Forget do-it-yourself potlucks and hastily organized park excursions — Smokey Glen Farm in Gaithersburg is more than willing to take the work out of putting together the company.
The place bills itself as the area’s one-stop shop for corporate gatherings, and whether it be entertainment for the kids, or pounds of barbecue chicken, it has it covered.
Recommended Stories
The business started in 1953 as a poultry farm that earned extra money selling chicken at Byrd Stadium, according to Chief Executive Officer Jim Sweet, whose parents first owned the farm.
The farm started hosting events of its own, a line of activity that eventually blossomed into a full-scale business run by Sweet and his brother Mark.
Other imitators have come and gone in the area, Sweet said, but most other businesses related to company picnics focus on one thing, such as entertainment or catering.
Those who rent through Smokey Glen have the option of having food, facilities, concession workers and entertainment all provided for them. Smokey Glen works with entertainment vendors that provide everything from magic shows to inflatable games, to climbing walls and full-sized Ferris wheels.
“We’ve seen the gamut — it all depends on a company’s budget,” Sweet said. “But even with a modest budget, you can have a very, very successful picnic.”
Smokey Glen has catered to groups as small as 50 people and occasions attended by as many as 5,000 people, according to Sweet.
It gets most of its customers through word of mouth and direct advertising to human resource managers.
The company usually does about 400 events per season and can host five picnics simultaneously using completely separate facilities (each has its own pavilions, entertainment options like mini-golf courses, etc.)
Smokey Glen particularly prides itself on its food — there are the aforementioned chickens, as well as choices such as corn on the cob and a full-scale lobster bake.
About half of the farm’s business comes from companies in Maryland; the rest is divided about equally between D.C. and Virginia clients, Sweet said.
Groups from the World Bank to Georgetown University reunions have gathered on the premises.
