Unless you're in a situation where you're 100% sure someone's not going to pull on it and "out" your tie, I'd go without. From a style perspective, I'd think of it almost like being caught wearing a wig. However, it looks fine in the pic, so if you can get away with it, go for it. In the meantime, go out and find yourself one or two real ties so you don't have to worry about it
As for using it to open, that's an interesting idea, but you want to be careful who you do it around. I'd avoid doing that around style-conscious sets who look like they dress up frequently - they are likely to look down on something like that. However, if you can identify people who don't seem to be too familiar with formal occasions or aren't too comfortable being dressed up, it could be a great way to break the ice!