Guide To

Grand Opening,
Ribbon Cutting
and
Open House

Events

Updated December 21, 2010

 A Publication of the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce

Table of Contents

Planning your event .......................................................................................3

What the Chamber can do for You .............................................................7

Event Notification Form ................................................................................8

Reference Pages

Local Elected Officials List ...........................................................................10

Council District Maps ....................................................................................11

Caterer, Florist and Photographer Information ........................................12

News Release Info & Tips .............................................................................13

Sample News Release ...................................................................................15

Sample Media Alert .......................................................................................16

Mobile Area Media List..................................................................................16

Congratulations on your event

and thank you for involving us!

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 Planning Your Event

What are the criteria for determining if one of these events fits your needs?
• You should be within your first year of opening your business.
• OR You should be an existing business in a new location.
• OR You should be an existing business who has recently expanded or completed major remodeling.

What type of event is right for your business?

‰ Grand Opening – Can be a casual or formal event which lasts 1-2 hours. Refreshments are optional.

‰ Ribbon Cutting – Formal event with a specific time for guests to be at your business. Owner and/or
manager (public officials if present) greet guests and cut ribbon. Refreshments are optional.

‰ Open House – Casual event which lasts several hours. Guests come and go informally and visit your
business. Refreshments are optional.

Selecting a Date and Time for your event:

Selecting a date is one of the most important decisions you will make as you begin the process of planning and
staging a successful event. Before you make your decision, here are some important things to consider:
• Allow plenty of time for preparation. If possible, give yourself at least 2-3 weeks to make your
arrangements.

• Be aware of major holidays and avoid planning your event for those days. Also, if you are trying to attract
bankers or government officials, take note of any special holidays when their offices may be closed.

• Please try and coordinate the date with the Chamber well in advance to avoid date and time conflicts with
our events. Also, this allows us time to add your event to our weekly email and notify possible attendees.
We can respond on short notice but prefer at least 2 weeks notice. We will also need other specifics of your
event such as time, location, type of event, etc. Please fill out the form on page 8 and submit to the
Chamber.

• The best days of the week to get good attendance are Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Monday tends to be
too busy for most people to leave the office and many people take Friday off to start their weekend early.

• Try to avoid planning your event on a Saturday or Sunday. Most people have their own recreation or
business plans on those days, and experience has told us your attendance could drop significantly. The
Chamber does not participate in weekend events in consideration of our staff and volunteers.

• Unless it is a necessity, morning events should begin no earlier than 8:00 a.m.

• Luncheon events often turn out well since most everyone eats a mid-day meal. However, luncheons require
more advance notice. Many people schedule lunch arrangements weeks ahead and they will need to be
notified as early as possible to get your event on their calendars. If you decide on a lunch event, the best
time is 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

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• Late afternoon and early evening events seem to be the most popular and successful. This allows people to
drop by after work at their convenience and doesn’t interfere with their busy workday. The best time for an
evening event is 4:30 to 6 p.m., allowing everyone to “drop in”.

• Try to avoid mid-morning and mid-afternoon time periods. Many people are reluctant or unable to break
away from their work in the middle of the day.

• Half-day open house or tours of your company are not advisable unless it’s necessary or traditional in your
line of business. If you decide on a half-day event, be certain to have a designated time for a ribbon cutting
or other special ceremonies to lend focus to your event.

Publicizing your event/sending invitations to those whom you want to attend outside of Chamber staff and
volunteers:
Inviting the “right” people will vary depending on the event and your business, but they would normally include
the following-
• Potential and current customers (your most important group)
• Suppliers
• Friends and family – this is a big day for you and you’ll want to share it with them
• Your Board of Directors, if applicable
• Your employees and their spouses
• Those who helped you get started – your banker, contractor, accountant, attorney and advisors
• Fellow business people in your area
• Key government officials – the Mayor, City Council member from the district where you business is located
• The media
• See page 7 for information on obtaining a list of all Mobile Area Chamber members.

Once you’ve identified your guest list, remember when inviting them:
• Prepare a nice letter or very basic invitation but always keep it simple and to the point; make sure all basic
information is included –who, what, when, where and why.

• Asking for RSVP’s does help you with deciding how much food to provide but if you ask for RSVP’s,
please know that people will typically wait until the last minute or will show up without RSVP-ing. The
Chamber does not normally ask for RSVP’s from our staff and volunteers. If you need us to, please let us
know.

• Allow sufficient notice –between 10 days to 2 weeks is ideal for most events, although 2 weeks would be
preferable.

