• Sunset boat cruise
• Dance party at an exclusive venue
• Picnic in the park
• Arcade takeover
• Private concert with a local DJ or band
• Baseball game
• Campfire by the lake
• Field day with sports and stations
• Neighborhood block party
• Trivia night
• Chapter showcase

Explore more ideas in the BBYO Program Bank.

Make the Invitation Memorable

• Set up in a park or by a food truck, and invite folks to drop by to say hello and ask questions about BBYO—where you can distribute invitations to Kickoff and other goodies.

• Have a special swag item for every teen. Encourage them to wear it to Kickoff. Have staff or advisors drop off swag packs at doors, or coordinate pick-ups from a central location.

• Send packages with Kickoff supplies and treats to prospects in advance.

• Have a celebrity invite prospects and members to Kickoff via Cameo (or surprise drop a message during the event itself).

• Build excitement during registration with an Instagram Live.

Be an Excellent Onsite Host

• When breaking down into groups, assign teens to smaller groups with individuals outside their best friend group.

• Every prospect should have a member host to take them through the experience.

• Offer a simultaneous “Taste of BBYO” micro-program for parents.

• Tag prospects on Instagram (from your personal or regional account) so they can re-post from the experience. They may be connected to other teens who are not yet involved.

• Host a special pre-experience for any first-time event attendees.

Follow Up Quickly

• Prospects should never leave an event empty-handed: send them home with a gift bag or a creative gift that they can continue to add to at successive chapter programs (e.g., a necklace with a charm for each program).

• Let the prospect know you’re thinking about them. Immediately add them to chapter group chats. Follow them on social media.

• Mail or drop off handwritten letters, thank you notes, gift cards, or other goodies.

One of the most important parts of your Kickoff experience is sharing your regional and chapter calendars with new members, prospects, and parents. As we say in BBYO, strong calendaring drives healthy membership. If you want to see these attendees again, they need to know what's coming up! Give members and prospects the chance to plan ahead and prioritize BBYO throughout the semester.

Do you need a little extra funding to make a splash with your event? Explore the our Gamechanger Grants!

Please note that program grants are only available for chapter programming, not for region-wide programming.