Maximize the value of your Ribbon Cutting!

How to maximize the value of your Ribbon Cutting
Every year, the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce hosts approximately 80 ribbon cuttings.
We hold ribbon cuttings to celebrate investments being made in our community by a new business startup, an expansion of an existing business, and a new or additional location being opened.
We also host ribbon cuttings for SIGNIFICANT milestones - - 10, 20, 25 years or more in business.
Ribbon cutting celebrations are FREE for members of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.

We believe every ribbon cutting is the celebration of a dream come true.

AND if done right, they are a great way to promote your organization. Photos and videos from our Chamber’s ribbon cutting celebrations are among the most viewed and impactful posts on our Chamber’s social media platforms.
Here are 7 tips to help you maximize the value of your ribbon cutting

1. Schedule your ribbon cutting in close consultation with the Chamber’s professional staff. We have found that ribbon cuttings scheduled between 10 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, are the best. This is when we have a better chance of attracting our Ambassadors, local elected officials and the media to your ribbon cutting. You can get away with a Monday or Friday and pick a time that is little earlier or slightly later - - say 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. - - but our experience suggests sticking with 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.
2. Invite your family, friends, clients, customers and supporters to your ribbon cutting. The more people in the ribbon cutting the better. When these photos are posted on social media, the more people in the photo you can tag the larger the reach. Once the ribbon cutting is over, you should encourage all of your family, friends and employees to SHARE the posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This will help increase views and the reach of your event. Remember, this is a celebration, and you’ll want those who care about you and your organization to be a part of this. We bring the scissors and ribbon. You assemble a crowd. And now you’re maximizing the value of a ribbon cutting.
3. No need for you to spend a lot of money on refreshments. Ribbon cuttings take just a few minutes. People generally come to take a quick tour of your facility, to congratulate you and your team, to pose for the photo and to go back to work. This is a 15- to 30-minute celebration and most of our regulars from the media, our Ambassadors, our staff, and local elected officials are not expecting to eat.
4. The Chamber will take all of the photos. We’ll take photos of you and your team, as well as you and your family and friends. We will take photos of your facility, your products, your displays, etc. You can use these photos on your website, your microsite on the Chamber’s website, and on social media. You certainly can hire your own photographer, but you don’t need to do so. 
5. There’s no guarantee that local media will cover your ribbon cutting. Just in case, however, you should think of an elevator pitch. What do you want to say to the media about your facility or organization? Write this down and print this out. Share this document with the Chamber, and we can use this information in our social media posts. You can also then hand this to the media if they do make it so that what’s most important to you is easy for them to record. The Chamber will send a few high-quality pictures and a short description of the event to members of the local media in hopes of having them cover the ribbon cutting with an article or picture.
6. After the actual ribbon is cut, we’ll give you a chance to say a few words. It’s always good to write down the names of the people you want to thank or recognize so you don’t forget anyone. You can also use the elevator pitch here to remind everyone what is most important about your facility, your organization, and this celebration. Maximize your exposure on the day of the ribbon cutting by sharing any special deals, offers or events that are coming up at your business. Maybe you offer a military discount. Perhaps you are having a fundraiser for a local not for profit. Encourage your guests to spread the word.
7. Our professional staff will help you choose where to pose for the photo at the ribbon cutting. We’ll position everyone for the best picture possible. We’ve done thousands of these so trust us to make this work for you. Once everyone is assembled in the right place, we’ll take a series of photos of the group with you holding the scissors without cutting the ribbon. We’ll then prompt you on when to cut the ribbon after these still photos are taken. This “action shot” is always fun and we’ll make sure to direct everyone appropriately.