are already booking their summer outings to guarantee the location and date of their choice.

Mission & Objectives
The first step in the decision-making process is defining the summer outing’s key mission and objectives.  Without determining these elements, it is virtually impossible to plan and select an event that maximizes participation, fun and value for employees and guests of all ages.  WCF takes each client through a series of questions designed to help identify some key goals for the event.  Some of the questions to consider in this step include:

• What is the budget for the event?
• Is a focus of the event to build camaraderie and goodwill amongst employees and/or employees and their families?
• Is the event focused on enhancing relationships amongst employees?
• Is the event strictly to reward employees?
• Is the priority on younger employees (generally without families) or those employees with families or both?
• If the priority is on both, how will the needs of the different groups be addressed?

Once objectives are determined, the planning and selection process for the ideal summer outing begins.

Weekday vs. Weekend Events
The next step in the decision-making process is determining if the event is to occur on a weekday or weekend.  With benefits to either option, the mission and objectives determined by the client drive this decision.  For instance, a company looking to provide a highly engaging and entertaining event for employees and their families would prefer to host a weekend event to ensure family members are able to attend.  However, clients who want to guarantee a high employee attendance rate and want to focus on building relationships amongst employees are likely to choose a weekday event.  In addition, weekday events are typically less expensive since family members do not attend.

Day vs. Evening Events
After selecting the day of the week, clients must choose the best time of day to hold the event.  Traditionally, summer picnics are held in the afternoon taking advantage of the warm weather, time off work during the week and the optimum time for family members of all ages to attend, just to name a few.  However, a recent trend towards evening picnics held from 5:00-9:00 PM has proved popular with many WCF clients.  Evening picnics are a good choice for many companies for a variety of reasons such as cooler weather, lower costs, larger range of available dates and more!

Whether selecting a traditional afternoon picnic or opting for the newer evening picnic trend, clients must make sure to match the advantages of each to fit their needs.

Exclusive Interactive Event vs. General Admission Event
With the day of the week and time selected, the next step is choosing the type of event:  an exclusive interactive event vs. a general admission event.  Exclusive interactive events are private events strictly for the company, such as private summer picnics, company softball tournaments and interactive receptions.  These events provide a great environment for internal networking and enhance relationships between the company, the employees and their families.  On the contrary, general admission events take place in public environments such as amusement parks and zoos.  These events focus less on the relationships between the company, the employees and their families and more on providing free admission to a destination.

More and more companies are selecting exclusive interactive events as the best return on investment.  Both event types are intended to reward employees, however exclusive interactive events are much more likely to also motivate employees while enhancing employee morale and camaraderie.  In addition, exclusive interactive events tend to develop goodwill with the employees’ families since the entire group is together (or in the same area) throughout the event as opposed to being spread throughout an enormous public area.

Book Early
Now that you’ve selected the details of your event, it is imperative to start the process of booking your event early. Certainly one of the key ingredients to a great event is booking the location and date of your choice.  With thousands of proposals sent each year, you must request your proposal early – no later than February of each year and preferably sooner.  Plus, if you book early enough, WCF is the only company in the industry to provide you with a CUSTOMIZED PICNIC WEBSITE including your logo, itinerary, menu, maps and even an area for post-event digital photos taken by WCF during the picnic.  Returning clients have their photos posted from last year’s event.  Visit PicnicsInChicago.com/client_site to view a sample website.

Now that you are ready to book your outing, here are some key factors when selecting the company to best execute your next summer event…

Award-Winning Experience: Selecting a company with the experience to handle every aspect of planning the event, selecting trusted quality vendors and making your event run seamlessly with no hassle for you is a key element to a successful event.  For example, taking advantage of WCF’s experience gained from executing over 1,600 picnics and outings is priceless.  Voted Chicago’s #1 Team Building and Entertainment Company for 3 consecutive years, WCF is the best in the industry at finding the right venue for your needs, selecting the best trusted, quality vendors and creating an interactive and engaging environment for all ages by providing the right number of staff and activities throughout the event.

Activities for All Ages: Find a vendor who provides activities for all age groups attending the event.  A key element of WCF picnic packages is separately targeting each age group to meet its specific needs.  To ensure each group has entertainment, WCF divides the entertainment into four main categories: “Interactive Relays”, “Facilitated Traditional Sports”, “Passive or Walkup Entertainment”& amp; amp; amp; amp; amp; amp; amp; lt; /strong> and “Entertainment Add-ons”.  Regardless of each attendee’s interests, WCF provides an array of activities capable of entertaining everyone.

