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10–15 min Activities
8 games
How to play
- Split the group into two lines facing each other. Each person has exactly 60 seconds to deliver their elevator pitch to the person across from them.
- When the timer dings, the person on the left line shifts one person to the right. Now everyone has a new partner and 60 seconds again.
- After 5 rotations, switch it up: now each person has only 30 seconds to describe what kind of referral partner they're looking for. 'I need someone who works with construction companies' or 'Send me anyone who just moved to town.'
- After 5 more rotations, everyone gathers in a circle. The facilitator asks: 'Who heard a business they want to learn more about?' People raise hands and shout out the business name and the person's name.
- The person who gets mentioned the most wins a prize.
How to play
- Everyone sits in a circle. Each person thinks of two true statements about their business and one false statement — but the false one has to be believable. Examples: 'We've been in business for 12 years' (true), 'We once delivered an order by bicycle in a snowstorm' (true), 'Our office has a ping pong table' (lie — they wish).
- One person shares their three statements without revealing which is the lie.
- Everyone else votes by raising their hand for statement #1, #2, or #3. On the count of three, everyone points with one finger toward the number they think is the lie.
- The person reveals the lie. Whoever guessed correctly gets a point. Track points on a phone or notepad.
- Rotate around the circle. After everyone has gone, the person with the most points wins.
- Optional twist: after each round, the person who guessed correctly has to ask one follow-up question about the truth they found most interesting.
How to play
- At the orientation, display the QR code on the welcome screen, print it on the agenda, or put it on every table. Ask everyone to scan with their phone camera as they grab their nametag.
- Each new member receives a series of conversation challenges and prompts tailored to Chamber orientation — things like 'Find someone who has been a Chamber member for less than 3 months,' 'Find someone whose business serves other businesses (not consumers),' or 'Find someone who can introduce you to three people in this room you haven't met yet.'
- Attendees walk around the room, approach people they haven't met, and have a real conversation to complete each challenge. Completing a challenge unlocks the next prompt.
- The app guides the whole thing — no paper cards, no manual tracking. Everyone just scans, talks, and connects.
- The first person to complete all their challenges wins a prize. But the real goal is to make sure by the end of 30 minutes, every new member has talked to at least 10 other people and has a list of potential referral partners.
- Before the orientation, set up your Chamber New Member Orientation Icebreaker Bingo game. Mix professional prompts ('Find someone who serves the same target customer as you but a different service') with personal ones ('Find someone who grew up in this town') and fun ones ('Find someone who can recommend a great lunch spot near their office').
How to play
- Everyone stands in a large circle. The facilitator holds the end of a ball of yarn and starts: 'I'm [Name] from [Business]. I'm looking for a referral partner who works with [type of client].'
- The facilitator tosses the yarn ball to someone across the circle who fits that description (or knows someone who does). That person catches it, holds the string, and says: 'I'm [Name] from [Business]. I can help with that — or I know someone who can. I'm looking for a referral partner who [their own referral need].'
- They toss the yarn ball to someone else. The web grows.
- After everyone has caught the ball at least once, the facilitator asks: 'Who sees a connection they didn't know existed?' People point to the web — 'Oh, you're connected to her? I need to talk to both of you.'
- The group holds the web taut for 10 seconds — a physical symbol of the referral network they just built.
- Take a photo of the web. Send it to everyone the next day with the caption 'This is your network now. Use it.'
How to play
- Before the event, create a long paper timeline on the floor (or draw a chalk line) marking the decades your Chamber has existed — from founding year to present.
- Give each new member 2 sticky notes. On the first, they write the year THEIR business was founded. On the second, they write a hope for the Chamber in the next year.
- Everyone walks the timeline and places their 'founding year' sticky note on the correct spot.
- Once all notes are placed, everyone walks the timeline in small groups of 3–4. At each cluster of founding years, someone says: 'What was happening in our city this year?' (If no one knows, they guess — the wrong guesses are hilarious and educational.)
