5 Easy Ways to Boost Event Attendance in the New Year
Lead & Succeed | Chapter Leader Toolkit
Start the Year Strong: A Chapter Leader Kickoff Checklist
You do not need your entire year figured out in January. A few focused decisions now can make chapter events, communication, sponsorships, and volunteer leadership much easier for the months ahead.
The Key Idea
Do not try to plan everything. Get the basics right, organize the next 90 days, give important responsibilities clear owners, and create enough structure that your chapter can build momentum from there.
What You’ll Get From This Guide
- An eight-step chapter kickoff checklist
- A simple 90-day planning framework
- A sample first-quarter communication plan
- A digital cleanup checklist
- A leadership ownership exercise
- Ready-to-use member communication
- A one-meeting chapter reset you can use every year
You Don’t Need a Perfect Annual Plan
The beginning of the year is a natural time to reset.
Members are looking for upcoming events. Officers may be stepping into new roles. Sponsors are planning budgets. Your chapter’s website and social channels may still contain information from the previous year.
It can feel like everything needs attention at once.
It doesn’t.
START WITH THE NEXT 90 DAYS
Accurate information + A few planned activities + Clear communication + Clear ownership
Get those four things in place first. Then build from there.
CHAPTER KICKOFF CHECKLIST
☐ Update chapter information
☐ Set your first-quarter events
☐ Build a simple 90-day communication plan
☐ Reconnect with members
☐ Review sponsorship opportunities
☐ Clean up digital spaces
☐ Assign leadership responsibilities
☐ Give members something to look forward to
1. Update Your Chapter Information
Start with the basics.
Members should be able to find current chapter information without wondering whether they are looking at last year’s details.
CHECK
- Officer names and positions
- Chapter contact information
- AMPP Community information
- Upcoming events
- Meeting schedules or locations
- Social media “About” information
- Website links
- Registration and contact links
If you elected a new Chair, added a Young Professionals Liaison, changed meeting locations, or created a new chapter email address, update those details anywhere members may look for them.
AMPP Chapter Leader Resources
Visit the
AMPP Chapter Resources page
for chapter templates, tools, and additional resources.
2. Plan the Next 90 Days
You do not need to lock in the entire year.
Start by giving members a few reasons to engage with the chapter during the first quarter.
A SIMPLE STARTING POINT
One learning opportunity
One connection opportunity
Optional: One special activity
That could look like:
- A technical dinner or presentation
- A networking social
- A facility tour
- A coating demonstration
- A student or emerging-professional activity
- A joint event with another organization
YOUR 90-DAY MAP
Month 1: [EVENT / ACTIVITY]
Month 2: [EVENT / ACTIVITY]
Month 3: [EVENT / ACTIVITY]
Planning early also gives you something valuable: promotion time.
The sooner event details are confirmed, the sooner members can save the date and your team can begin communicating.
3. Build a Simple 90-Day Communication Plan
Your chapter does not need a complicated content calendar.
Decide what members need to hear from you over the next few months and when you will communicate it.
| Month | Social / Community | |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | Welcome-back message + upcoming events | Introduce officers + promote next event |
| Month 2 | Event reminder | Event promotion + photos + sponsor recognition |
| Month 3 | Chapter update + next opportunity | Member spotlight + save the date |
KEEP IT MANAGEABLE
A smaller communication plan your volunteers can actually maintain is better than an ambitious calendar that disappears by February.
HELPFUL MARKETING RESOURCES
AMPP Chapter Resources
— templates and chapter tools
Social Media Made Simple: Boosting Your Chapter’s Visibility & Events
Canva Made Simple: Create Flyers, Posts, and More for Your Chapter
4. Reconnect With Members
The beginning of the year gives you a natural reason to reach out without needing a major announcement.
Instead of only telling members what the chapter has planned, invite them into the year.
COPY THIS
Welcome to a New Year With [CHAPTER NAME]
We’re looking forward to another year of learning, connecting, and growing together. We have several chapter activities in the works, and we’d also love to hear from you.
What topics, speakers, or activities would be most useful to you this year?
Our next opportunity to connect is [EVENT] on [DATE]. We hope you’ll join us: [LINK].
ASK ONE USEFUL QUESTION
“What would make participating in the chapter more valuable to you this year?”
The answers can help shape future speakers, technical topics, networking activities, volunteer opportunities, and outreach.
SIMPLE GROWTH IDEA
“Know someone who would enjoy this event? Bring a colleague. Visitors are welcome.”
5. Review Your Sponsorship Opportunities
Early in the year can also be a useful time to review your chapter’s sponsor strategy and begin conversations with local companies.
Start by making sure the opportunity is clear.
