Grand Opening Ideas and Activities

Keep your business’ grand opening from falling flat or being underwhelming. You can create an eclectic and memorable event by knowing which activities you can promote during a business grand opening celebration.

clashgraphics.com gathered the following structural insights and grand opening event ideas to help you throw a flawless event.

10 Business Grand Opening Ideas

If you want to throw a memorable grand opening, you’ve got to think above and beyond traditional festivities. Be creative and think about what would prompt your customers to take time out of their day to come, do, or see.

Use the following ideas to create an eclectic and fun experience for your business grand opening:

Invite a Local Celebrity - Find a local celebrity to attend (or even emcee) your opening and help draw people in. This does not have to be a big name with international pull, it can be a local celebrity with influence in your town. As long as the celebrity has this influence within your community, they can help you spread the word and bring in more customers.

Go Live - People love live music and entertainment, and booking a popular band to perform at your grand opening can be a phenomenal way to increase the turnout. Similar to your alliance with local businesses, both you and the band can promote one another, increasing both of your audiences.
 
Live entertainment is an exhilarating and unique way to increase attendance at your event. Additionally, it adds an uplifting attraction and provides attendees with something to watch during breaks (when they aren’t shopping). It also makes your establishment more a place of enjoyment than a business location trying to make more money from its consumers.

Turn it into a Block Party - Is your store near or surrounded by other businesses? Hosting a block party is a great cumulative event that allows you to work with other local business owners to create business for each establishment. Using a block party as your grand opening also attracts people just walking by and all the customers from surrounding establishments.

Giveaways - One of the most excellent ways to attract new and existing customers to a grand opening is to offer ways to win free stuff – everyone loves free stuff!

Hosting a raffle with a limited number of exciting prizes entices your consumers to show up for the potential of winning a prize that isn’t always accessible. 

Handout Branded Swag - Another way to encourage consumers to attend your event is with handouts of promotional products, or swag. Again, everyone loves that four-letter word “free” regardless of what that item may be.

Consider distributing branded tote bags, pens, koozies, and other useful gear. This swag conveys the message that your brand exists, reminding consumers to use your business often.

Partner with Neighboring Businesses - Partnering with other local businesses is a smart business move when you’re the new guy in the area. Finding complementary businesses to partner with can boost both your brands, expand your audience, and serve to expose your business to new audiences.

In addition, while at your grand opening celebration, your partnered businesses can operate stands or distribute swag of their own while promoting your opening to their already established client base.

Use Traditional Media Channels - Social media is a powerful and relatively inexpensive resource for advertising your event, but don’t cast aside more traditional media outlets. TV, radio, newspapers, and other printed media are still excellent ways to spread the word about your new business and your upcoming grand opening.

Distribute Flyers - Posting flyers on telephone poles and on public bulletin boards may seem old-fashioned but remains as relevant as distribution by direct mail.

Run a Publicity Stunt - Organizing a high-profile publicity stunt is an effective way to create buzz about your grand opening event both before it happens and during the event. Organize and choreograph a massive flash mob or create a live, dramatic billboard.

Use whatever you believe will best draw attention, but remember to prominently feature your business name, logo, and information during the stunt to generate the intended excitement.

Use Guerilla Tactics - Use your marketing creativity while promoting your grand opening and unleash the exquisite power of guerilla marketing. For example, surprise an audience attending a local baseball game with free swag launched into the bleachers or distributing branded scarves during a winter outdoor event.

Business Grand Opening Event

Business grand opening events generate much-needed early excitement about your establishment. Beyond the ideas we’ll address later, here are a few best practices to apply in your planning and development process as you approach opening day:

Start Planning - Depending on the business you are opening, you may want to start planning its opening festivities 6 months in advance, and in some cases, a full year ahead of time.

Event Permits - Whether your grand opening celebration will be confined to your parking lot, completely enclosed by your building, or expand into adjacent lots, you may be required to secure permits for this activity (some municipalities may see this like a block party or other public event).

Event Insurance - Commercial Property and General Liability are the insurance policies you will likely be required to carry for the duration of your grand opening.

Banner Usage - People were driving by your business for months while it was “under construction,” it’s vital to communicate to anyone in the area that you’ll be open and ready for business soon. Such banners can include:

• Closed for Renovations
• Closed for Remodeling
• Coming Soon
• Opening in ___ Days
• Grand Opening
• Open for Business

Social Media Blitz - Create business accounts on relevant social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Medium, GetPocket, etc.) and start building a following. Run local ads announcing your plans while approaching the grand opening.

Invite Everyone - A grand opening event isn’t solely a public spectacle. It is certainly a personal one too. Invite your family, extended family, and then invite your employees to do the same. Encourage everyone to invite their neighbors as well. Finally, send invitations to all your vendors.

Grand Opening Activities

In this article, you discovered insights, ideas, and activities to help you produce the most memorable grand opening possible for your business.

The more out-of-the-box experience you can create for your grand opening event, the more memorable it will be and the better attendance you are likely to generate.

Relying on traditional ideas and lackluster events may doom your grand opening to being a mediocre, laughable event that offers no support or value to your business efforts.

Sources:
communications.oregonstate.edu/events/creating-event-plan
lib.niu.edu/2000/ip000541.html

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