Planning a grand opening means more than simply stringing a banner over the entrance of a new business.
Every business owner has one thing in common: They’ve invested blood, sweat, and tears into building their version of the American dream.
They deserve more than an underwhelming grand opening event — they need an event hero like yourself to go the extra mile.
With e-commerce sales expected to reach $6.3 trillion by the end of 2024, you have to find a way to show local community members that this new business has something that the ‘big box stores’ don’t — heart.
But how?
Choose a unique opening event idea to grab people’s attention.
Don’t worry; we have all the knowledge and experience to guide you in this article. Below, you’ll find an inspirational list of grand opening ideas and professional marketing tips to get that business on the front page. Let’s check it out.
Skip ahead to the best retail grand opening ideas
Grand opening event ideas to generate awareness
Grand opening event ideas that’ll get people excited
Grand opening ideas to connect with the local community
Grand opening ideas to help your business stand out from other stores
Grand opening ideas to leave a lasting impression on attendees
Why do new businesses need grand opening events?
Grand openings are the first ‘big marketing effort’ a new business makes to generate engagement and awareness from potential customers all over town (and online).
Research indicates that the pleasure people derive from an experience is nowhere near as great as the anticipation felt before an event and the memory afterward. That’s where ‘anticipation marketing’ and grand opening events come into play.
Grand opening events utilize the power of ‘anticipation marketing’ by creating hype around a business before it goes ‘live’ to help:
- Generate awareness around the brand
- Excite people about the business
- Create an authentic connection with the local community
- Differentiate the business from other local stores
- Kickstart relationships with nearby businesses and vendors within the local area
- Leave a lasting impression on attendees
- Attract potential customers and turn first-time buyers into loyal customers
If event organizers create a memorable event around the grand opening and use strategic marketing simultaneously, they can increase the number of positive word-of-mouth (WOM) referrals after the event.
Let’s look at some ideas you could use for your next grand opening event.
Exciting grand opening ideas for businesses (+ examples)
Every successful launch starts with a great event idea. However, the kind of business you launch will play a key role in your choice of retail grand opening idea.
For example, a sporting or outdoor goods store may rent an outdoor rock-climbing wall to attract attention from the right audience. Similarly, food-oriented events, like cheese tastings or chili cook-offs, can be a fun way to excite potential customers about a new, local gourmet food deli in their area.
Here are 10 grand opening ideas for every occasion that’ll make your launch an affair to remember.
Grand opening event ideas to generate awareness
You want your potential customers (and their friends) to talk nonstop about your event in the weeks leading up to it and even after it.
How do you accomplish that level of awareness? By creating ‘exclusive events.’
Ironically, nothing gets the word out about an event faster than a not-so-well-kept ‘secret.’ Trust us, play on attendees’ fear of missing out (FOMO), and you’ll have attendees lining up out the door.
1. ‘Sneak peek’: A VIP preview night
Effort: 🏋️ 🏋️ 🏋️
Cost: 💰 💰 💰
Fun factor: 🥳 🥳 🥳
For this grand opening idea, you’ll drive attendees crazy with anticipation by using experiential marketing techniques.
Start by placing mysterious QR codes everywhere around the city, from bathroom doors to nightclub floors.
Next, contact local micro- and nano-influencers, and ask them to post videos documenting their ‘investigation’ of what the QR codes mean. Spoiler: They figure out it’s an exclusive discount code for your upcoming ‘sneak peek’ grand opening event.
In the meantime, you’ll work hard to turn your business venue into a ‘portal to a new land.’
For instance, a clothing brand like Anti Social Social Club could transform their store into a skatepark-grunge wasteland with pink walls littered with graffiti, a skating board ramp for doing ‘sick ollies,’ and a live DJ performance.
💡Pro tip: Don’t go small with your grand opening decoration ideas. If you create a grand opening for an Italian restaurant, make the venue look like a scene from ‘Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.’ We’re talking a-spaghetti-bowl-pit-filled-with-giant-plushie-meatballs levels of fun.
