Before effectively starting any activities, several details about the project scope need to be discussed and presented to the project team members. Whether to avoid mistakes during the process or decide the best course of action for each activity, there are several reasons why project managers and key stakeholders organize this type of meeting.

These reunions are called the project kickoff meeting presentation, and it is responsible for introducing key information about the project goals and other details. Along with keeping the entire team on the same page, the project management responsible also creates the kick off meeting to identify possible risks and generate new insights.

For the project kickoff meeting to occur as planned and cover all the vital information, it is indispensable to have a well-structured template to conduct it. The categories included also make an enormous difference and should be carefully selected.

This article will show you how to create the perfect project kick meeting. Follow all steps carefully, and you’ll have everything you need to make the ideal project plan.

The project kickoff presentation is a meeting, usually hosted by the project manager, that aims to introduce the team members to the project that will be developed. The content of the kickoff meeting will depend on the type of project you’re developing.

It can go from a simple project background introduction to a more detailed meeting agenda with multiple topics and information about the new project. The kickoff agenda items should be clear so everyone can understand, and the meeting should feature a period to answer any team member's questions.

A project kickoff presentation can bring numerous benefits to the entire process. For example, thanks to the project kick, the team members will also understand what they need to do and which aspects of the development process should be prioritized.

Moreover, the kick off meeting also contributes to insight generation. Once everyone is on the same page, finding solutions for the main risks and problems pointed out at the meeting becomes easier.

Also, the meeting allows the members to discuss important issues before the development begins. Details like the communication channels used and the target audience aimed at the project should be discussed before any efforts start.

Now that you know what a project kickoff meeting presentation is and why it is crucial for the entire development phase, it is time to see the primary information your template should include. 

Take a look at all the categories below and see how they impact your project. This way, you can get the most out of your meeting agenda and deliver a successful project.

Here are the main categories and fields you should include:

Introduction

The first item included in a project kickoff meeting presentation is a proper introduction of the project manager and the team members that will be involved throughout the process. Remember that the meeting invitation should be sent to members directly involved in the project and to important parties, like stakeholders.

This is the first item of the presentation and should not be ignored. Understanding who is involved helps the teams to know each other and also shows them who to ask questions in case of any doubt.

Goals and Background

After the introduction, the next item that should appear in the presentation is the main goals and objectives the company wants to achieve with the project. Whether it’s a marketing campaign or developing a new product, this should be presented in the project kickoff meeting for everybody to understand.

Along with the objectives, this part of the meeting should also feature a presentation of why the company should do the project. The manager can use data and other tools to justify why the project is essential to the company and what they want to achieve by developing it.

Project Scope

The next item of your presentation will be the project scope. This is a detailed description of what you’re going to deliver. 

You’ll also present a mission statement of what this project implies to the company and why it reinforces the values and goals of the business. This way, everyone can understand why it is vital to make the project and what values it brings.

Along with this mission statement, the project scope also contains vital information about resource planning and project execution details. Discussing them is crucial for the project to run smoothly and as expected. The more precise the plan gets, the lower the chances of exceeding the budget and having problems in the later stages.

Lastly, the scope should also feature a part dedicated to risk identification. The manager should point out the principal risks and their likelihood.

Project Team

Next, the person presenting the kickoff presentation should introduce the team's structure and their members. In case you have multiple teams, it is also essential to show their division and assign a leader to each one.

This way, everyone will know who to look for in case of doubts. It also helps with workflow improvement and dismisses the need to do this division during development.

It is important to remember that the members list goes beyond just those directly involved in the project. Stakeholders and other relevant parties should also be included in the list, even though they don’t belong to any development team.

Roles and Responsibilities

The next steps of the presentation are your roles and responsibilities. After sorting out the teams and deciding who will be involved in the project, you should assign their roles and tasks they’ll be performing during the development.

The roles and responsibilities decisions should be taken considering previous aspects, like the project's scope and the company's goal. This way, this task becomes way more manageable.

Timeframes and Due Dates

It is also vital to present the main due dates and the project timeframe during the meeting. This impacts almost every aspect of the strategy and development.

When you create the timeframe and assign tasks, you need to consider when the deliverables must be completed and how many members have to work on them to meet the deadline. Moreover, due dates also impact the priority of each task.

Depending on the deadline of a specific deliverable, it will be done before or after the other tasks. Make sure to build a solid strategy to avoid problems with your timeframe.

Next Step

The next step is when the manager tells the entire team what needs to be done after the end of the kickoff meeting. From organizing the teams to developing specific tasks, everyone will receive detailed instructions on what they need to do. It is an important part of the process and will likely be followed by questions from the members involved in the meeting. 

Q&A

As we mentioned before, it is common for project kickoff meeting presentations to generate numerous questions from all parties. This is why it is crucial to dedicate some time to answering these questions. 

When it comes to creating your project kickoff meeting document, there are several options available. From known software to specialized programs, each one has its own tools and features to help you with this task.

Among all the options available, we highly recommend using Microsoft PowerPoint. MS PPT is not only an industry standard but also has the best tools among the competition. This means you won’t need extra software to build creative and effective presentations.

If you don’t have a Microsoft Office activation key, you can find one at RoyalCDKeys for a considerably lower price. This way, you get everything you need and still save money.

If you don’t want to create your project kickoff meeting document from scratch, there is no problem. Here are some template examples you can download and use:

Template #1

Simple PowerPoint Presentation for Kickoff Meeting. Features all the categories necessary for this kind of project.

Get this template

Template #2

Complete project kickoff presentation. Features complete documentation with multiple tools, including a timeline.

Get this template

Template #3

Colorful PowerPoint template. Document featuring visually appealing layout and a complete set of tools for kickoff presentation.

Get this template

There is no doubt that running project kickoff meetings are important for a new project to flow as expected and achieve its primary goals. Everything needs to be correctly pointed out, from the project scope to the background, for a successful result.

Now that you know everything you need, it is time to start creating your own project kickoff document. Make sure to follow all steps to ensure the best results for your campaign.