FBLA Chapter Events: The Steps to Success

Author

Claire Harte, Northern Area Vice President

​​Being in FBLA’s competitive events is a thrilling and fulfilling experience for participants all
around the nation. Among these events are the Chapter Events. These four different chapter
events are American Enterprise Project, Community Service Project, Local Annual Chapter
Business Report, and Partnership with Business Project. They are all very involved and highly
competitive events, with a prejudged report and a presentation to judges. My team and I placed
10th in the Community Service Project at NLC 2024 and my experience has given me valuable
insight into what it takes to succeed and what you need to feel well-prepared. I will share five
strategies that I have learned from my experience that will help you to succeed in FBLA Chapter
Events.

1. Start Early
My first piece of advice is to start early. Chapter Events are some of the most involved events in
FBLA. They require you to show that you have made an impact in your community through
volunteering events, chapter participation, and social media. It took my team and I nearly ten
months to perfect our project and over 300 hours of planning, volunteering, and educating
leaders in our district. Taking on a Chapter Event is no small feat, but with time and effort, you
will be able to achieve whatever you set out to do. Make sure that you start as soon as you can to
allow yourself time to research, plan, and execute your project to have the greatest amount of
success at the state and national leadership conferences.

2. Read the Rubric
A lot of what a chapter event is is planning and making sure your topic and your activities meet
the requirements on the rubric to secure the most points. Most of the chapter event rubrics are
things like planning, completing research, gaining a certain percentage of chapter participation,

and showing your project's effects on the community through different publications like
newspapers and social media. Going into the project you need to be aware of what specific
things you need to implement into your schedule and chapter activities.

3. Communication is Key
There are so many amazing teachers, business owners, district officials, parents, and students that
would be willing to help you with your project. By reaching out, you will have so many doors
open to you and people who can give you valuable insight into your topic or the business world
in general. Reach out to these people early and give them time to respond to get all the guidance
they have to offer.

4. Take Pictures
For your report you will need to prove that you did all that you said. Taking photos is a great way
to provide this proof. It also helps when you want to post on social media or when you create
news articles on your project. Anytime that you present or write about your project, photos will
make it more engaging for the audience because they will get to see you making a difference in
your community.

5. Report is Important
Writing your report will likely be the hardest but most important part of your project. No matter
how amazing you are at presenting, the report can make or break your project. It accounts for
50% of your score and will be a huge factor in determining whether or not you will go to
Anaheim California for NLC. Instead of waiting until a few weeks before it is due to start, you

should write your report as you go. Even if you only write down the date, a few important things
about the event, and insert a few photos, it will make compiling the report so much easier. This
way, you won’t forget any important pieces of information and will not have to spend hours
trying to recall dates, times, and hours.

Succeeding in a chapter event requires you to plan, collaborate with community members, and
continuously document your progress. Understand the rubric and start early to have the best
success possible. Read the rubric and reach out for help when you need it. The most important
thing to remember is you are making a difference. It might seem small and insignificant, but you
are doing what others won’t, enacting real change in the world. Continuing working hard, and
you will be amazingly successful at the State and National Leadership Conferences.