This silent auction space at the Marriott Washington Wardman Park would have accommodated (with minor tweaking) a flash mob entrance.

I’ve enjoyed watching flash mob videos, especially those in New York City where I’m familiar with the venues.  Even just two weeks ago I stumbled across a flash mob on Bondi Beach while researching an Australian trip for a charity auction.

But I’d never thought of using the concept to seat guests at the auction.

In a June 2011 Chronicle of Philanthropy article, gala guests were encouraged to sit down via the incorporation of a flash mob dance routine during the reception.

The organization, Tipping Point in San Francisco, had 900 guests to seat.  Staffers and volunteers practiced a dance routine to capture guests’ attention and lead them into the ballroom.

A few years ago, I saw something similar while attending an extravagant Middle Eastern-themed ~50-person wedding held in a small museum in Old Town Alexandria.  The entire wedding was to die for.

(Of note:  Neither the bride nor groom were Middle Eastern; she was just creative.)

One element:  When the bride and groom kissed, another show began.  A silk curtain parted behind them, a belly dancer emerged, and guests were teased forward into the other half of the museum where food rapidly appeared.

It made an impression.  My date for the night and I both still talk about the magic of that wedding.

I’d suggest that successfully using the flash mob concept at your charity auction requires two elements, in addition to the flash mob itself.

The curtain opening signaled guests to follow the dancers and "move."

First, your venue needs to have a large entryway that dramatically appears to beckon guests forth.

At most of our galas, guests are asked to leave the reception area – which is usually a hotel hallway – and enter the ballroom through multiple sets of double doors.  Without the grand entrance, the magic is lost.

(Watch the video at 2:43 to see the dramatic end to the San Francisco performance.)

I can think of two D.C. venues where the idea would work well:  Marriott Washington Wardman Park and the Building Museum.   Both have large, rectangular ballrooms with high-ceilings.  Divide the ballroom in half (as I’ve seen done for some of our auctions), hang a curtain between the two spaces, and part it with flare when the mob invites guests to dine

Second, invest in a great A/V company. The sound needs to be loud.  Listen to the video again and think about your own venue.  Some groups won’t pay for that quality of audio in the reception area.

Here’s the formula:

One well-executed flash mob + strong audio system + the right entrance = rapidly seating guests at the charity auction

The bigger your gala, the bigger the action needed.  This 900-person event had a 100-person flash mob, great A/V, and a dramatic curtain/entrance.  The tiny wedding I attended pulled off a similar concept with one belly-dancer.

My advice:  Do it right, or don’t do it.

© 2011 Red Apple Auctions Co.  All Rights Reserved.

P.S. Want more charity auction help?  Start with this free gift to help you with procurement.

Gala centerpieces don't need to be floral. This one is created with balloons.

Floral gala centerpieces are the norm at most of our charity auction fundraisers, but are other ways of decorating your table.

Check out this floral balloon centerpiece I saw in St. Louis, MO last week at the Missouri Meetings & Events Expo.  The “Boot Camp” theme of the Expo wasn’t lost on the company that brought this balloon bouquet.

American Carnival Mart decked out their booth in full Boot Camp motif, so this “floral” arrangement is on the green-and-black side.  As you can see, the balloons aren’t filled with air; they are stretched over frames to create the look of flowers.  (Special thanks to Nate Knight who let me snap this photo.)

Here’s what you might like about about this idea:

1.  Flowers die; balloons don’t. If you plan it right, you can use your balloon centerpiece at other functions or split the cost with the school holding an auction down the road.

2.  Flowers could trigger an allergic reaction among guests. Outside of a latex reaction (and doesn’t one need to touch latex for that to happen?), I can’t imagine a reaction with this type of centerpiece.

3. These are easily portable.  Keep in mind that there’s no water to splash about.  It’s contained, seemed fairly sturdy and doesn’t have the liquid issue.

As an overview, remember that your gala centerpieces should be small-ish and – as evidenced by this photo – don’t need to be floral.

© 2011 Red Apple Auctions Co. All Rights Reserved.

P.S.  Better information awaits.  Get Benefit Auction Ideas here.

Inexpensive reading glasses tucked into wine glasses were scattered throughout the silent auction.

A few weeks ago I was in the kitchen of a busy Rockville, MD home.  Prior to starting the procurement meeting, the six Moms and I chatted about all sorts of matters, including being over the age of 40.

