Selecting a Date: All partners of the Greater Palm Bay Chamber of Commerce are eligible for the chamber’s ribbon cut services. A Ribbon Cut Event form must be submitted at least 30 days prior to your desired date. The greater the advanced notice, the more exposure your company receives for the event.

 
Recommend scheduling your ribbon cut from Monday – Thursday either at lunch (11 a.m. – 1 p.m.) or late afternoon (4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.). We recommend checking with the chamber office before submitting your form to ensure nothing is already scheduled on that day. Try to avoid scheduling your event near major holidays, college sporting events, high school tournaments, elections, etc.

Location: Determine your venue. If outdoors, plan for inclement weather. Groundbreaking can be done indoors if necessary. Partners without a physical location may choose to have a ribbon cut at the chamber office or chamber event.

Advertising the Event: Inviting guests to your event is truly important for maximum impact. It can be as simple as emailing your current, past, or potential customers, family, friends, employees, guests, and those that helped you get started (banker, lawyer, accountant, realtor, etc.), surrounding businesses, and media. You may also choose to create a formal invitation. Invitations should be sent about four weeks in advance either via the mail or evite.

 
This is your event and important to promote it not just with invitations but establishing a Facebook event and adding the chamber as a co-host enables us to add your event to our chamber calendar, then we can invite elected officials, chamber partners, and Ambassadors to the event. The chamber will take photos at the event and post them on our social media pages.

 
Food & Refreshments: Experience has shown that providing food & refreshments makes for a positive event. Light hors d’oeuvres or finger foods for lunch and evening hours is appropriate.

Program Planning: This is your big day, so don’t just wing it. Having an agenda ensures you thank everyone that helped you along the way that you would like to recognize, and it ensures you truly explain your company and what you offer. You may want to have key people also say a few words or provide a tour of your facility if that is appropriate.

 
A representative of the chamber will share a few words, recognize dignitaries in attendance, and organize the highlight of the event, the ceremonial ribbon cut, and photo opportunities. If you want high-quality photos, you may consider hiring a professional photographer/videographer or have someone document this special event.
Arranging rental and delivery of a microphone/sound system, podium, chairs, table, or a stage if you feel it is necessary should be done far in advance, along with planning for any performers (DJ), activities, games, giveaways, photographer or videographer.
The chamber has ceremonial scissors, large ones for a photo op and smaller gold ones for the actual cut. The chamber also brings various colored ribbons for the event. Should you wish to use a particular color, please let us know in advance.

Pre-event
• Designate a contact person
• Send the chamber your logo with a transparent background
• Provide chamber with the length of ribbon required for space
• Plan additional opening day activities and communicate those to the chamber
• Finalize details with the chamber
• Plan an agenda and designate speakers and master of ceremonies
• Design a flyer or invitation for the event. Provide the chamber with a copy
• Designate tour guides for your business, if applicable
• Are parking or traffic assistants needed?
• Advertise the event on social media
• Decide on a caterer or food you will serve. Don’t forget plates, napkins, cups, silverware, etc.
• Determine room layout and where you would like the official ribbon cut photo taken
• Order banners and signage if necessary
• Send email and/or mail paper invitations, and post them on social media
• Prepare a guest list
• Send a press release to local publications
• Order balloons or banners for impact. (Christine with Blank Canvas does balloon sculptures)

Day of the Event
• Advise chamber of specials you are running or door prizes you are giving away
• Have a sign-in sheet or collect business cards to start building your list
• Have plenty of business cards, brochures, menus (if appropriate) available

Post Event
• Send thank you emails and notes to special guests
• Share photos online
• Send post-event press release with photos to the media