Hosting a Ribbon Cutting adds a nice touch to your event, provides valuable recognition for you and your key people, makes the event more purposeful, and allows you to explain more about your business to the community.

A Ribbon Cutting is celebrating a new Chamber Investor or a new constructed location. A Red Carpet Salute typically occurs when a business/organization is celebrating a milestone anniversary, remodel, or special occasion the company wants to celebrate.

Standard celebrations include:

• Post in the Monday AM email
• Post on the Chamber's Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn pages
• Photo of the event in CONNECT Magazine
• Commemorative plaque (Ribbon Cutting only)
• An invitation to Chamber Diplomats

Your celebration must be scheduled at least 4 weeks prior to the event to ensure successful marketing and give guests ample time to adjust their schedules.

Attendance from Chamber Investors varies but could range between 10-40 people.

Your event can be considered a complete success if you do nothing more than invite the right people to attend. The “right” people will vary depending on the event, but they would normally include the following:

• Potential and current customers (your most important group)
• Suppliers
• Friends and family - this a big day for you and you’ll want to share it with them
• Your employees and their spouses
• Those who helped you get started – your banker, accountant, attorney, and advisors
• Fellow businessmen and women in your area
• Representatives from the Chamber

When inviting, use the full name "Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce" and consider creating your own invitations or promotional graphics. However, the Chamber will also create a graphic that is used on social media that is available upon request.

Refreshments are not required but highly recommended. Consider coffee, juices, fruit, pastries, or enlist the help of a professional caterer for larger events.

Hosting a Ribbon Cutting for your company adds a nice touch to an event to have a brief program of some kind. It provides valuable recognition for you and your key people, makes the event more purposeful, and allows you to explain more about your business. Consider these suggestions when planning your program or formal ceremony:

• The shorter, the better. As a rule of thumb, no program or official ceremony should last longer than 20 minutes, with 10 minutes being ideal.
• If your event includes an open house or tour of your facility, be sure friendly and knowledgeable employees conduct group tours. Unguided self-tours by your guests are not nearly as valuable as guided tours.
• The Chamber will provide scissors & ribbon.

Mock Agenda:

10:00am - Diplomat (our designated volunteer) will welcome guests

10:02am - Company representative gives an intro to the company

(Explain what you do, about the location, hours, etc.)

10:10am - Cut Ribbon/Red Carpet Salute Photograph

10:15am - Tour Facility / Reception

The mock agenda provided is just a suggestion. We will work with you to tailor the agenda to suit your preferences and the nature of your business.

Ribbon Cutting/Red Carpet Salute dates are first come, first served, and book quickly. It is recommended to book your Ribbon Cutting date as soon as possible.

Contact Cris Pearson to schedule today, CPearson@LufkinTexas.org.