If you’re organizing a high school silent auction, it’s likely that your auction guests are nearing or hovering around that age.

If you’re a non-profit silent auction, some of your guests may only vaguely remember their 40th birthday party.

So if you want us to bid …  be kind.

Here are three ways to pamper the “forty-wonderful”and older crowd at your next silent auction.

1. Reading glasses

Inexpensive, fun reading glasses seem to be sold everywhere these days.  Pop a few into some wine glasses and place them around the silent auction area, as they did at this wine event I worked.

2. Lighting

This silent auction used candlelight to illuminate the bid sheets and descriptions. Adding bright electric lights would better show the items.

Hotel lighting is often a few degrees too dim.  Sometimes it’s because the hotel has inappropriate lights for a silent auction.  Other times it’s because the organization (wrongly) thinks softer lighting is appropriate for the reception.

I could spend a long time talking about this point and giving examples.  I’ll refrain and simply encourage you to brighten the room.

(For more articles on lighting, you might also like to learn about using gobos or LEDs in your next silent auction.)

3. Large font on silent auction descriptions

Such simple idea, yet rarely followed.

Increase the font on your silent auction descriptions.   Make it easy to read the display from a distance of a few feet.

• This is 12-point font and difficult to read in dim lighting, especially after drinking a cocktail.

• This is 24-point font and easier to read, even after drinking two cocktails.  Don’t you agree?
  

Which font size would you prefer as you walked by the silent auction tables?

Make friends with the over-40 crowd.  They are entering their prime earning years and have more cash to offer than some other segments of the population.

To enjoy other silent auction strategies, click to get your F-R-E-E Benefit Auction Ideas ezine.

© 2011 Red Apple Auctions Co.  All rights reserved.

You’ll recall that a couple of weeks ago we encouraged spring by moving our clocks one hour forward to adjust for daylight savings time.

And somewhere in modern history, this “fall back / spring forward” shift has also became the de facto time of year when our local  firemen remind us to change the batteries in our home’s smoke alarms.  Change your clock and change your smoke alarm’s batteries.  The fire safety message goes hand-in-hand now.

So with fire on my mind, I’ll remind you to keep an eye on open flames at your next charity auction.

I’ve worked two charity auctions where centerpieces ignited.  Gasps and screams erupted quickly and eroded rapidly when an astute observer put several glasses of water to good use and extinguished the open flames.  No one was hurt.

Last weekend while guests busted moves on the dance floor post-auction, I walked through the ballroom picking up abandoned auction programs.

When I grasped this program, the heat was so intense I dropped it.  The paper had been slowly roasting from where it had been carelessly thrown on top of a tea light candle.  Had I not drifted by and picked it up, I wonder if it might have erupted into flames shortly thereafter.

People are people and candles will continue to be used at charity auctions, but just a reminder that seemingly innocuous situations can become dangerous ones.  Keep your eyes open, stay alert, and don’t forget event insurance.

© 2011 Red Apple Auctions.  All Rights Reserved.

P.S.  This post was light. For hard core charity auction content, claim your (free) Benefit Auction Ideas.

Here's an attractive (and fairly common) way to display a necklace using a box.

Auction volunteers looking for creative ways to display jewelry in the silent auction will appreciate this approach.

Most often I see necklaces draped over a box.  Sometimes it’s the same box the piece will be packaged inside when sent home later with the winning bidder.

Boxes work well enough, but I recently spotted a couple of other silent auction display ideas you could use.

Anyone who has heard me speak knows that my background was working in corporate marketing and sales.  I’m always pulling concepts from that realm into the auction.  This latest inspiration is no exception.

Look at the right photos, which I cut out of my latest Wisteria catalog.

Photo credit goes to Wisteria. And if you like the necklaces, head over to their fab online store at www.Wisteria.com.

If you check with your volunteers, surely one has a large scallop shell at their home.  You can see from the ad that a scallop shell can be used to elegantly frame a necklace or bracelet.

Similarly I’d bet that a conch shell would also be an attractive display.  You could use the nubby / pointy parts of the shell to elevate a ring or other piece.

And who doesn’t have a nice vase sitting at home?  With a bit of tape to secure the necklace, a vase could serve as a beautiful way to set off a pretty strand of pearls, stones, or glittery diamonds.

For other helpful ways to plan and promote your silent auction, get your FREE Benefit Auction Ideas.  Silent auction ideas … delivered to your inbox!

© Red Apple Auctions Co.  All Rights Reserved.