HOW MIGHT The Killebrew-Thompson Memorial Transform its Annual Charity Golf Weekend into a Engaging Digital Experience?
CHALLENGE
Due to COVID, the Killebrew-Thompson Memorial (KTM) was forced to cancel its annual charity golf weekend, a 44-year tradition. Sponsors had already committed, based on the promotional benefits of a live event. Determined to deliver on its annual $1 million + contribution to its beneficiaries, KTM needed to design a shared, remote-based experience that would rally its support base to continue to champion and donate to the cause of cancer research (during a climate when philanthropic dollars were flowing to COVID-19 pandemic relief and recovery).
STRATEGY
The two-person event team reviewed best practices in virtual fundraisers and tuned into a wide sampling of online events to inform a program that included both pre-recorded and live segments. Researching a digital alternative to the live tournament, I hit upon 18Birdies—a golf app with a virtual tournament feature that allows players to “golf-in-place” and compete from any course. I reconfigured a website template for peer-to-peer fundraising into a dedicated site to manage registrations for multiple user types, promote sponsors, and provide video tutorials on the app (geared toward an older age demographic).
SOLUTION
KTM hosted a month-long Remote Golf Tournament on 18Birdies that featured sponsored contests and a dedicated social feed. The tournament drew 152 golfers on 38 teams competing from 31 different courses in 16 states. Player—submitted photos generated authentic social media and built momentum for the Virtual Auction and Awards Gala. ESPN sportscaster Chris Berman remotely hosted the awards. Big-ticket auction items were featured in promo spots. More than 500 guests tuned in to the livestreamed event. KTM raised a total of $925,000 for cancer research at St. Luke’s Cancer Institute and the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota.
