Find out why thousands of organisations trust Gevme with their events. As a thank you, offer them all a discount or give away a freebie for helping out. If youre offering a service, you can host a how-to session on a way to complement the service provided by your business. Amazing images catch attention. Help plan the fun and festivities by including these 10 items on your Opening Day checklist. A grand opening is a news worthy event! Explore grand opening gift bag ideas - such as a swag of product samples or branded materials like pens, magnets, or notepads - to remind the customer of your brand and prompt them to return to your business, even after the grand opening event is over. This is your big day. Refrigerator magnets ensure that your location stays top of mind. Two or three could be combined if a longer ceremony is desired. Here, well look at real examples of virtual grand openings, in-store events, and other grand opening ideas to inspire your own. Award points for each time they get it inside. As in all Scouting ceremonies, it can be very simple or more complex. Below, well share grand opening ideas that can be adapted for both brick-and-mortar and online-only brands. Since teams commonly attend Opening Day dressed in their full game uniform, plan to have team pictures taken on the same day. During the ceremony, place love notes and a bottle of wine in a box and take turns hammering it shut. Ribbon cutting or ground breaking events are formal ceremonies at which the key announcements are made. Does your area have a rich history? Using a block party as your grand opening will also attract people just walking by and all the customers from the surrounding stores. There are many methods you can use for a company's grand opening. When Bostons Little Leaf Farms opened its new greenhouse during the pandemic, that didnt stop the company from hosting a splashy grand opening. Use the grand opening to attract new customers by spicing it up with one of the ideas below. Hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony gives your guests a better sense of the timing to arrive at your grand opening event and witness the "Ta-da!" moment. Contact localanimal rescue centersto see if they would like to take part in the grand opening. Some ideas for what to do: Host a workout. Creating a learning experience that also informs kids of your products is an excellent way to captivate their minds and loyalty. Arrives ready to hang, optional hanging name board (or multiple name boards for each partner, office, floor, service, etc). Also consider offering them opportunities to provide product, do giveaways, and promote contests. Sample desserts, side dishes, even small bites of main dishes especially when people are waiting to be seated. The success of your grand opening depends on your goals. The Games of the XXXI Olympiad were declared open in spectacular fashion on 5 August, as host city Rio de Janeiro welcomed the world to what promises to be an incredible two weeks in the latest chapter of the Olympic story. Groundbreaking, dedications, and naming ceremonies provide unique opportunities to demonstrate in human terms the programs and outcomes that emerge from new and renovated facilities. Advice is everywhere for grand opening ideas, but weve created a mega list of grand opening ideas that any business, whether restaurant, retail or service based, can implement for a spectacular grand opening. Repeat customers are essential for keeping your business afloat it costs a lot less to maintain a relationship with a repeat customer than it does to convert a new lead to a sale. Fill a jar with items and then get people to guess and win a free ______ (meal, item, service). It's the only opening ceremony where Hitler was in attendance. ASpecial discounts for customers who attend an event make customers feel special, as though they earned that discount simply for showing up. Create the most buzz-worthy event ever with time-tested ideas to fill your business with customers from day 1! Ask the local school band to preform and have a portion of the proceeds made on grand opening day go to them. -Amber Gueiros, Sales at Air Ad Promotions. 1. If you need help preparing, check out our ecommercelaunch checklist to get yourself in tip top shape for your store opening. To organize an opening event that helps you reach out to both target customers and potential partners, you should have a foolproof marketing strategy. Give them out to everyone! Take a tip from Chick-fil-A North Collins, Beth Ann Jones, in the Marketing Department commented, At Chick-fil-A, our goal with grand openings is to surprise and delight the community where the Chick-fil-A is opening. Have a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Giveaways, promo codes, food and drink (at an in-person event), or gifts with purchase can all attract people to your grand opening. By entering your email, you agree to receive marketing emails from Shopify. Everything from how to frost a cake to how to arrange a bouquet to what to plant in the spring will entice interest (and customers) into your location. Opening a business can be one of the most exciting, yet nerve-wracking, experiences of your life. A strategic marketing campaign that you launch right before opening the door to the public can solidify all your previous actions. There are countless media outlets to choose from, including social media, radio, and TV. The date of the Opening Ceremony