When I was a corporate event planner, deciding on centerpieces for special events was one of the creative aspects of my work. Part of the process was making them functional and fun. In my new career as an auctioneer, I have definite auction centerpiece ideas! What makes a centerpiece "good" now is a bit different than in my old days. At my former events, making money wasn't the goal. Now it is. To keep this post short, I'm only going to talk about fresh floral centerpieces. Non-floral ... Read On >
The charity I see at charity auctions
Tonight I worked at a small charity auction. The crowd numbered ~80. The charity auctions items numbered only 12 hand-crafted art pieces. There was no silent auction or raffles. There was no sit-down dinner. My crew stayed at home, and I worked alone. I arrived with my bag, took a few photos of the space, and then started to admire the items for sale. When guests arrived, I mingled. The advantage of small auctions is that I have more time to visit with the guests. REALLY visit. Not just ... Read On >
Charity Auction Bells & Whistles – 20+ auction games
We work some auctions every year which are "silent auction only" events. My team and I are responsible for the charity auction revenue generating activities. We sell raffle tickets, get bids on silent auction items, and oversee games, like this wine ring toss game. This is direct sales at its core. We have techniques to upsell patrons -- and rely on our irresistible personalities to engage guests. ;) The end result is that guests buy more because they are having fun, like this guy who ... Read On >
The one thing to NEVER say on stage at a benefit auction.
Without a doubt, my pet peeve during this recession has been when the Executive Director, Auction Chair, or some other person of importance gets up to the microphone to say a few words at the benefit auction (e.g. thank sponsors and guests, etc.) and then -- immediately before I walk onstage -- pleads with the audience to "bid high, even though the economy is really bad right now." ARRRRGH! ARRRRGH! What are they doing?! Ladies and gentlemen, remember this: You will never, ever, ever get more ... Read On >
Research-related excursions as charity auction item ideas
Last week I participated on a webinar in which we talked about charity auction item ideas and how to strategically procure them. Since then, I've had procurement on my mind! One of the participants worked for an Alzheimer's-related non-profit. She asked for suggestions on items to sell which might bring awareness to her mission, and still be of interest to her audience. Off-the-cuff, I suggested she might want to offer an item that tied to the research of Alzheimer's. Someone might be ... Read On >