At BnK Construction, we love creating beautiful spaces for our clients. Whether we’re remodeling, completing a tenant improvement project, or building from the ground up, there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing a project come together.
But what comes next?
After you’ve finished creating the perfect space, how do you celebrate? A grand opening, special sale, client appreciation night, or even just a party can actually be a great investment for your business. In this article, we’ll give our top tips for planning and executing a successful grand opening or other celebration of your finished construction project.
Define Your Goals
When opening a new location or showing off the remodel of your space, it’s important to set goals for the event. Ask yourself if the goal of the event is to simply have fun, show appreciation for valued customers and clients, connect with new business opportunities, or to thank your staff for their hard work during what was hopefully a not-too-stressful time.
Plan Your Event
Depending on your business and industry, you may want to plan an event like a:
- Open House
- Special Sale
- Client or Customer Appreciation Night
- Cocktail Reception or Happy Hour
Think about what is right for your space and what your invitees might be excited about!
Set the Date
When choosing a date for your grand opening, check the calendar for possible conflicts. Depending on your audience you might want to avoid scheduling events on:
- School nights
- Days when a local sports team is playing
- The day of a competing business’ event
- Holiday weekends
Look for a time that will work best for your ideal clients and customers. This will vary for every business!
Don’t Forget to Promote It…
As your remodel or build-out is wrapping up, start promoting your grand opening. Every business is different, but consider using these methods to invite guests:
- Personal emails or handwritten notes
- Email newsletters
- Facebook ads
- Traditional print ads or other advertising
But Have a Soft Opening Ahead of Time!
The most successful grand openings all have one thing in common: a soft opening! A few days before your big event, invite family, friends, and staff to a closed-door soft opening. This is especially important for restaurants, retail stores, and any other business where staff must adapt to a new floor plan and processes.
Your soft opening should be a simple, low-key event. Set expectations ahead of time, and make every attendee feel welcome. Go out of your way to make sure they enjoyed themselves even if there are little problems.
Take notes throughout the event and ask employees and guests for their honest feedback. Even if the soft opening was stressful, focus on the positives and what you can learn from the event to improve your grand opening!
Thank Your Team
Before (and after) your event, take the time to show your appreciation for your most important investment: your hardworking team! A grand opening is also a great time to focus on training and team building. Before you hold any event, spend some time talking with your staff. Get them involved and ask for their help in planning and executing the event. Have senior team members conduct training sessions and team building exercises.
When your whole team feels valued, empowered, and involved, they’ll work harder and be more excited to show off your newly remodeled space.
Set a Budget
When it comes to planning an opening event, there are many schools of thought on how to budget for the event. Some sources say to allocate 20% of your yearly marketing budget to a grand opening. In our opinion, this is a little high, especially for established businesses including those showing off a remodel!
No matter how much you choose to spend on the event, make sure to include a little buffer in case of unexpected last minute expenses.
Once you’ve decided on the budget, you might be wondering, “Where will that money go?
- Advertising – We’ve talked a bit about this earlier, but make sure people know about your event! A few hundred dollars can go a long way if spent wisely. Ask other business owners or marketing experts in your network for their advice.
- Hire a Photographer – Professional photographers are worth their weight in gold! While you’re speaking with guests and customers, they’ll be taking great pictures you can share on social media or use in promotional materials. If you like the results, have them come back after the event and take photos of your new space. You’ll need these to update your website and any other marketing/advertising materials that show your old unrenovated location.
- Entertainment & Catering – When it comes to executing a great grand opening or another event, don’t skimp on the catering and entertainment. Treat your guests to good food and drink and they’ll be sure to have a great time!
After the Grand Opening…
Follow Up With Attendees
After the event, send thank you notes to everyone who attended. This may be a mass email blast or handwritten letters depending on your business and industry. You may benefit from including a special offer or coupon or by simply expressing your honest gratitude.
Your goal should be simple: take advantage of the goodwill, enthusiasm, and momentum built up by your event.
Don’t let this valuable opportunity to pass you and your business by!
Don’t Forget About Your Construction Company
At BnK Construction, we love hearing from our clients after a successful remodel or build out.
But we want to hear more than just how much they love the space! If there are any problems or issues, we’re always available to help. If something isn’t meeting your needs, tell us about it and we’ll come out to fix it!
Thinking About Remodeling or Building from the Ground Up?
Whether you’re a dentist, a vet, own a restaurant or retail store, we can help with your remodel or ground up construction project. Our team of design and construction professionals has over 75 years of combined experience and we’ve worked with hundreds of businesses in the Portland area.
Contact us online or give us a call at (503) 557-0866. Tell us about your business and the project you’re planning. We’d love to be a part of it.