Periscoping Access to Exclusive Gated Events

Giving home viewers something exclusive of their own.For the first time ever in my client's 22-year history of gala fundraising, Periscope is making it possible to extend an invitation to home viewers, providing access that until now has been locked behind cost-prohibitive doors. Surprise and delight are our watchwords, staying open to unplanned magic that will no doubt present itself throughout the event. We want to give home viewers something EXCLUSIVE  of their own. 

It's no secret that 2015 was the year realtime social video realized its immense promise. After years of experimenting with platforms that weren't reliable, or platforms that were sound but lacked sufficient user-adoption, technology and user demand both matured sufficiently to finally justify time and resources to get live messages out to an audience. ​Blab, Meerkat, and Periscope burst onto the playing field, not to mention Facebook and Twitter options, were gaining traction but were limited in either their time restrictions or accessibility. Not everyone got a golden ticket to play with Facebook video. 
That cleared the way for Meerkat and Periscope to deliver tools that users really wanted. From Periscope's about: "...there is no better way to experience a place right now than through live video. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but live video can take you someplace and show you around." 

The world's pretty big so the possibilities are endless. It makes perfect sense that Periscope would partner with GoPro, and for those who prefer more staid adventures of the behind the scenes variety, it's perfect for unfiltered, authentic versions of celebrity and brand stories.  
Which brings me to how my non-profit client is using Periscope for their annual black-tie fundraiser. 

Black-ties fundraisers are exclusive by definition. Not everyone who supports the mission of an NPO can show support with their wallet. Add a layer of fancy clothes, U.S. Senators, and major celebrities and exclusive feels more like anintimidating party with some stuffy people where you wouldn't be welcome.
Fortunately this client has been evolving over the last few years and making a great effort to attract a younger, more diverse community of donors, volunteers, and partners; and this year's gala theme was designed to shine a spotlight on them as well as the honorees. 

So now, for the first time ever in the gala's 22-year history, Periscope is making it possible to extend an invitation to home viewers, providing access that until now has been locked behind cost-prohibitive doors. Surprise and delight are our watchwords, staying open to unplanned magic that will no doubt present itself throughout the event. We want to give home viewers something EXCLUSIVE  of their own. Attendees can "katch" it later. 
Here's our game plan:

• Borrow from Hollywood: Approach the broadcast as we would any Hollywood red carpet event.
• Use a roving reporter: Must be someone who's completely at ease with both social, video, and the attendees. They'll be doing Q&As with guests as they arrive on the "pink carpet" and mingling during cocktail hour. We're not leaving this assignment to chance. 
• Script talking points/moments: We're repurposing some familiar themes found in our socials to extend those conversations.  Example: This gala's promotional campaign asked social fans to shine their spotlight on someone in the community. We'll be asking attendees the same question. 
• Get to the WHY: Encourage guests to talk about why they choose to support this organization. We'll use those answers for future marketing and fundraising. Videos, newsletters, social graphics, etc.
• Share highlights from the stage:  Explain who the honorees are, as well as the celebrity entertainment. 
• Tie to strategy: Making the organization more transparent. Attracting and nurturing new younger potential donors and volunteers.  Sharing our "text-to-donate" ask; no hard-selling but including that moment from the stage. It is, after all, a fundraiser. You never know! 
• Embed: Enabling Periscope's embed on event main page
• Katch: Since broadcasts disappear after 24 hours, using katch.me to enable replays later. Share!

This feels like a major sea-change for this established organization and I'm delighted to watch it all come to life.  How are you including your broad constituent base in your top-tier events? 

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