• Be sure to include a map or clear instructions on how to get to your event. A street address alone,
sometimes, is not sufficient.

• Will parking be an issue? If so, please use the invitation to indicate and let the Chamber know where you
would like guests to park.

• If you choose to do an elaborate invitation, get professional help from a graphic artist or designer.

• Send your invitation by first-class mail, if at all possible. Bulk mail can take a week or longer.

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Other significant details of your event:
• Serving food and beverage – Although it’s an added expense that you may prefer to avoid, serving food
and beverage of some kind is almost a necessity for a successful event.
 For morning events, coffee, juices, fruit and pastries are usually sufficient. A full breakfast is not
necessary.

 At lunchtime events, serve some kind of sandwich or buffet meal. Remember, it’s your guest’s
lunchtime and they will expect some kind of filling food.

 During the late afternoon or early evening events, light hors d’oeuvres or finger foods are
appropriate. Chips, dips, cheeses, vegetable or cold-cut trays are ideal.

 For medium or large events, enlisting the help of a professional caterer saves time and manpower
and lends more expertise to the preparation. Caterers can give you good, solid advice and are not
as costly as you might fear. See a complete list of member caterers by visiting our online
Membership Directory at www.mobilechamber.com.

 If you decide to provide your own refreshments, be sure to have an adequate amount of food and
beverage for your guests as well as ample plates, cups, napkins, trashcans and other supplies.

• Planning a program/mapping out your agenda - adds a nice touch to have a brief program for your event.
It provides valuable recognition for you and your key people, allows you to explain more about your
business and makes the event more purposeful.
 The shorter, the better. As a rule, no program or official ceremony should last longer than 20 to
30 minutes with 10 minutes being ideal.

 Prepare an agenda, even if it’s just a back-of-an-envelope kind of thing. Things run much more
smoothly. Your agenda could be something like:
 Welcome Guests – done by owner, manager, president, etc.
 Introduction of the company – explain what you do if a new business, about your new
location – if a second location or a move, your hours; introduce your staff
 Introduction of Board members, elected officials, other dignitaries
 Call up those who are speaking (if this is part of your program)
 Cut the ribbon – usually done by dignitaries and head company rep; some choose to have
all employees doing the cutting
 Thank you for attending – by a company rep
 Offer everyone to take a look at your facility, and if large enough, you might want to
offer tours

 Limit the number of speakers and the length of their speeches. Set a time limit for all who take
part in the program.

 Introduce only those who need to be introduced even though the temptation will be to
acknowledge nearly everyone in attendance that you know.

 Conclude your program with the appropriate ceremonial or symbolic activity: a ribbon cutting
for a grand opening is a good way to let guests know the formal program is over and creates
good publicity opportunities for your photography.

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  If your event includes an open house or tour of your facilities, be sure friendly and
knowledgeable employees conduct group tours. Unguided self-tours are not nearly as valuable.

 Consider having some kind of door prize or drawing. Winning a sample of your product, dinner
for two, etc. can add to your guests’ enjoyment and build attendance.

• Obtain a ribbon that suits your needs if planning a Ribbon Cutting – See a complete list of member
florists by visiting our online Membership Directory at www.mobilechamber.com. Most members like to
get a ribbon containing their company colors and a bow professionally tied in the middle.

• Media coverage – you should not rely on the media to give extensive coverage to your special event. It’s
not that they do not view your function as significant, it’s simply a matter of lack of staffing and sufficient
air time or print space to carry your story.
 Send your invitation to the news directors or city editors at least ten days ahead of your event.
Include a brief letter or news release that contains the journalistic basics of who, what, when,
where and why. See sample news release on page 15. See a link to the media list on page 16.
 A follow-up or reminder call the day before your event is a good idea.

• Locate company sign or banner if needed.

• Pre-determine room layout (where to place tables, chairs, podium, etc.)

• Prepare any materials needed for the event (visuals, awards, checks, documents, gifts, samples, etc.)

• Schedule a photographer if you desire professional photos – See a complete list of member
photographers by visiting our online Membership Directory at www.mobilechamber.com.

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 What the Chamber can do for You
Your contact at the Chamber is
Kim Perrone, 251-431-8649, kperrone@mobilechamber.com

• Provide guidelines for planning your event which include:

 Contact information for local elected officials
 Contact information for member caterers for food needs
 Contact information for member florists for ribbon
 Contact information for the media
 Contact information for member photographers
 Contact information for all Mobile Area Chamber members (purchase required)
” Complete Membership listing (approx. 3,500) is $250.00
” Head of Firm listing (approx. 2,300) is $200
” You can get these lists pre-printed on labels or on a disk in text or Excel format.

