"We should talk in the morning," one Auction Chair told me, "I'll be tied up with the seating meeting all afternoon." Ah, the seating meeting. It's one of the most dreaded of auction committee meetings. =============================== What is the seating meeting? It's when the Gala Co-chairs (or a small sub-section of the gala committee) convene to determine the auction seating chart. =============================== Why is a seating meeting important? Where a guest sits ... Read On >
Audience Development
Creatively paying tribute to your gala honoree via your auction decor
I don't often get into conversations about fundraising auction decor because there are other, more critical elements to discuss that are tied directly to raising money. Yet for many committee members, decor is the "fun part" of the auction; it's what keeps them engaged. For that reason alone, I think it's worthy of discussion here. And specifically, I want to give a few ideas on how -- if you have an honoree or award winner -- you can honor their presence or their memory by ensuring the ... Read On >
Three times guests will try to pull a fast one on you, and what to say when it happens
At some point a guest at your gala will try to pull a fast one on you or me. I like to believe that the guest is being honest. After all, this is a fundraising auction; most people are filled with good will. But sometimes, stuff happens. Maybe they really didn't bid. They were just waving their bid paddle to get the attention of a friend across the room. Maybe they really did want to donate in the paddle raiser, but a column blocked them from view. Maybe they really did think ... Read On >
The archetypes of live auction bidders
Since starting my company over a decade ago, I've observed several types of bidders. In this post, I'm describing my live auction bidder archetypes. These are a tad tongue-in-cheek. Even so, I suspect you'll recognize some of your guests from among these descriptions. (I'll zero in on some archetypes in upcoming posts.) Remember that most guests at your gala are not going to participate in the live auction. Usually just 10% to 20% of your crowd is active in the live auction; the ... Read On >
Best ballroom layout for an auction with dance floor
Many nonprofits end their benefit auctions with dancing from either a DJ or a live band. Traditionally there are two standard layouts for this type of event, and both are poor. The dance floor becomes the area from which the auctioneer works. The auctioneer is on a stage and a huge dance floor (a feature which isn't used but for the last 90 minutes of the event!) is positioned in a top location, directly in front of the stage. Neither of these options works because neither set-up ... Read On >