Premier Venues: Location! Location! Location! Location is the key to an event and an element that requires a planner with access to the right venues.  WCF has access to the best private venues in Chicago – CITY & SUBURBS.  From the incredible facilities at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), located within blocks of the Chicago Loop, to locations throughout the suburbs, WCF has access to the premier picnic grounds in the Chicagoland area.  If desired, WCF transforms your company’s property into your own private picnic grounds.

Hassle-Free Planning: Find a vendor that allows you to focus on enjoying your event and mingling with your employees and co-workers.  WCF is a great example of a company that handles every detail.  From acquiring permits and selecting the caterer to adding interactive entertainment and facilitated activities, WCF’s team handles all the details of your event so you don’t have to worry.  WCF is a “one-stop shop” for coordination of your entire summer outing.  You just sit back, relax and enjoy the event.  Best of all, you get all the credit!

Cost-Conscious Planning: Many options exist for cost savings that still allow for an amazing event.  Find a vendor who knows how to meet your budget but not reduce the value of your event.  While WCF can’t fit every budget, it utilizes its years of planning experience to maximize your summer picnic budget and provide your company the best RETURN ON ITS INVESTMENT.

Solution:  Select a  WCF Interactive Summer Picnic! WCF offers award-winning experience, activities for all ages, premier venues and knowledge to provide the most effective, cost-conscious planning in the industry.  Taking advantage of WCF’s experience gained from executing over 1,600 picnics and outings is priceless.  Don’t settle for anything less!

Make sure your employees have something to look forward to this year and book your 2010 summer outing now with WCF.  The sooner you book, the more value you receive on your investment throughout the year. For more information on utilizing WCF’s team of expert summer outing planners, contact your sales representative at 773.486.7403 Request a Proposal or Visit WCF Online .

WCF is already busy working with clients planning and selecting 2009 summer outings.  Over the past 11 years, WCF has planned and executed over 1,400 corporate summer picnics and outings for clients including JP Morgan, Seyfarth & Shaw, IBM, Allstate, USG, James McHugh Construction Company, Fortune Brands, Children’s Memorial Hospital, and more.  Last year alone, WCF planned and executed over 300 summer picnics and outings.  Through its experiences with summer outings and client feedback, WCF has identified key components of the decision-making process that clients should consider to ensure that their summer outing matches the mission and objectives of the event while maximizing value, participation and fun.  Most importantly, don’t wait!  Clients are already booking their summer outings to guarantee the location and date of their choice.

Mission & Objectives
The first step in the decision-making process is defining the summer outing’s key mission and objectives.  Without determining these elements, it is virtually impossible to plan and select an event that maximizes participation, fun and value for employees and guests of all ages.  WCF takes each client through a series of questions designed to help identify some key goals for the event.  Some of the questions to consider in this step include:

• Is a focus of the event to build camaraderie and goodwill amongst employees and/or employees and their families?
• Is the event focused on enhancing relationships amongst employees?
• Is the event strictly to reward employees?
• Is the priority on younger employees (generally without families) or those employees with families or both?
• If the priority is on both, how will the needs of the different groups be addressed?
• What is the budget for the event?

Once objectives are determined, the planning and selection process for the ideal summer outing begins.

Weekday vs. Weekend Events
The next step in the decision-making process is determining if the event is to occur on a weekday or weekend.  With benefits to either option, the mission and objectives determined by the client drive this decision.  For instance, a company looking to provide a highly engaging and entertaining event for employees and their families would prefer to host a weekend event to ensure family members are able to attend.  However, clients who want to guarantee a high employee attendance rate and want to focus on building relationships amongst employees are likely to choose a weekday event.  In addition, weekday events are typically less expensive since family members do not attend.

Day vs. Evening Events
After selecting the day of the week, clients must choose the best time of day to hold the event.  Traditionally, summer picnics are held in the afternoon taking advantage of the warm weather, time off work during the week and the optimum time for family members of all ages to attend, just to name a few.  However, a recent trend towards evening picnics held from 5:00-9:00 PM has proved popular with many WCF clients.  Evening picnics are a good choice for many companies for a variety of reasons.