• Provide sample news release (Please be advised that, due to the large number of new company openings,
members of the media do not usually attend the actual event, but often the newspapers will carry your
announcement if you send them one.) See page 15.

• Review your news release (advance notice requested)

• Include event information in The Business View Weekly email (with enough notice) prior to event and/or in
the Member News section of The Business View (after the event, if space permits) using the information
provided on the form on page 8.

• Announce event to Diplomats, a group of 50+ volunteers who act as ambassadors for the Chamber, and
Chamber staff
 Typically, Diplomats and the Director of Customer Service attend. On occasion, the Chamber
President, Senior Vice President and other VPs can attend, as well.

• Provide ceremonial scissors for Ribbon Cuttings

 We can also provide a simple, white ribbon if you do not want to obtain your own ribbon.

• Provide camera/pictures taken by our staff

 Photo, your company name and date of the event (using the information provided on the form on
page 8) will be featured on the Chamber’s website at
www.mobilechamber.com/ribboncuttingphotos.asp.

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 Event Notification Form

Please complete this form and return to the Chamber.

Fax to Kim Perrone at 251-432-1143.

Company Name: _____________________________________________________________________

Location: ___________________________________________________________________________

Contact Name: _______________________________________________________________________

Email: ____________________________________ Phone: ___________________________________

Event Date: __________________________________________________________________________

Event Type:
‰ Ribbon Cutting (Time ribbon will be cut: ______________)
‰ Grand Opening (Time: ______________)
‰ Open House (Time: ______________)

Have you planned an event of this type before?

‰ Yes
‰ No

Do you have specific questions that the Guide did not answer?

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Reference

Pages

9
 Local Elected Officials
Mobile County Commission
District
Honorable Merceria Ludgood 574-1000
District 1 District
P.O. Box 1443
Mobile, AL 36633-1443

Honorable Connie Hudson 574-2000

District 2 District
P.O. Box 1443
Mobile, AL 36633-1443

Honorable Mike Dean 574-3000

District 3
P.O. Box 1443
Mobile, AL 36633-1443

Mayor and City Council

Honorable Samuel L. Jones 208-7395 Honorable John C. Williams 208-7441

Mayor of Mobile Mobile City Council-District 4
P.O. Box 1827 P.O. Box 1827
Mobile, AL 36633-1827 Mobile, AL 36633-1827

Honorable Fredrick Richardson, Jr. 208-7441 Honorable Reggie Copeland, Sr. 208-7441
Mobile City Council-District 1 Mobile City Council-District 5
Council Vice President Council President
P.O. Box 1827 P.O. Box 1827
Mobile, AL 36633-1827 Mobile, AL 36633-1827

Honorable William Carroll 208-7441 Honorable Bess Rich 208-7441

Mobile City Council-District 2 Mobile City Council-District 6
P.O. Box 1827 P.O. Box 1827
Mobile, AL 36633-1827 Mobile, AL 36633-1827

Honorable Jermaine A. Burrell 208-7441 Honorable Gina Gregory 208-7441

Mobile City Council-District 3 Mobile City Council-District 7
P.O. Box 1827 P.O. Box 1827
Mobile, AL 36633-1827 Mobile, AL 36633-1827

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 City Council District Maps

Council District 1 – Fredrick Richardson, Jr.

Council District 2 – William Carroll

Council District 3 – Jermaine A, Burrell

Council District 4 – John C. Williams

Council District 5 – Reggie Copeland, Sr.

Council District 6 – Bess Rich

Council District 7 – Gina Gregory

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 CATERERS

FLORISTS

photographers

See a complete list of member caterers, florists and photographers

by visiting our online Membership Directory at
www.mobilechamber.com

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 THE NEWS RELEASE
The news release is the basic tool of media relations. A well-prepared news release can make it

easier for you to get your news covered by the media – providing it meets the criteria of what makes a good

news story.

Here are some guidelines to help you with the mechanics of effective preparation and distribution of

news releases:

Releases should be typed and double-spaced, if possible. Using some form of letterhead is not

essential, but may help a busy reporter or editor quickly identify the source of the release. The release must

contain the 5 “W’s” common to all news stories – who, what, when, where and why. The first four

ingredients should be incorporated into the first or lead paragraph. If there is a “why,” it is often appropriate

to use it as the second paragraph, or “sub-lead.”