- Then everyone places their 'hope for the Chamber' sticky notes at the far end of the timeline (future zone).
- The facilitator reads 5–6 hopes aloud. The group applauds for each one. The person whose hope gets the loudest applause wins a prize.
How to play
- Before the event, post large sheets of paper on the walls around the room. Each sheet represents a Chamber committee: 'Ambassador Committee,' 'Events Committee,' 'Government Affairs,' 'Membership Committee,' 'Young Professionals,' etc.
- Give each new member a marker. Announce: 'You have 15 minutes to visit at least 3 committees. At each one, write your name AND one question you have about that committee's work.'
- Current committee chairs stand by their sheets. When a new member approaches, the chair spends 2 minutes answering their question and pitching the committee.
- When the timer dings, the facilitator shouts 'Switch!' and everyone moves to a new committee sheet.
- After 3 rounds, everyone gathers in the center. The facilitator asks: 'Who found a committee they want to join?' People raise hands. The committee chairs rush over to collect names.
- The committee that recruits the most new members that day wins a prize.
How to play
- Everyone sits in a large circle. The facilitator starts: 'In one sentence — why did you join the Chamber? Go around the circle. No commenting, no follow-ups. Just listen.'
- Each person shares their one sentence. Examples: 'I need to meet other business owners.' 'I want to advocate for Main Street.' 'Honestly, my competitor is a member and I wanted to see what I was missing.' 'My lender told me I should.'
- No one comments, applauds, or reacts. Just listening.
- After everyone has shared, the facilitator says: 'Now turn to the person on your left. Nod once.' Everyone nods to the left.
- Then: 'Turn to the person on your right. Nod once.' Everyone nods to the right.
- Facilitator: 'Now stand up. You're all here for different reasons, and that's exactly right. Welcome.'
How to play
- At the very end of the orientation, gather everyone in a large circle.
- The facilitator says: 'One word for how you're feeling about the Chamber right now. Everyone at the same time, out loud. Ready? Go.'
- Everyone shouts their one word simultaneously. 'Hopeful!' 'Overwhelmed!' 'Excited!' 'Hungry!' 'Connected!'
- Then the facilitator says: 'Now find one person you didn't talk to today. Walk to them. Shake their hand. Say your name and your business. That's it.'
- Give everyone 2 minutes to do this. The room becomes a swarm of handshakes and name exchanges.
- Facilitator raises their hand: 'To new members.' Everyone raises their hand or their drink. 'Welcome.' Then everyone disperses.
~30 min Activities
3 games
How to play
- Before the event, create bingo cards with categories like 'Has been in business less than 1 year,' 'Has more than 20 employees,' 'Offers a service you personally need right now,' 'Has a logo you love,' 'Is the only person here in their industry.'
- Give each new member a bingo card and a pen as they walk in. Their mission: find a different person for each square and write that person's business name and name in the square.
- No repeating people. Every square must be a different new member.
- First person to fill a row (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) shouts 'Bingo!' and reads aloud the businesses they connected with.
- Keep playing until 3–5 people have bingo'd. Then collect all the cards in a bowl and draw one at random. That person wins a small prize too — so everyone keeps playing even after the first bingo.
- Before the event, customize the bingo card with categories that actually matter to your Chamber — industries you want to grow, gaps in your referral network, or fun facts about your city.
How to play
- At the orientation, display the QR code on the welcome screen, print it on the agenda, or put it on every table. Ask everyone to scan with their phone camera as they grab their nametag.
- Each new member receives a series of conversation challenges and prompts tailored to Chamber orientation — things like 'Find someone who has been a Chamber member for less than 3 months,' 'Find someone whose business serves other businesses (not consumers),' or 'Find someone who can introduce you to three people in this room you haven't met yet.'
- Attendees walk around the room, approach people they haven't met, and have a real conversation to complete each challenge. Completing a challenge unlocks the next prompt.
- The app guides the whole thing — no paper cards, no manual tracking. Everyone just scans, talks, and connects.
