Over the past three years, The Offices at Spenryn has been the backdrop of more than 20 ribbon cuttings for area businesses. Some of these companies, use us as their physical office while others are virtual tenants, but both have seen the social media awareness that comes with a well-planned ribbon cutting. A well planned ribbon cutting can last for about 30 minutes to an hour depending on how long people stay to network and socialize.

The idea of ribbon cuttings has been around for decades, but there’s a few tips to making sure it’s done well.

Invite the Chamber

Join a local Chamber of Commerce and schedule the event with them. Many times they’ll invite Chamber ambassadors and members to attend, which helps increase attendance and builds recognition of the brand throughout the business community.

Both the Madison Chamber and Huntsville/Madison County Chambers have attended ribbon cuttings at the Offices at Spenryn.

Invite Almost Everyone

Not sure who to invite to a ribbon cutting? It’s easy, invite almost everyone you know! Make sure your family and close friends have the event in their calendars, then talk to your vendors and make sure they can attend, then begin talking to anyone who’s shown an interest in your business’s services or products. Ribbon cuttings are a great way to get people through the door in a low-pressure environment so they can browse products or learn more without obligation.

Food

An easy way to entice people to attend an event is by offering good food. Many times people are willing to swing by an if they know they can grab a quick bite for breakfast, lunch or a snack. This doesn’t need to be anything extravagant, but a few plates or grab bags of goodies can go a long way in getting people to remember the great time they had attending the ribbon cutting.

Décor

Balloon and floral displays are popular go-to decorations when businesses host a ribbon cutting at our office. These bring attention to the event and add pops of color. Many times the decorations last for several days.

Around the Offices at Spenryn, when people walk in and see bunches of balloons they generally ask, “What’s with the balloons?” to which we say, “Oh, well this great new business just had a ribbon cutting and these were part of the decorations. Let me tell you more about what they offer.” The décor opened up a conversation to talk about the business.

Hire a Photographer

During an event, business owners, family, friends and colleagues can be so busy keeping everyone excited, that many special moments can go undocumented. Hiring a photographer and/or videographer can capture moments that can later be used for promotions, marketing, website design and more. 

Promotion

The best way to bring attention to a ribbon cutting is by promoting it a week or so in advance and the days afterwards. Making a big deal out of preparations and invites in the days leading up to the ribbon cutting will only make the people attending more excited, and give them a better opportunity to learn more about brand’s personality. Once the ribbon is cut, use the video and pictures to post of social media for days in an effort to thank people for visiting, catering or decorating, announcing winners of any giveaways, etc. Take this one event and post it a few times, but use different images and content to allow more people to see what a great event took place.

To Your Success,

Lisa Smith

The Offices at Spenryn