Ribbon Cuttings and Grand Openings

The Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce is proud to offer Ribbon Cutting, Grand Opening, and Groundbreaking Ceremonies as a valuable benefit to our members. These celebrations are a fantastic way to showcase your business’s grand opening, expansion, relocation, major anniversary, large renovation, or groundbreaking.

Eligibility & Fees

Current Members

  • Weekday ceremonies (Monday–Friday) are free of charge.
  • Weekend ceremonies require a $200 fee to cover staffing costs.

Future Members

  • Weekday ceremonies: $100
  • Weekend ceremonies: $500
  • This fee can be applied toward membership dues within 30 days of the event. Payment is required at the time of scheduling.

Planning Your Event

To ensure a well-organized and successful event, please follow these guidelines:

Scheduling

  • Ribbon cuttings should be scheduled at least one month in advance.
  • Available times:
    • Monday–Thursday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
    • Friday: Before 11:00 AM
  • Ribbon cuttings typically last 30 minutes, while groundbreaking ceremonies and expansions may take up to an hour.
  • Contact Deb Katzenmeyer at 419-222-6045 or dkatz@limachamber.com to schedule your event and discuss details.

Ceremony Guidelines

  • Start your event on time out of respect for your guests.
  • Prepare a 2–3-minute speech introducing your business, including your address, phone number, and website.
  • Guests often stay for networking, refreshments, and tours—consider how you’d like to engage them.

 Chamber Support & Promotion

The Chamber will help make your event special by providing:
Local media outreach and notifications to the Chamber Board of Advisors, Staff, and Ambassadors.
Official ribbon and ceremonial scissors (shovels available for groundbreaking events upon request).
A commemorative certificate of your celebration.
A professional photo of the event, shared on Chamber social media, local media, and in our monthly newsletter.
Facebook Live coverage on the Lima/Allen County Chamber’s Facebook page.

What Your Business Needs to Do

Send a press release with your business introduction to Deb Katzenmeyer at least 2 weeks before the event.
Invite attendees, including executives, employees, clients, vendors, and community members.
Communicate roles to key attendees (e.g., speakers, greeters, or company representatives).
Arrange for ribbon holders—Chamber Ambassadors will assist.
Optional touches: Provide refreshments, business cards, giveaways, or coupons to make your event more memorable.

Communicate roles to key attendees (e.g., speakers, greeters, or company representatives).

Your Ribbon Cutting or Grand Opening is a significant milestone—we’re excited to celebrate with you! Let’s make it a success.

Contact us today to schedule your event!
📧 dkatz@limachamber.com | 📞 419-222-6045