Include all the facts and be accurate. You need not agonize over prose, since virtually all news

releases are rewritten by print media, or used by television and radio only as the basis of their report.

Always include the name, telephone number and email address of a company “Contact” a reporter

can call if more information is needed. Be sure this contact person is available at the time of the release.

Nothing can kill a story more quickly than a news contact that disappears just as the news breaks. Also,

listing more than one contact is usually confusing to the media, unless there is an obvious reason why more

than one contact is necessary. For example, if two organizations issue a joint news release.

Keep the release as brief as possible, preferably one page. If additional pages are required, do not

break paragraphs at the bottom of a page, and use a separate sheet of paper for each additional page. Do not

print or copy on both sides of a single piece of paper. Use the word “more” if your copy does continue on

the next page. To indicate the end of a story use “###” or “30”. Either is correct.

The date of the news release should be included at the top of the page, along with the phrase “For

Immediate Release.” It is becoming less accepted to place on the page a future date for the release of your

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story. The story may get lost in the paper shuffle. It is not good to ask the media to “sit” on a story for any

length of time.

Be sure to spell names correctly and to specify titles precisely.

Specify whether times are a.m. or p.m. Never say 10 o’clock. If a date is mentioned, say

“Wednesday, May 9.” Do not say “next Wednesday.” Also, always use only the numeral for the date: May

9—not May ninth or May 9th.

Take the trouble to have your release delivered to the media on the same day of the release, and close

to the same time as possible. This lets editors know you consider the release important, and that you have

taken special pains to get your news to them immediately. If you mail a release, not only do you run the risk

of it arriving at different places on different dates, but you have also violated one of the first rules of news—

timeliness. Few editors will use an item that arrives Thursday, if they notice even the company considered it

“news” the previous Tuesday. Except in unusual circumstances, news deadlines are as rigid as any

constraint can be. A deadline is the latest possible time you can get information to a news outlet and expect

it to be used in the desired edition or broadcast. Deadlines vary from one news organization to another, and

in the case of newspapers – even from department to department.

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 SAMPLE NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate release For More Information Contact:

December 1, 2010 Carolyn Golson, 431-8622
cgolson@mobilechamber.com

Chamber Membership Directory and Buyers Guide

Advertising Sales Set to Close

Time is running out to advertise in the Mobile area’s most thorough business directory – the Mobile Area

Chamber of Commerce Membership Directory and Buyer’s Guide. With 5,000 books printed, it offers

businesses an opportunity to promote their products and services to Chamber members, visitors to Mobile

and economic development prospects.

The directory is split into three sections. The front section is a four-color piece, which provides information

on education, sports and entertainment, the business climate, and a detailed calendar of events around the

city. The center section features Chamber services, including direct phone numbers for staff members,

Envision Coastal Alabama partners, Chamber board of directors and board of advisors, and volunteers. The

back section includes four directories – an alphabetical listing of Chamber members, minority companies,

non-profit companies, and a cross-reference of members based on their designated category.

Advertising rates range form $600 to $4,000. The book will be available to Chamber members at no charge

in January 2011. Potential members will be able to purchase the directory for only $30. To learn more about

advertising in the Membership Directory and Buyer’s Guide, contact the membership department at 431-

8622, or e-mail cgolson@mobilechamber.com.

###

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 SAMPLE MEDIA ALERT

*** Media Alert ***

December 1, 2010

WHAT: See Austal Apprentices in Action

Austal invites the media into their facility to meet/film new apprentices at work

WHERE: Austal USA, 100 Dunlap Drive, Mobile, AL 36602

Traveling east on I-10, go through the Wallace Tunnel and exit immediately onto Exit 27.
Exit ramp becomes a “right-turn” only lane. Turn right onto Addsco Road (frontage road)
and follow to YIELD sign. Turn on Dunlap Drive; Austal is one block on left.
Main office is a grey building with blue trim.

WHEN: Wednesday, January 2, 2011 at 10:00 a.m.

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES:
The media is invited to visit the Austal production facility and see new apprentices on the job.

Also, available to speak to the media:

CEO, Greg Metcalf

CONTACTS: Ashley Horn, Mobile Chamber Communications, 431-8623

Angela Appleton, Austal USA, 434-8000

PROGRAM BACKGROUND:
The Austal Scholarship apprenticeship Program (ASAP) is successful school-to-work
partnership established to meet the growing need for workers at Austal USA. It is a
collaborative effort between: Austal USA, Mobile County Public School Systems, Bishop
State Community College and the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce.

Mobile Area Media List (Local and Regional)

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