of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo is Friday, July 23rd, so you still have some time to plan your own Summer Olympics party. If not, see if the leagues budget can allow you to hire a professional event planner or work with an entertainment company, who can help the Board and other volunteers to coordinate the festivities. Kids love intrigue and adventure. Showing off your products can be as simple as putting a display together for catering services or displaying jewelry pieces. This strategy doesnt only guarantee great media coverage, but also gives you the chance for starting your journey with reliable partners at your side. Prizes could also include branded swag or products from your store. A soft opening is essentially a trial run of the grand opening to allow you and your team a practice round with customers who you arent worried about losing due to tiny errors, but will give you honest feedback to better the big opening. When customers check in it will show up on their Facebook feed which is great exposure for your location. Hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony gives attendees a better sense of timing to show up on time and experience the whole of your grand opening. We watched a short video clip on YouTube of the Beijing Opening Ceremonies (the last Summer Olympics) which really got the kids excited. Stream original content dedicated to the world of events. Opening a medical office? Find out how to attract attention from the 128.3 million people driving by your store everyday. You've hired employees, lined up a schedule, probably started gym management software, and created social media identities. Finding complementary businesses to partner up with can benefit both your brand and their brands. At the recent IKEA opening event which took place in Ohio, the first 44 customers received free couches and the next 100 free chairs. It gets people talking! Bring in images of the town as its grown or experts to talk about the history of the area. Plus the Chamber gives you access to other members as well. If you cant find any local celebrities to attend your grand opening, consider inviting social media influencers from nearby. To attract people to your grand opening, you may want to spend a few weeks or months ahead of the event building your social audience or email list. Ensure you have a good system for contact capturing in place. The event included demos, a founder Q&A, and a tour of the spaceall in a virtual format. You don't want to drown out conversation. Make sure to factor in samples and giveaway items for inventory counts. Start youronline businesstoday. Bringing in an engaging guest speaker or holding special dedications and unveilings also add to the entertainment value. For Hand Sanitizer Portal Click Here. Pick a business and declare them your business of the week. When I was engaged, I scoured the interwebs to find pieces to make up our personalized wedding ceremony that was non-traditional, non-religious, and most importantly non-boring.. We twisted some traditions and added our own flair (champagne toast! Who doesnt love a great cup? The best salon grand opening idea is to have a classy party where community members and local businesses can check out your salon, learn about the services you offer, and maybe even try some of your products. The Yelp Elite visit businesses and are the ones who review, comment and take photos more than any other Yelper. Discover the Opening Ceremony Official Website. Opening ceremonies can kick off regular Girl Scout meetings and make them feel special! This will greatly increase your chances of getting press, and as an added benefit, the community will probably pay you back for your good will. Grand Opening Ideas For Small Businesses 1) Build Buzz With Social Media Social media is one of the best ways to reach a large audience for your grand opening. This can help you further personalize your brand, bringing more purpose to your business than just offering a good or service to the community. This is the perfect time to offer an additional product or service to go along with the stuff theyre already buying. This could be a decade, a movie or TV show, a nearby holiday, etc. Something big like an iPad or even a GoPro is the kind of thing that people will get excited about and spread the word about. 21 Unique Grand Opening Ideas to Create Buzz. Engaging digital-event ideas for children and adults include crafting classes. A worthy value offer. 5 Tips for Planning a Grand Opening Bonus: this usually gets radio airtime! Quotes & Cotton ran a $100 gift card giveaway on Instagram and Facebook to build excitement leading up to the stores grand reopening. Once the "official" ceremony is over, invite everyone inside to the gym. Use this idea to host a tour of your space and introduce yourself to your potential customers. A grand reopening event or campaign can help you reconnect with loyal customers, reward them for their patience, and introduce any changes made while your business was closed. Show customers that youre here to stay and that youre worthy of their continuous attention. Get On Page One With This SEO Checklist, Rethinking Acquisition: How to Market a Product to Your Existing Customers, Pennsylvania LLC: How To Start an LLC in Pennsylvania in 11 Steps, Virginia LLC: How to Start an LLC in Virginia in 11 Steps, The Best Way To Prepare Your Business For 2023, How to Stop Procrastinating: 11 Ways to Kick The Habit.