Printed catalogs disappeared during the pandemic when virtual galas emerged, and some of my clients have questioned whether they need to produce one now that they’ve returned to in-person events.
“They are laborious,” they complain, “Can’t guests just look at their phone if they want to read about an item?”
For live auction items, I’m a believer in having a hard-copy written description — but it doesn’t need to be fancy. (You’ll see 3 widely differing examples in the video.)
That description can be on a single sheet of paper printed in your office, or in an attractive booklet designed by a graphic designer.
The point is to make it easy for guests to find and read about the live auction item in the heat of the moment.
We do NOT want guests to pick up their phone to read about an item, only to become distracted by texts, calls, news bulletins, LinkedIn updates, or anything else that has popped up in the last hour on their phone.
Watch the video for examples of catalogs I’ve seen at galas in the last month (October – November 2022).
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