The Covid-19 pandemic has affected businesses in California and everywhere in the country changing the way we conduct public activities by establishing social distancing rules. The 3 New Normal Essentials for California Grand Openings open the door to re-establishing grand opening ceremonial activities that boost business but also maintains compliance until we’ve left the Covid-19 pandemic in the past. We at CeremonialSupplies.com believe the 3 New Normal Essentials for California Grand Openings are actually very useful tools not just during this time, but also going forward. The Great State of California has always been at the forefront of style, and in fact, cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Santa Monica, to name just a few, are recognized global trendsetters for their individual flair and grace. It is to be expected that California will continue to be a leading market, adding its own touch of elegance as we work together to adapt to this temporary situation but also learn from this experience to implement valid and useful practices. CeremonialSupplies.com, the best one-stop online shop for grand opening products, groundbreaking supplies, event carpet runners, crowd control stanchions and rope, items for military ceremonies, plaques and awards, personalized corporate wearables and many other ceremonial supplies is pleased to make available the essentials for grand openings across the country.
Essential No. 1 – Limit the Number of People or Guests
Grand Opening celebrations, especially in California, tend to be attractive and flashy, and well-attended to the point of overcrowding. The old adage ‘the more the merrier’ isn’t always quite accurate. For one, the more also means more costly. During a time when every penny counts, think of absolute “musts” first and though it’s wonderful to prepare a huge guest list, or to forego a guest list altogether, the more prudent and carefully you limit the number of people or guests to your event, the safer, more secure, and more profitable your grand opening celebration will be. To accomplish this in a professional manner, start with a ‘must’ guest list and be precise. Those people you are ‘iffy’ about, put on a ‘wish’ guest list. Who goes on the must list?
Company VIPs, owners, business partners, and company personnel who were directly involved in making the grand opening possible are to be included in the grand opening ceremony. At this point you also determine who will be doing the ribbon-cutting? And for the sake of photos that will serve additional purposes, create a chart of who will be standing next to the ribbon-cutter on both sides, and who will stand next to them, and so on. This will save time and provide clear instructions at the time of cutting ribbon. Local government officials such as the Mayor, city councilmen, congressional representatives, for example, especially as they relate to the grand opening project, are also guests who must be included. If the grand opening is for a public building, then the appropriate government officials involved in approvals, plans, etc., are to be included. If the grand opening is for a private business, government officials are invited as special guests and are requested to prepare a speech. Keep your media list short and sweet. Remember high government officials are media magnets and you can use this to your advantage by selecting specific news channels.
The purpose of a grand opening is to announce to the community that a new business is opening up in the neighborhood. Rather than the open door policy customary of California culture, focus on specific guests and the list for the grand opening should be as if the occasion was a Beverly Hills shop grand opening!
Essential No. 2 – Grand Opening Ribbon and Giant Ribbon-Cutting Scissors
Photos and videos are going to count now more than ever as businesses use social media apps like Facebook Live, WhatsApp, and Zoom for live streaming of events. This means your grand opening ribbon and ribbon-cutting scissors should prominently display the name of your company, business, or shop so that it’s all clear and easily identified on photos and videos. CeremonialSupplies.com has a great selection of ceremonial ribbons, including pre-printed ribbons and extra wide ribbon. You can customize the ceremonial ribbon with your logo and company name, or a brand name and of course, the wider the ribbon, the larger the name or message that will appear on it making it clearly visible on photos and videos. Our assortment of ceremonial ribbons include a variety of colors ranging from 2.5” in width to 12” – the latter which can also be used to personalize in a vertical, banner style for hanging inside a shop, store, or business.
The ribbon-cutting scissors are the main stars at a grand opening ceremony and CeremonialSupplies.com has the style, color, and size grand opening scissors that will best suit your grand opening event. Our grand opening scissors are available with silver or golden blades and an assortment of different color handles that will match the ceremonial ribbon, the company colors, or both! The ribbon-cutting scissors are 25” or 30” and can be customized on the blade. The scissors can be displayed before and after the ceremony on their own display stand which can also be decorated with a giant bow to create an area for the official guest photo by having people stand by the giant ceremonial scissors. Despite their large size that makes them look unreal, our ribbon-cutting scissors do in fact cut ribbon and are quite sharp! For a standard traditional ceremony we also carry the 10” golden handle scissors.
Grand openings are a landmark event in the life of any business or company and you’ll want to keep and display souvenirs of the special occasion. For this CeremonialSupplies.com has display cases that will hold your ceremonial scissors, a piece of the ribbon, and mementos such as photos or newspaper clippings. The display case can be engraved with the name and date of the event or any other message you wish – usually up to 5 lines of text. CeremonialSupplies.com aims to provide exactly what you need for your grand opening event and if you would prefer to have pre-printed ribbon and ceremonial scissors, we have those as well! Pre-printed ceremonial ribbon comes with the words “Grand Opening” printed repeatedly throughout the ribbon, and the ribbon-cutting scissors have your choice of “Grand Opening” or “Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.” The printed ribbon is available in widths of 4” or 6” only.
Essential No. 3 – Stanchions, Barrier Posts and Crowd Barriers for Crowd Control
California has always been associated with sun, glamour, and movie stars, especially Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and the mecca of aspiring actors and directors: Hollywood! Bright lights, red carpet, step and repeat and stanchions and rope are standard for movie premieres in Hollywood and Los Angeles, but now crowd barriers are standard essential equipment for all grand opening events in California and everywhere else. CeremonialSupplies.com has a selection of crowd management equipment that includes classic stanchions, retractable belt stanchions, and plastic weatherproof barrier posts. Choosing the right crowd barrier for your event depends on the style and overall decoration that you’ve chosen, as well as the location of the business or firm that will be holding the grand opening or in some cases, the reopening celebration.
For a traditional grand opening we recommend the classic stanchions and rope. These barrier posts are available in brass with the dome top style, steel chrome with the urn top style, and in black matte with flat top style. All the classic stanchions have a 4-way disk that enables limitless configurations and with the exception of the black matte flat top stanchion, the other two styles can be purchased as single items or as a pair. Use a pair of stanchions to hold up the boldly printed extra wide grand opening ribbon and decorate each end that attaches to a post with a beautiful big bow. You can also add balloons on each crowd post for extra attention! After the cutting of the ribbon you can use the stanchions and rope inside your business or store to maintain the 6’ social distancing California mandate, or to streamline people to the checkout counter.
The Covid-19 pandemic has certainly changed the way we do things, but in some cases it has helped businesses find profitable solutions by going back to the basics. Whether you live in California or anywhere else in the country shop CeremonialSupplies.com for essential grand opening products. You will love our budget friendly prices, our knowledgeable and expert customer service, and our flawless and efficient shipping anywhere in the Golden State (or the world!) Click here for a shipping quote.