Newbie & Mentor Welcome Breakfast

Entry Details

The Carolinas Chapter kicked off Summer Conference with a dedicated breakfast connecting first-time attendees with experienced members who can help them navigate the event and the Chapter.

Newbies met friendly faces before the conference began, while mentors provided introductions, answered questions, and helped turn first-time attendees into engaged participants.

The breakfast created an immediate sense of connection for first-time attendees, making a large conference and Chapter feel more approachable. By building relationships with experienced members from the start, newbies were more comfortable participating, networking, and engaging throughout the conference.

It also strengthened connections across career stages, encouraged future Chapter involvement, and helped turn a first-time conference experience into a pathway for long-term member engagement and retention.

Implementation

First-time Summer Conference attendees were identified during registration, and invited to a dedicated Newbie & Mentor Welcome Breakfast before the conference officially began.

Experienced Chapter members were recruited to serve as mentors and grouped informally with new attendees during the breakfast. The gathering was intentionally casual, giving participants time to introduce themselves, ask questions, make connections, and learn what to expect from the conference. Then, Chapter leaders were identified to speak briefly about different focal points of the chapter such as the new member welcome center on the website, scholarships, building your network, opportunities for engagement, etc.

Mentors were encouraged to stay connected throughout the event by making introductions, inviting newbies into conversations, and serving as a familiar point of contact during the conference.