Grand Opening In June...need Ideas
Business By vivedcreations Updated 8 May 2007 , 11:41am by vivedcreations
Hello all~
I am finally almost to the point of opening my shop up...was wondering if any of you have any good ideas for activities to do the day of the grand opening. I was thinking face painting, balloon characters, coloring contest...any other ideas...I'd like to keep people busy so they'll stick around longer.
TIA!
coloring contest ---> on cookies so they can get a taste of the product.
face painting ---> on small 4 inch one layer cakes -- you have the pre-iced in white BC or fondant and the kids get to make a face or flower or....
balloon characters ---> fondant characters -- you have samples (so they can see your ability) and the kids (and parents too) get to make their own.
and then can add:
cupcake decorating (another way to sample the wares) -- can do this w mini-cupcakes
cupcake decorating (another way to sample the wares) -- can do this w mini-cupcakes
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Congrats and good luck.
I like all of Doug's ideas. I did mini cupcakes with my son's preschool class, I had about 1 oz of icing in little individual bags it was for Halloween so it was all orange. But with smaller cupcakes, you could get away with 1/2 oz icing in a piping bag prefilled and closed with an elastic of course and then kids can get 1 mini cupcake and 1 single color of icing of their choice - I say stick with basics red, yellow, blue. 
Mini cookies are a great idea too, pre-iced then the kids could use food markers and decorate.
They will remember it for a long time, the kids still talk about it at my son's school, there are a few that ask what I am baking tonight, those are the ones that have been to our house and sampled stuff! 
Have a friend take lots of pictures for you that day so you dont have to worry and post the ones you can! (Just ask people for permission of course).
Good Luck 
Have a friend take lots of pictures for you that day so you dont have to worry and post the ones you can! (Just ask people for permission of course).
Good Luck
if you plan to publish in anyway any of the photos -- will need a WRITTEN release signed by the parents.
Have a friend take lots of pictures for you that day so you dont have to worry and post the ones you can! (Just ask people for permission of course).
Good Luck
if you plan to publish in anyway any of the photos -- will need a WRITTEN release signed by the parents.
Thanks for that catch Doug! that's what I should have written 
Good Luck and have lots of fun!
I love all of dougs ideas he is always so creative
If I mught suggest....instead of the 4 inch cake to decorate...I would utilize something a bit smaller like the tuna can mini-cake size. I think that would spread out your supplies more effectively.
I would also suggest having a staff member demonstrating various techniques like making gumpaste flowers, etc. Watching techinques through to completion may keep people around.
My last suggestion would be to offer a raffle of sort for a free (or several) product and state that you MUST be present to win.
You could raffle off some RI cookies on a stick, the cup-cake in a clay pot flower bouquet, and several cakes.
Hope the suggestions help.
Rittenhouse, I am sure you meant a give away drawing. In my state using the word raffle is a "no-no". Raffle is a game of chance. Just wanted to clarify that so Viovidcreations didn't use that term in her advertising. Are you planning on being open a few days before the Grand Opening? If so you could have people register for the drawings everyday but state on your sign that they must be present to win.
All of Doug's ideas were great. You would certainly have to have some supervision, I would think, but the kids would love it.
Good luck with your new adventure.
Diane
Hey! I'm planning a grand opening in June also! COOL! I called a local costume rental place to see if they had a Cookie Monster costume so my niece could dress up and entertain kids at the grand opening. They didn't have one, but I'm not giving up! I've got a couple other costume shops to try. 
Another thing that I'm planning that you could do if you have enough pictures, is a scrapbook of the space as we work on it through to completion. People love to see before and after pics! That would keep them there while they flip through the pages.
Thanks everyone for all your ideas, they are great! Keep them coming. Sorry I haven't gotten back here in a few days....LOTS to do! Congratulations to you momsandraven on your opening also!
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