The Manchester kickoff was pretty much a 2 day event last year. There was a rookie workshop with Edu robots, some control system workshop, as well as animation workshops I believe. Those are all Friday. Friday eventing starting at 7pm team representatives take buses to Dean's mansion, and have a "team party" there touring his house as well as food and drinks.
The day is pretty much organized around the workshops and the dinner party. Each workshop is about 1~2 hours.
Then on Saturday is when the actual kickoff begins. Volunteers start gathering near the verizon center around 7am, and all the team reps. wait outside when FIRST get organized and open the door. Teams register at the front getting the package (if their team contact choose do do that here, or else they will pick up their package at remote kickoff) and all sit down waiting the show to begin.
Then FIRST staff start the kickoff, and there are different speeches made by Dean and Woodie and chairman of board of director, and Dave Lavery was there last year as well. Through out the speeches the FIRST staff will accidentally reveal some scoring objects
. Around 11am eastern time, they reveal the game to the world, and the competition begins.
Afterward with some more talking, teams are allowed to go up to stage and see the objects, or go to the back to pick up their kits. Around 1~2pm is when everything cools down and everyone goes home to think about the game.