SPONSORSHIP RESET
☐ Review sponsorship levels
☐ Review sponsor benefits
☐ Make sure benefits can realistically be delivered
☐ Identify local companies that may be a strong fit
☐ Assign a sponsorship lead
☐ Plan how sponsors will be recognized throughout the year
THINK BEYOND THE LOGO
A strong sponsorship opportunity connects a company with the chapter community in a useful, credible way. Focus on the value of the partnership—not simply how many places you can display a logo.
Want More Sponsorship Guidance?
Watch
Smart Sponsorships: Building Chapter Support That Lasts
.
6. Clean Up Your Digital Spaces
Your chapter’s digital presence may be someone’s first interaction with the group.
Give it a quick annual cleanup.
DIGITAL CLEANUP CHECKLIST
☐ Remove outdated event information and flyers
☐ Archive old materials your team no longer needs
☐ Update profile and banner images if needed
☐ Test website links
☐ Test registration links and QR codes
☐ Review social profile information
☐ Organize shared chapter files
☐ Make sure current volunteers can access what they need
DON’T JUST CLEAN UP—ORGANIZE
Save useful templates, photos, sponsor materials, event recaps, email copy, and graphics somewhere the next chapter leader can actually find them.
7. Set Your Leadership Team Up for Success
One of the best things you can do early is clarify who owns what.
This prevents duplicated effort, missed tasks, and the familiar chapter problem where one person quietly ends up doing everything.
| Responsibility | Owner |
|---|---|
| Member emails | [NAME] |
| Social media | [NAME] |
| Event logistics | [NAME] |
| Sponsors | [NAME] |
| Event photos | [NAME] |
| Member / volunteer follow-up | [NAME] |
A SIMPLE RULE
If a task matters, give it an owner.
One volunteer can own more than one responsibility in a smaller chapter. The important part is that everyone knows who is responsible for moving each task forward.
FIRST LEADERSHIP MEETING
☐ Review chapter priorities
☐ Confirm the next 90 days
☐ Assign key responsibilities
☐ Confirm how the leadership team will communicate
☐ Identify anything that needs AMPP support
☐ Set the next leadership check-in
8. Give Members Something to Look Forward To
Do not let your first communication of the year feel entirely administrative.
Show members that the chapter is active and that there are reasons to stay connected.
SHARE
- A preview of upcoming events
- A new speaker or technical topic
- A member or volunteer spotlight
- A new networking opportunity
- A student or emerging-professional initiative
- A thank-you to volunteers and sponsors
- A photo or favorite moment from the previous year
COPY THIS
“A new year means new opportunities to learn, connect, and get involved with [CHAPTER NAME]. We’re looking forward to [UPCOMING HIGHLIGHT], [UPCOMING HIGHLIGHT], and plenty of opportunities to connect with our local materials protection community. First up: [EVENT] on [DATE]. We’d love to see you there.”
Run the Whole Reset in One Meeting
If your leadership team is short on time, you can work through most of this article in a single kickoff meeting.
| Time | Focus |
|---|---|
| 10 minutes | Review and update chapter information |
| 15 minutes | Set the next 90 days of activities |
| 10 minutes | Outline member communications |
| 10 minutes | Review sponsors and outreach |
| 10 minutes | Assign responsibilities |
| 5 minutes | Identify support needs and next steps |
ONE HOUR. ONE RESET.
By the end of the meeting, everyone should know what is happening next, what they own, and where the chapter needs help.
YOUR 30-SECOND KICKOFF CHECK
Can Your Leadership Team Answer These?
- Are our chapter details current?
- What are we doing over the next 90 days?
- What do members need to hear from us?
- Who owns each major responsibility?
- What sponsorship conversations should we start?
- What needs to be cleaned up or organized?
- What are we excited to share with members?
- Where do we need help?
TRY THIS THIS WEEK
Schedule Your Chapter Kickoff
Put one 60-minute leadership meeting on the calendar and use the checklist in this article as the agenda. You do not need to solve the entire year. Leave the meeting with a clear first quarter, clear owners, and clear next steps.
What to Take Away From This
A strong chapter year does not require a complicated annual strategy in January.
Start with accurate information, a clear 90-day plan, consistent communication, defined responsibilities, and a few meaningful opportunities for members to participate. Give your team enough structure to move forward without making chapter leadership harder than it needs to be.
Resources to Help You Get Started
Find templates, examples, and resources for chapter leaders.
Practical guidance for increasing chapter visibility and promoting events.
Learn how to create chapter flyers, posts, and other simple graphics.
Explore ways to build chapter sponsorship relationships that last.
AMPP CAN HELP
You Never Have to Start From Scratch
If your chapter is planning the year, transitioning officers, organizing events, or simply trying to figure out what to tackle first, reach out to your chapter support team.
Email
chapters@ampp.org
.
We’re here to help.
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