A kick-off meeting not only signals the beginning of the project, it also gives everyone a chance to communicate their vision of the project. Some teams hold their kick-off meetings prior to planning, to give everyone a chance to discuss the scope of work and other constraints. Some do all the planning and then hold a kick-off meeting to signal the beginning of execution of the project. Still others have two kick-off meetings, one after the charter and one after planning. There isn't a wrong way to do a kick-off meeting except not to do it.
There are certain best practices or key aspects of a kick-off meeting, but I'll keep this generic since it tends to adapt based on the project type or the organization's way of doing things:
- Confirm everyone understands the goals and objectives of the project
- Project description
- High-level milestones...