Short answer: an office opening is a short ceremony followed by an open house. Fix the date and the guest of honour first. Get your building management’s rules early, because they decide what you can do with lifts, décor, noise and timing. Keep the ceremony to about half an hour: a welcome, one or two speeches, the ribbon cutting or unveiling, and often a lion dance. Then give guests food, tours and a reason to stay and talk.
Date and guest of honour
- Guest of honour. If you’re inviting a senior client, partner or government guest, invite them first and build the date around them. Their office will usually want the programme, the guest list and a short brief in advance.
- Auspicious dates. Many companies in Singapore choose an auspicious date and time for an opening. If that matters to your management, fix it first, because lion dance troupes and VIPs book up around the popular dates.
- Time of day. Late morning suits a ceremony with lunch after. An evening opening suits a networking reception.
Talk to building management early
Most offices are in managed buildings, and the building’s rules shape the whole event. Ask about:
- Lift and loading bay bookings for deliveries, catering and setup
- Rules on décor, including what can be stuck to walls and fire safety for materials
- Noise limits, especially for lion dance drums and cymbals
- Whether you can use the lobby, a common area or the outside of the building
- Visitor registration and security passes for guests
- Hours when contractors can work, if you’re setting up before the day
If any part of the event spills into public areas or the street, check whether a licence or approval is needed. Our guide to event permits and licences in Singapore covers the common ones.
The ceremony
Ribbon cutting or unveiling
Prepare the ribbon, scissors for each person cutting, and trays or cushions to present them on. Mark where each person stands, and where the photographer stands, so the photo works first time. If you’re unveiling a plaque or logo wall instead, test the reveal mechanism beforehand.
Lion dance
A lion dance is a common way to open a business in Singapore. Things to arrange with the troupe:
- The space they need to perform, and their route through the office
- The eye-dotting, where the guest of honour dots the lions’ eyes to “wake” them
- The “plucking of the greens”, where the lions take a hanging bundle of greens, often with a red packet
- Mandarin oranges, if you want the lions to present them
- Noise, timing and duration, agreed with building management and neighbours
Speeches
One speech from your leader and, if appropriate, a short one from the guest of honour. Five minutes each is plenty.
A sample run sheet
An example for a late-morning opening. Adjust it for your date, guest of honour and venue.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 10:00am | Guests arrive; registration and welcome drinks |
| 10:30am | Guest of honour arrives and is met at the lobby |
| 10:35am | Emcee welcome |
| 10:40am | Speech by your leader |
| 10:45am | Speech by the guest of honour |
| 10:50am | Eye-dotting and lion dance |
| 11:05am | Ribbon cutting and group photo |
| 11:10am | Office tours in small groups; lunch or buffet |
| 12:30pm | Close |
The open house
- Tours. Small groups with a host, a fixed route, and one or two things worth seeing: a new product area, a training room, a view.
- Food. A buffet or canapés work better than a sit-down meal for mingling. If guests include Muslim colleagues or clients, use a halal-certified caterer. You can check certification in the MUIS directory.
- Something to take away. A small, useful gift or printed material about what the new office means for clients.
Photos and the announcement
Book a photographer who knows the order of events and the key shots: the guest of honour’s arrival, the eye-dotting, the ribbon cutting and the group photo. Prepare a short announcement for LinkedIn and your website, and a press release if the opening is newsworthy, such as a regional headquarters or a significant number of new jobs.
Common questions
How long should an office opening be?
Two to two and a half hours is typical: half an hour for arrivals, about half an hour for the ceremony, and the rest for tours, food and conversation.
Do we need a permit for an office opening?
Usually not, if everything happens inside your own premises and follows the building’s rules. If you use public areas, the street, or have performances open to the public, check the licensing requirements first.
Is a lion dance too noisy for an office building?
It can be. Agree the timing and duration with building management, warn your neighbours, and ask the troupe about a shorter or quieter performance if needed.
Can we combine the opening with a product launch?
Yes, but keep them as separate moments in the programme, so neither gets lost. See our guide to planning a product launch.
Opening an office?
See how we run office openings and product launches, or tell us your date and guest numbers.