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Forget flu season. May and June bring with them another disease for which no cure has been found – spring fever. It’s important to remember to give employees some fun-in-the-sun time this spring and also to recognize what a huge branding opportunity this can be for your company.

From picnics to outdoor sporting events, carnivals or just a walk around the building, being outside breathes new life into employees who may suffer from a variety of ailments, including Seasonal Affective Disorder (prominent above 30˚ N. Latitude), Winter Blues or Cabin Fever. Our experts have answered four readers who want to get their employees out in the sun for good times and great company.

Q: We plan a trip every year for our top sales reps, but to keep them focused we also like to plan a weekend getaway for the sixth-month mark. This year, we’re taking the top 25 sales reps on a fishing expedition. What gifts can we give them before and after?

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A: It shouldn’t be too difficult to get employees psyched about a fishing trip. (It’s a great excuse to get out of the office!) But sending an invitation can add to the fun. “Send them an invitation in a bottle,” says Julie Woodall, account executive at EDI Marketing Inc., a promotional products distributorship. “Fill the bottle with sandy, beach-themed trinkets, such as shells, little glass fishies, etc.” Couple the invitation with a fishing classic such as Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man in the Sea or Herman Melville’s Moby Dick.

When the replies are received, ask for attendees’ jacket sizes. “Fishing vests and hats can outfit your reps like real bass pros,” says Pam O’Rourke, partner/marketing consultant for Indoff Inc., a promotional products distributorship. And, it’s all about looking the part. Not sure of everyone’s style? Try a “sporty cooler filled with various items including a multi-purpose knife, flashlight, bottle koozies, a first aid kit, bug spray, sun protection, hats and any other items they could use during the trip,” says Lee Eldridge, president of Absorbent Ink, a promotional products consultancy. “After the trip is over, they’ll be more than happy to take the items home and use them for other outdoor adventures.”

After the trip try a laser engraved reed diffuser with scented oil reminiscent of the location, Woodall says. “You want to give them something no one else in the company has. Their pride in being one of the select group will be prominently displayed.” Woodall suggests using an upscale wind shirt embroidered with the company logo as well.

Perhaps the best gift that can be given would be a one-time-use camera “that will make sure they remember the ones that got away,” O’Rourke says. Develop pictures for your employees onto a CD and “after the trip, send each a digital photo frame to display their personal DVD at their desk,” O’Rourke says.

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Q: My company realizes how difficult it is for our employees to be away from their families during extended business trips. We’d like to show them how much we appreciate their time away from home by hosting a family carnival. What prizes can we have on hand for the children and thank-you gifts for the parents?

A: It’s great that your company recognizes how difficult it is for employees to leave the family at home, sometimes at a moment’s notice. And, it’s even nicer that you want to show your appreciation. The most important component to a carnival is games, which leads to the second most looked-forward to feature (no, not cotton candy): prizes. Normally stuffed animals, prizes can also include tattoos, balloons, piggy banks, gumball machines, foam visors, Frisbees and paddleball sets, Eldridge says.

Our experts also recommend a digital picture frame for the parents, but, to take it one step further, include “grown-up” games, such as gambling and casino games, where the stakes are high and the prizes are great. Throw in a digital camera so parents can fill those picture frames. You’ll be branding your company name on items you know will be used, giving your employees prizes that will make you look fabulous and having a great time in the process.

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Since you’ll want to send every family home with a thank-you gift, “Think of gifts the family can use when relaxing together like barbecue sets, rolling coolers, picnic cases, wine accessories and auto organizers,” O’Rourke says.

Q: Each year we have a picnic for our employees. We go to a park upstate and have the whole event catered. We’d like to up attendance but are not sure what sort of promotions would get people excited about the picnic. What are your recommendations?

A: First of all, do your employees know about the picnic well in advance or is the announcement made at the last minute? Putting up posters in the halls, sending out e-mail blasts and even having a picnic-themed lunch about a month before the event will help generate interest.

To get people really pumped, put together a calendar at the beginning of the year that features your company’s employees, Woodall says. “Each month prior to the event, feature a date that is highlighted and captioned, ‘Only three months left!’ ‘Only two months left!’ etc.” This will keep the announcement glaringly obvious all year round.

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Another surefire way to generate excitement: Have contests. Leading up to the picnic, tell employees they get chances at a lottery by meeting certain goals, such as not calling in sick all month or having an accident-free month, Woodall suggests. Each month, place the names in a jar and randomly choose a winning ticket. Give winners something small, such as a cooler with a built-in ice pack, barbecue set or decorated apparel, Woodall says. This all leads to the big prize, which will be given at the picnic, such as a cruise or a giant flat screen HDTV. Woodall says to make sure employees know they must be present to win the grand prize.

Too much planning involved above? Try a ticket that’s good for a prize redemption at the event, says Neil Tatar, president of Adirondack Ad Specialties, a promotional products distributorship. “Offer a nice gift, such as a cooler, and tell them that free (imprinted) T-shirts and hats will be available at the picnic.”

Another tactic: “Try weekly giveaways that focus on the benefits” of the location, O’Rourke says. “Keep them useful, fun and something to be taken home.” These gifts can include stress relievers in the shape of hot dogs, retail quality caps or T-shirts “given to attendees to encourage participation and identify groups” or cell phone screen cleaners in the shape of T-shirts with the park logo on them, O’Rourke says.

Q: We take some of our top clients to a baseball game every year. Typically we send postcard invitations, but we’d like to spice it up a bit. What are some unique ways we can invite our clients to this sporting event?

A: Try including a small item with the printed invitation, such as a magnet in the shape of a bat or ball. You could also try a compressed T-shirt. Another idea: “Offer a special gift once they show up to the ball park,” suggests Tatar. These gifts can range from an autographed baseball and display case to gourmet chocolates shaped and wrapped like baseballs.

Looking for a spicier promotional invite? Try sending “a sound card invitation with a crack of the bat and the crowd cheering wildly to announce the event,” Woodall says. Or, have your salespeople stop by a month before the event with a custom box of cookies decorated to look like baseballs. “This gives them an opportunity for face time to talk about sales and projects and also to remind your clients about the event,” Tatar says. A week before the event, send a small gift, such as an engraved baseball-hat shaped pen or disposable camera packaged with a baseball-themed picture frame so they can remember your company and their favorite game-day memory.

Following up after the game will score big points with your clients. Deliver an MVP rosewood display bat to the company, showing your appreciation for their business or individual mini bats. You might also consider a pewter baseball-themed letter opener for all attendees.

Mary Beth Swayne is editorial intern for Successful Promotions.