Managing Your Construction Grant (2016-2017 Round): Ribbon Cutting Tips

Make sure everything is clean and looking great, but don’t expect the building to be perfect. Furniture shipments get delayed, and punch lists are almost never fully completed in time for opening.

Most likely, only you, your staff, and the project team will notice what isn’t “right” yet (or what went haywire during the ribbon cutting). Your community members will just be amazed by their incredible new space!

First, decide if your ribbon cutting will be the first opportunity for patrons to be in the building, or whether you will do a “soft opening” beforehand. A “soft opening” will give you the opportunity to work out some of the kinks of the new building with the public in advance, while opening the building with the ribbon cutting can contribute to it feeling like an especially big, exciting event.

Communicate with key invitees as early as possible. For anyone who you want to speak or who should otherwise definitely be in attendance, check in before finalizing the date.

• Unless you are doing a soft opening with a bigger event later, do not finalize your grand opening date more than 4-6 weeks in advance. Construction schedules can shift, even at the last minute.
• Consider what days and times would best enable your community to attend. A weekend celebration will be better for most community members who work. A morning event will likely be better for older people and families with young children.
• Coordinate with MBLC staff right away. Please confirm the proposed ribbon cutting date with your assigned MBLC staffer before finalizing the date, to make sure that agency representatives will be able to attend.
• Invite key officials from your municipality and members of groups such as your Trustees, Friends, and Foundation.
• Consider whether you would like to reach out to your state legislators as well – legislators love to celebrate new libraries!
• Invite local media to cover the event. Consider offering a media tour of the building a week or two in advance.

Consider who you would like to speak. Be inclusive, but also be sure there is a good rationale for all speakers – it can be difficult for residents to listen to a long set of speeches when they are just excited to get in to the building!

• Provide guidelines for speakers on how long they should plan to talk for, allowing a reasonable, but brief, amount of time for everyone.
• The library director should definitely have the opportunity to welcome attendees to the building. Also consider whether the Trustees Chair, Friends President, and/or Foundation President should speak.
  • At least one of these speakers should acknowledge and thank everyone involved in the building project, including library staff, building committee, Friends/Foundation/Trustees, municipal officials and/or boards, MBLC, OPM, architect, and contractor.
• MBLC staff will arrange for a Commissioner to be in attendance. The Commissioner should be included in the list of speakers.
• Municipal officials who you may want to speak may include a Mayor/Town Manager/Town Administrator, Select Board chair/member, Building Committee chair/member, or other official(s) who have had significant input into the project.
• If you will be inviting legislators, offer them an opportunity to say a few words.
• Consider whether there are any other residents, patrons, or other advocates who could give a compelling and appropriate speech for the occasion and/or who it is important to honor with a request to talk.

Create a list of all the logistics that need to be handled and make sure someone is assigned to be responsible for each item or task. 

• Make sure necessary supplies are prepared such as ribbon and scissors, name tags, and printed programs.
• Make any necessary arrangements for needs such as PA system setup and operation, traffic control/street closures/parking, setup and cleanup of the event itself, greeting attendees, any special handling of VIPs, etc.
• Arrange to offer some refreshments.
• Assign at least one person to thoroughly document the event with photos and possibly video.

During the celebration, plan to have “all hands on deck” – you will get crowds eager to explore the new building! Staff should be prepared for a busy event.

• Stock up on new library cards in advance and consider having one staff member/station at circulation dedicated to new card signups.
• Consider asking Friends, Trustees, and/or Foundation members to give tours of the building, if staff will be busy with other tasks.
  • Create a tour “script” so everyone hits the same key points. With some nice formatting, the script can also become an informational handout/self-guided tour for patrons.