Chicago benefit auctions: Submissions are due for BizBash awards
Is your benefit auction gala award-winning material? I’ve got just the thing for you competitive Auction Chairpersons reading this in Chicago.
First, some bad news.
The bad news is that there isn’t any award (of which I’m aware) for benefit auctions specifically. But this isn’t a biggie bad news; it’s an itty-bitty bad news. Because you can still submit your auction fundraiser into almost 20 different categories differentiated by budget, concept, and other elements.
The good news is that I have had two auction clients in 2008 and one client in 2009 selected for inclusion in “Washington’s Top 100″ events as judged by BizBash magazine.
And now you can do the same in Chicago.
So – yup – if you’d like a feather in your Auction Chair cap (or your event management cap, if you’re a professional event planner), submitting to BizBash Chicago awards might be the place to start.
Think of how excited your volunteers would be to be a part of a “can’t-be-missed gala,” as judged by a third party. You could (and should) use this in your P.R. campaign.
Currently, I’ve only seen advertisements and deadlines for the Chicago market. Your event (charity auction or otherwise) must have taken place between June 1, 2009 and May 31, 2010.
Private social events are not allowed for judging. (Though I’ve yet to see a “private” benefit auction anyway).
You’ll need to submit up to five photos and a 400-word description of the event. The description should address all the standard stuff: event purpose, target audience, intended result, guests’ reaction, and other companies involved in the success of the gala (like, AHEM, your benefit auctioneer company).
Here’s the kicker: The Chicago application is due 5 p.m. CST this Wednesday, July 21, 2010. Get crackin’!
Those of you organizing Florida benefit auctions, it appears that those deadlines aren’t until 2011. You’ve got time to prepare and make sure your final photos are perfect for the application.
There doesn’t seem to be anything about the Washington, D.C. awards right now, though from a conversation I had with the editor a couple of years ago, I know the D.C. awards — at least at that time — had been chosen by a set of panelists and not via a “submission” process. Maybe that’s in the works to change.
Good luck to all of my Chicago readers!
P.S. Sign up for my (free) Benefit Auction Ideas e-newsletter to get more advance notice of information gems like this.
© 2010 Red Apple Auctions Co. All Rights Reserved.
Comments
Cool contest! Would love to see who wins.
Sandy Rees
Thank you Sherry for telling of this innovative way to highlight a volunteer committee’s efforts. Keep us posted on the winners. Peace, Charlaine
Sherry, I’m learning something new here! Thanks for the post and let us know about the winners.
Sherry, It is great that some benefit auctions are getting praised right along side of other top-rated auctions. However, it sounds like a new category needs to be added or someone else needs to establish an annual benefit auction award. Do you know anyone who might be willing???
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