- The first person to complete all their challenges wins a prize. But the real goal is to make sure by the end of 30 minutes, every new member has talked to at least 10 other people and has a list of potential referral partners.
- Before the orientation, set up your Chamber New Member Orientation Icebreaker Bingo game. Mix professional prompts ('Find someone who serves the same target customer as you but a different service') with personal ones ('Find someone who grew up in this town') and fun ones ('Find someone who can recommend a great lunch spot near their office').
How to play
- Give everyone two slips of paper. On the first slip, they write one thing their business NEEDS from another Chamber member (a service, a referral source, a collaboration). On the second slip, they write one thing their business OFFERS that could help another Chamber member.
- Fold the slips and drop the NEEDS slips into Bowl A, and the OFFERS slips into Bowl B.
- The facilitator draws one NEEDS slip from Bowl A and reads it aloud. Then draws three OFFERS slips from Bowl B and reads those aloud.
- The person who wrote the NEED stands up. The three people who wrote the OFFERS stand up. They have 60 seconds to talk and see if they can make a match.
- If a match is made, all four people (the NEED person + three OFFER people) get a point. If no match, the NEED person draws again — but only from the remaining OFFERS.
- Continue until all NEEDS have been matched or time runs out. The person with the most successful matches wins.
~1 hour Activities
1 game
How to play
- At the orientation, display the QR code on the welcome screen, print it on the agenda, or put it on every table. Ask everyone to scan with their phone camera as they grab their nametag.
- Each new member receives a series of conversation challenges and prompts tailored to Chamber orientation — things like 'Find someone who has been a Chamber member for less than 3 months,' 'Find someone whose business serves other businesses (not consumers),' or 'Find someone who can introduce you to three people in this room you haven't met yet.'
- Attendees walk around the room, approach people they haven't met, and have a real conversation to complete each challenge. Completing a challenge unlocks the next prompt.
- The app guides the whole thing — no paper cards, no manual tracking. Everyone just scans, talks, and connects.
- The first person to complete all their challenges wins a prize. But the real goal is to make sure by the end of 30 minutes, every new member has talked to at least 10 other people and has a list of potential referral partners.
- Before the orientation, set up your Chamber New Member Orientation Icebreaker Bingo game. Mix professional prompts ('Find someone who serves the same target customer as you but a different service') with personal ones ('Find someone who grew up in this town') and fun ones ('Find someone who can recommend a great lunch spot near their office').
Incentivize People to Talk & Interact With Each Other.
Jam Bingo
No Prep, Easy Icebreaking Activity
Display.
Guests scan.
Prompts.
Get People Talking.
How to Run a New Member Orientation That Actually Creates Relationships (Not Just Handshakes)
Start with the Icebreaker Bingo App — before anyone even gets coffee
Put the QR code on the sign-in table, on the agenda, and on every table. As people arrive and grab their nametag, they scan and start. The app gives them a reason to talk to strangers immediately — before they have time to find the one person they already know and cling to them. Run it for exactly 20 minutes, then transition to the formal portion. You'll have already done the hard work of breaking the ice.
Run 'My Why' either first thing or dead last — never in the middle
The vulnerability of 'My Why' needs context. If you run it first, it sets a tone of honesty and levels the playing field between the CEO and the solo freelancer. If you run it last, it becomes a powerful closing ritual that makes people feel seen. Either works. But in the middle, it feels abrupt and disconnected from everything else. Choose first or last and commit.
Create stations, not a single facilitator bottleneck
For an orientation with more than 20 people, set up 3–4 stations around the room: Business Card Bingo at one table, Referral Chain in the open area, Committee Signup sheets on the walls, Member Matchmaker in a corner. Let people rotate every 15 minutes. Forcing 50 people into one game creates chaos and disengagement. Choice is a feature, not a bug.
Assign current members as 'Orientation Buddies' for each station
Recruit 2–3 enthusiastic current Chamber members to be game captains. Have them learn one game deeply — rules, timing, how to include quiet folks. On orientation day, they run that station. This does two things: it prevents you (the Chamber director) from being the only person talking, and it gives new members a friendly familiar face to approach later when they have questions.