2. ‘Bags to the people’: A discount code surprise
Effort: 🏋️ 🏋️
Cost: 💰💰
Fun factor: 🥳 🥳 🥳
Get people to your business launch party with this ultimate premier vision.
Set up a street party in front of your venue, and go ham with your grand opening decorating ideas — make sure everything is branded, from ice cream cones to food trucks.
But wait, there’s more. On your event registration page, let attendees know there’ll be a surprise at the event they won’t want to miss.
What is this surprise, you ask? A ‘mad rush shopping spree’ challenge, in which three randomly selected attendees have five minutes to fill one bag with whatever items they can grab — absolutely free of charge.
💡Pro tip: Once the challenge is over, invite attendees on stage to show the audience their free shopping haul. This is a great activity that allows business owners to show off their products to attendees.
Grand opening event ideas that’ll get people excited
From our experience, the retail grand opening ideas that genuinely get people excited are those that do things a bit differently — the ones that steer clear of handing out boring business cards and give attendees water pistols instead.
They’re the ones who ask Charles Darwin, the adorable tortoise, to cut the ceremonial ribbon instead of using scissors (yes, it was eight years ago; no, we’re not over it).
3. ‘It’ll be gone in a flash’: A flash mob discount event
Effort: 🏋️ 🏋️
Cost: 💰
Fun factor: 🥳 🥳 🥳
Two things are guaranteed to excite people: the promise of discount codes and a chance to shake their booty.
If you’re looking for retail grand opening ideas that’ll turn the excitement dial to 100, then embrace the ‘flash’ and the ‘dance’ by hosting a dance party event.
Here’s the plan: Turn the retail store or venue into a whacky version of Saturday Night Fever, complete with a pop-up bar (that just so happens to be the register), a hanging disco ball, and a multi-colored dance floor.
Hold dance competitions throughout the night for prizes like exclusive discounts, special offers, and gift cards. Then, as attendees sip on branded martinis and do their best ‘chicken dance,’ turn all the lights to black — that’s the cue.
Put a spotlight on one random dancer, then another. Next, a flash mob sequence is happening in the middle of the store.
If that doesn’t get attendees excited, we don’t know what will.
💡Pro tip: To increase your chance of going viral, don’t just record the flash mob; start a Facebook live stream so your online followers can comment and react in real time.
5. ‘Ain’t no love in the jungle’: A wild-night theme party
Effort: 🏋️ 🏋️ 🏋️
Cost: 💰 💰 💰
Fun factor: 🥳 🥳 🥳
If you’re looking for grand opening ideas that’ll help promote a more ‘edgy’ business, like a nightclub, then you’ve got to do something wild.
Embrace the call of the wild and use a jungle event theme. Invite attendees to arrive dressed as Tarzan, Jane, or Terk the gorilla. For example, Worldwide Presents is hosting a ‘cirque de brunch’ event as a grand opening for Jungle Hollywood nightclub and offering free entry for attendees who get all dolled up.
The store should look like a lush, green oasis — with a hint of danger. Think ‘poison ivy’ hanging from the ceiling, a rain machine softly sprinkling water on the dance floor, and security dressed in gorilla suits.
💡Pro tip: If you’re promoting a retail store, like a clothing company, integrate the product into your jungle experience. For instance, build a ‘clothing tree’ where t-shirts hang from branches and encourage bartenders to wear tees as bandanas.
Grand opening ideas to connect with the local community
No matter the business size, you need to create an environment where attendees feel like special guests.
It can be challenging to come up with an event idea that’s big enough to draw in large crowds but has the right level of intimacy to connect people. Use these ideas to get the creative juices flowing.
5. ‘Foot traffic’: A dinner launch party (with a twist)
Effort: 🏋️ 🏋️
Cost: 💰
Fun factor: 🥳 🥳 🥳
Dinner party launch events are awesome, especially for restaurant grand openings, but they’re also a tad generic.