• Family – Those who have actively involved children like evening picnics because they don’t have to miss that week’s camp, class, game or practice.
• 20 to 30 year olds – Evening picnics are a great opportunity to share some food and drinks with co-workers followed by an evening out at a variety of downtown bars or clubs – all without giving up a precious summer afternoon or a day of productivity in the office.
• Employees – By holding the event after work hours for weekday events, employees don’t lose an afternoon of productivity in the office.
• Cooler Weather – With summer evenings staying light until 9:00 PM, evening picnics provide a great opportunity to take advantage of Chicago’s cooler evening weather.
• Available Dates & Location – Best of all, evening picnics offer more flexibility for dates and locations.  With almost all weekend day events booked, evening picnics allow companies to secure their first choice of date and location.
• Budget – Lastly, if budget is a concern, evening picnics also tend to be less expensive in many cases.

Whether selecting a traditional afternoon picnic or opting for the newer evening picnic trend, clients must make sure to match the advantages of each to fit their needs.

Exclusive Interactive Event vs. General Admission Event
With the day of the week and time selected, the next step is choosing the type of event:  an exclusive interactive event vs. a general admission event.  Exclusive interactive events are private events strictly for the company, such as private summer picnics, company softball tournaments and interactive receptions.  These events provide a great environment for internal networking and enhance relationships between the company, the employees and their families.  On the contrary, general admission events take place in public environments such as amusement parks, baseball games and zoos.  These events focus less on the relationships between the company, the employees and their families and more on providing free admission to a destination.  In addition, it is extremely challenging to meet the desires of diverse employee groups at general admission events, as these destinations are generally not targeted to all demographic audiences or age groups.

More and more companies are selecting exclusive interactive events as the best return on investment.  Both event types are intended to reward employees, however exclusive interactive events are much more likely to also motivate employees while enhancing employee morale and camaraderie.  In addition, exclusive interactive events tend to develop goodwill with the employees’ families since the entire group is together (or in the same area) throughout the event as opposed to being spread throughout an enormous public area.  If desired, clients add a meeting or team building event prior to the outing to increase value and enhance interaction amongst employees.

Location! Location! Location!
Once the type of event is determined, it is time to start looking at potential locations.  A convenient location is a key consideration when trying to maximize value and attendance at a summer picnic.  With many private venues located throughout the city and surrounding suburbs, it is important to consult with a planner, preferably with years of summer outing experience, to find the best venue matching the clients’ needs.  If the event occurs during the week, search for a nearby location with easy access to the company’s offices.  If possible, hold the event on the grounds at the company’s offices.  For events held on the weekend or in the evening, it is important to pick a central location for the majority of employees.  A great cost saving option when considering location is to hold your picnic indoors at WCF.  You are able to save up to 30-50% and  you are also guaranteed a perfect 75 degree day with no rain.

Solution:  WCF Interactive Corporate Picnic
WCF offers excellent private CITY AND SUBURBAN corporate picnic locations and packages that are truly a unique experience for guests.  A key element of WCF picnic packages is separately targeting each age group to meet its specific needs.  For instance, the type of entertainment a 26 year-old enjoys is vastly different then a 50 year-old father of three.  WCF’s interactive picnics cater to all age groups.

At a WCF exclusive interactive picnic, a variety of entertainment options are available including rock-climbing walls, live bands or disk jockeys/entertainers, inflatable attractions, face painters and caricature artists.  A children’s program is also available including everything from creative water games and relays to “arts & crafts”.  In addition, WCF provides its clients with a helpful guide for planning the optimal summer outing.  Included in the guide are specific steps to generate enthusiasm for the outing prior to the event including sample e-mails, numerous announcements, planning schedules and pre-event checklists.  Another new client benefit is the use of the custom client picnic website.  “ We develop customized web sites for clients as another way to deliver value to the picnic,” says Murrel Karsh, WCF president.  “The web site includes the client logo, itinerary, menu, maps and even an area for post-event digital photos taken during the picnic.  Plus returning clients have their photos posted from last year’s event.”

WCF’s numerous picnic options enable each client to effectively execute a customized summer outing that meets the mission and objectives of the event while delivering an extreme amount of value to the company.  WCF takes care of as many or as few event details as desired by the client/planner including catering, tent arrangements, parking permits, security and bus transportation.  In addition, with access to Chicago’s premier picnic grounds just minutes from downtown and throughout the suburbs, WCF offers access to the best locations in the Chicagoland area.  If desired, WCF transforms your company location or headquarters into private picnic grounds.  A variety of exclusive WCF private sites are available throughout Chicago and the suburbs including the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), The Chicago Historical Society (CHS), Navy Pier, Lincoln Park, and Millennium Park along with many suburban day camps and park districts.  Plan ahead this summer and let WCF help you identify and meet your goals and objectives for your next summer outing.

Murrel Karsh
773.486.7403