Follow the 'two-round' structure for Business Card Bingo or the app
Run the Icebreaker Bingo App for 20 minutes right when people arrive. Then break for the formal presentations (welcome, benefits, etc.). Then run Business Card Bingo for another 20 minutes after the presentations. Two short bursts work better than one long session — people get tired and information-saturated halfway through an orientation. The second round gives them something to do after sitting through slides.
End on a high-note, low-pressure game, not a Q&A
Close with 'My Why' or the Closing Circle (One Word, One Handshake). Both leave people feeling connected and energized. Do NOT end with 'Any final questions?' — that either gets crickets or someone asking a hyper-specific question about their membership dues that should have been an email. End with a game, not a Q&A. The Q&A can happen before the last game, not after.
Post a visible 'Orientation Flow' sign at the entrance
Print a simple agenda with times and game names: '5:30 — Icebreaker Bingo (scan QR on your way in), 5:50 — Welcome & Presentations, 6:20 — Business Card Bingo, 6:40 — Committee Signup Speed Dating, 7:00 — My Why (closing circle), 7:15 — Networking & Drinks.' This removes anxiety for new members who want to know what's coming next and helps introverts mentally prepare for each activity.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many icebreakers should we run at a 90-minute new member orientation?
Run 3 icebreakers total, plus the Icebreaker Bingo App at the start. A good rhythm: Icebreaker Bingo App (20 min arrival), Formal welcome & presentations (20 min), Business Card Bingo (20 min), Committee Signup Speed Dating (15 min), My Why or Closing Circle (10 min). That's 85 minutes including the presentations. The icebreakers don't add time — they replace dead air and awkward silences with structured connection.
What if our new member orientation has both brand-new members and people who joined 6 months ago but never came to anything?
This is every Chamber's reality. Call the whole group 'new members' and don't make a distinction. The 6-month person still needs relationships. If you want to be thoughtful, assign the 6-month folks as 'Orientation Buddies' at each station — they help run the games, which gives them purpose and a reason to talk to people. Everyone wins.
How do we handle orientations with 100+ new members?
The 100 Person Ice Breaker Activity (the app) is your best friend — it scales effortlessly to any size. Also use Business Card Bingo (print larger cards with more squares). Use the Closing Circle (One Word, One Handshake) but organize people into concentric circles instead of one giant circle. Break the large group into smaller pods of 20–30 for games like Two Truths, One Business and Member Matchmaker. Rotate pods every 15 minutes. One facilitator cannot manage 100 people alone — you need 4–5 game captains.
What if our Chamber has a wide range of industries and business sizes?
That's the strength, not the problem. Lean into it. In Business Card Bingo, include squares like 'Has 1–5 employees,' 'Has 50+ employees,' 'Is a nonprofit,' 'Is a retailer,' 'Is a home-based business.' In Member Matchmaker, encourage specific needs: 'I need a graphic designer for a one-time project' not 'I need marketing.' The diversity is what makes the Chamber valuable — the icebreakers should highlight it, not hide it.
What if someone really doesn't want to participate?
Respect it completely. Never force. Instead, give them a visible 'opt-out' role: photographer, snack table attendant, nametag helper, or timekeeper. For the Icebreaker Bingo App, they can just answer challenges from their seat without walking around. For Business Card Bingo, they can just collect cards without trying to win. Some of the best long-term members started as the person who sat in the corner at their first orientation. Forcing them into a game would have driven them away.
Do we need to buy special equipment for these games?
Almost nothing. You need sticky notes, markers, pens, nametags, and a printer for the Icebreaker Bingo QR code. For Business Card Bingo, you need printed bingo cards. For Referral Chain, you need a ball of yarn ($3 at any craft store). For Committee Signup, you need large paper (flip chart size). That's it. The most expensive item is the $5 ball of yarn. A Chamber orientation should feel thrown-together and welcoming, not over-produced and corporate.