Here’s what we suggest you do instead: Develop a ‘code menu,’ and throw attendees into an immersive detective-style game. Give your event ‘The Menu’ vibes by setting up long communal tables and assigning a single spoon of food and a cryptic clue to each dining spot.
As the night progresses, use a mysterious voice to guide attendees from one plate to the other — each new dish revealing a new hidden surprise, like an exclusive discount code.
Throw in a few candlelights and a local band performing in the corner, and you’ll have a grand opening idea to die for.
💡Pro tip: Take a look at the grand opening ideas that From The Ground Up chose for their promotional campaign — they strike the perfect balance of grandeur and intimacy.
6. ‘So nice to meet you’: A micro-influencer meet and greet event
Effort: 🏋️
Cost: 💰
Fun factor: 🥳
For those seeking budget-friendly grand opening ideas, a micro-influencer meet-and-greet event is a great idea.
Micro-influencers have a smaller but more trusted audience than larger social media influencers. That’s why working with smaller influencers is a highly beneficial partnership if you want to target a niche market.
With a few social media posts, micro-influencers can help any business, from a restaurant to a tech company, get the word out about their grand opening event — all for a collaboration fee that’ll barely dent your marketing budget.
💡Pro tip: If you don’t want to make your event a meet and greet, invite an influencer to attend your event as a ‘special guest.’ For instance, Chubbies could invite local fashion and food bloggers to their upcoming launch party event and offer attendees photo opportunities for an additional fee.
Grand opening ideas to help your business stand out from other stores
One of the best ways to distinguish the business you’re promoting from similar businesses in the area or in the industry is to host an event where attendees can truly let their hair down.
Think about it: If attendees have an enjoyable experience at your event, it’s more likely they’ll associate the business with fun and excitement for years to come.
7. ‘Where have you been for the last decade?’: A retro-theme party event
Effort: 🏋️ 🏋️
Cost: 💰
Fun factor: 🥳 🥳
Host a decade-themed grand opening event to tap into event-goers’ happy memories of the past. You might not be able to book a famous artist, but cover bands that harken back to a specific musical era can draw a surprisingly large crowd.
💡Pro tip: To extend the theme, encourage costumes, incorporate speculator grand opening decoration ideas, and serve food and drinks typical of the decade.
8. ‘Wow, scary’: A costume party event
Effort: 🏋️ 🏋️🏋️
Cost: 💰💰
Fun factor: 🥳 🥳
It doesn’t have to be October for people to want to dress up. In fact, in our latest trends report, TRNDS 2024, we found that immersive and interactive events are officially in.
Inspire attendees with a thematic costume challenge. If you’re opening a store devoted to luxury items, a Great Gatsby party will make for a great time and allow your visitors to take social media-worthy photos.
For example, Noir Lounge recently hosted an ‘All Black Affair’ grand opening event, encouraging attendees to come dressed in their ‘favorite all-black attire.’
💡Pro tip: Turn it into a hybrid event by streaming it to virtual attendees, who can dress up at home and sip cocktails for social media or simply watch all the fun from a distance — and look for your store when they’re next in town.
Grand opening ideas to leave a lasting impression on attendees
Using innovation and unconventional marketing is a certified way to make any new business stand out from the crowd. So, why not create a public event that defies expectations for your grand opening?
9. ‘I can’t believe they did that’: A crazy publicity stunt event
Effort: 🏋️ 🏋️
Cost: 💰💰
Fun factor: 🥳 🥳🥳
Attention-getting stunts are a compelling grand opening idea, generating PR. It’s even better if the stunt matches your store’s focus thematically.
For instance, an outdoor adventure store could create an event around a publicity stunt where a ‘lion’ (who just so happens to be a local actor dressed in a lion costume) has escaped from the zoo, and the only way to catch him is to use the gear from the store.
💡Pro tip: Integrate a bit of nostalgia into your publicity stunt to pull on attendees’ heartstrings. For instance, Coca-Cola’s recent pop-up exhibit paid homage to Marilyn Monroe, and guess what? The stunt was so popular that news outlets across the US covered it.
