What is a Kickoff Meeting?
The kickoff meeting marks the start of execution: it brings the team and key stakeholders together to align on objectives, roles, milestones, ways of working, and how success will be measured. Done well, it converts a planning document into shared commitment.
Timing trips people up on the exam: kickoff typically happens at the end of planning / start of executing — not the moment the charter is signed. On large multi-phase projects, each phase can get its own kickoff.
Worked example
Before construction starts on a retail fit-out, the PM gathers the owner, architect, and subcontractor leads: walk the drawings, confirm the milestone dates, agree the RFI turnaround time, and name the single point of contact per firm. Ninety minutes that prevent months of "nobody told me."