10. ‘Hey, it’s us again!’: A pop-up special event
Effort: 🏋️ 🏋️🏋️
Cost: 💰💰
Fun factor: 🥳🥳
If you want to make a giant splash all over social media, create a pop-up art installation that also happens to be an event — it’ll show attendees a good time while also promoting the business opening.
For example, the Museum of Ice Cream put a giant ‘sprinkle pool’ in the middle of New York City for National Ice Cream Day.
The great thing about a pop-up grand opening is that it instantly showcases your brand to a large crowd. Plus, it’s an awesome opportunity to grab email addresses and sign-ups. Try giving out branded totes or swag bags in exchange for attendees joining your email list.
💡Pro tip: Connect with other business owners to host a pop-up event in a public space where locals can check out different local businesses.
Don’t see any grand opening ideas that tickle your fancy? Well, we just so happen to have another fully stocked list of ideas for you!
Grand opening marketing ideas
Marketing a grand opening event differs slightly from promoting other events because your brand or space is new. That means you might not have an existing audience to market to.
To reach new people, you’ll need to adopt some specific tactics.
Use behavior analytics and demographics to construct the ‘ideal customer profile’
You can’t rely on a business for a grand opening event to provide concrete data or insights into its regular customer base’s behavior because they probably don’t have this information yet.
You’ll have to conduct your own research on the ideal customer.
Start by using an event tool like Eventbrite to examine your event history. Eventbrite can help you determine which type of event is popular with certain demographics. Then, you can use this information to understand better what kind of person you should target.
For instance, if you’re working to promote the opening of an Italian restaurant, look at any similar past events you’ve hosted, like a dinner party. Then, use Eventbrite’s analytics tool to find out where ticket registrations for that event came from along with the attendees’ ages.
Once you have a solid handle on demographics, you can move on to personal attributes, like values and interests.
The best way to gather this information is to take notes from your competitors. Search for other local businesses in the same niche area and deep dive into their marketing channels. Look at what type of people engage with their posts — you can even check out specific profiles.
While it might sound a bit stalker-ish, the more you delve into individual followers, the more insights you can gather about their preferences, hobbies, and the type of event they’re likely to enjoy.
Steal competitors’ marketing strategies (and make them better)
Once you’ve nailed down your target audiences, it’s time to move on to your promotional strategy.
Looking at your competitors is the best place to get inspiration for promotional ideas that will connect you with your target audience.
Use Eventbrite’s discovery platform to search for keywords related to your event, such as ‘grand opening.’ Eventbrite will automatically recognize your location and recommend suitable events. From here, click on any event that catches your eye and dissect their ‘event page’ to help you decipher their marketing strategy.
Pay attention to what they include in their event description and if they offer VIP or early-bird tickets. This will show you how to approach your event registration page to appeal to audiences looking for events like yours.
You can also create a Facebook Event from your Facebook Business Page so your grand opening event will come up for all users who conduct a relevant event search. Facebook Events are also accessible for followers to share with their networks, so word of your event can spread exponentially rather quickly.
Try Eventbrite’s social media integrations
Promote your event on social media channels
Now that you have your event registration page on Eventbrite and Facebook, it’s time to promote your event on all your social media channels.
The most important thing to remember when promoting grand opening ideas is the power of engaging with your new audiences creatively.
For instance, you can offer sneak peeks of the event using Facebook or Instagram stories, detailing the event planning and day-of prep. Go Live on these platforms to engage in real time with followers to preview your grand opening event and answer any questions they may have.
Then, you can use Eventbrite to conduct A/B split testing on different versions of your social media event ads. With our Facebook and Instagram integration and the option to create a unique tracking pixel, you can see which strategies connect with your ideal customer.
Boost businesses with exciting grand opening ideas
The first step in letting local audiences know about an exciting new business opening in their area is choosing fantastic grand opening ideas.
The second step is using a marketing tool like Eventbrite to spread the word far and wide.
Eventbrite can help you utilize data-driven metrics and event listings to keep the momentum going and grow your business.
