This gala of ~900 used a tent with sides that offered windows. The sides helped contain the sound while allowing guests to feel outside. Note the rigging.

Red Apple Auctions has conducted four charity auctions this month.  Three were scheduled to be in tents.

• Two galas stuck to the schedule and held them in the tents.
• In one case, the rain poured.
• In another, the rain cleared.  (See video below.)
• And one gala moved to an alternate location (an airport hangar), just in case.

In the fall and spring, tents are a popular venue choice.  They allow people to be outside and enjoy the spring or fall weather.  They lend a dreamy feel to the night.

I like them for these reasons.

On the flip side, they are cumbersome (someone needs to set them up before you can start loading in your tables), expensive, and — if the weather doesn’t cooperate — a pain in the rear.

But most critical for your charity auction, tents offer special challenges when it comes to audio needs.  If you’re not careful, no one will be able to hear the auctioneer, speakers, or anyone else.

Here’s a tip.

Sided tents contain the sound better than unsided tents.

The evening breeze won’t flow as easily beneath the tent, but bidding will be brisk and guests won’t complain they can’t hear.

Also ensure you have enough speakers to not only meet the needs of the guests in the tent, but to compensate for sound loss which naturally occurs as sound waves escape into the open air.

If you look carefully, you’ll note that the tents featured in this post (the video below and the photo) opted to hang the speakers on rigging or tent posts. Hanging has the added advantage of keeping wires off the ground, where guests might trip on them.

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

© 2011 Red Apple Auctions Co. All Rights Reserved.

P.S. Is your venue perfect, but procurement needs help? If so, claim your free charity auction item guide.

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.

Here’s the first two sentences:

(Reuters) – At a charity live auction in December for babies born into poverty, Stephanie Astic noted a heavy Wall Street presence in the room — the extent of which she had not seen since 2007. “They were bidding things up,” said Astic, who produces fundraising events for “Room To Grow” and other non-profits at posh Manhattan venues such as Christie’s and Gotham Hall.

Maybe I’m being grouchy today, but my first thought is, “Is it necessary to hold a fundraising event at a posh Manhattan venue?”

Really? Is it that or nothing?

Is the thinking that people won’t show up if you hold it in a slightly less posh (and less expensive) venue?  Am I to believe that those guests won’t understand that it’s not worth paying $25,000 – $50,000 for a venue?  (And that’s before you pay for the catering .)

Sometimes I just shake my head.

Groups will drop thousands upon thousands of dollars on a venue … or on entertainment … and quite frankly, the amount to which those items can be traced to helping the organization raise money is about … nil.

Since when did the event manager of the venue stand up at a gala and say, “I know y’all love my venue!  How about contributing another $10k to this charity because you like the venue soooooo much?”

Hasn’t happened.

Won’t happen.

Sure, guests like going to nice venues.  And it’s true that unusual venues can attract guests.  (But “unusual” doesn’t necessarily mean “high dollar.”)

As I ponder this, maybe there aren’t any interesting – but less expensive – venues in Manhattan.  Maybe there are 2-3 venues that serve galas well, are easy to get to, and are (consequently) expensive.

That could be true.  The city is congested; it is difficult to get around.  It’s not easy to drive across town.  It takes time to get from one place to another … even if you’re taking the subway (and I know most of those guests wouldn’t take the subway).

Or perhaps – and this is more likely — if you’re expecting one guest to drop $50,000 at your gala, you don’t think twice about renting a venue for half that amount.  Given that the largest gala auctions I work make $1 to $2 million, perhaps my frame of reference needs to be amped up for the New York market.

It’s food for thought, but I still dislike calling those events “fundraisers.”  Let’s call them “friend-raisers.”  If it was a serious fundraiser, surely there would be more consideration given to where you get the biggest bang for your buck in your budget.

Where is the biggest bang?

• Maybe an emotional video presentation conveying the need / mission?
• Maybe investing in advance marketing on your auction items.
• Maybe something as simple as lighting to ensure you can see the silent items?
• Maybe investing in a better benefit auctioneer who can tell the nonprofit how to restructure their event to make more money … and who can elicit more money from the crowd when bidding stalls?”
• I’d even acquiesce to ensuring the food is delicious (but nothing over the top).

As a parting thought, let me be clear.  I love spending time in New York and enjoy working with New Yorkers, who broke my faulty stereotype of them several years ago when I lived in the city and found them to be incredibly friendly.  But the article (which to be fair, was focused on the improvement of donations in recent months and not on venue selection) got my goat.

Among a fair number of Development Directors, events have a bad reputation.  They are considered a waste of money.  Staff are encouraged to secure funding from direct solicitations rather than spending hours on planning an event.  So when I read these articles that support the notion that thousands upon thousands of dollars must be spent to plan the event … for just the venue …  it ruffles my feathers.

Surely you have an opinion.  What’s your take?

Leave your comment below.

And for other rants and raves, get “Benefit Auction Ideas,” your single best source for charity auction tips.  And, it’s FREE.

©2011 Red Apple Auctions Co.  All Rights Reserved.

Sadly, one of my benefit auction clients is scrambling for a new auction venue.

Last year, she booked a restaurant for her non-profit’s December luncheon fundraiser.  Two weeks ago the restaurant called her, mortified. Due to a glitch in their new scheduling system, they inadvertently double-booked the space. Her group is no longer able to use the venue.

My client is now trying to find a new location. On top of that, she’s researching the implications and penalties which will affect her organization if she changes the date.

Her situation triggered in my memory an article I read a few weeks ago.

It talked about how some shopping malls were offering nonprofits rent-free (or deeply discounted) space to avoid empty storefronts.

My thought: Could you host a benefit auction in the shopping mall, in an empty retail space?

I’ve worked some unique venues for benefit auctions, but I’ve yet to conduct one in a mall. The article (which is no longer live or I’d share the link) discussed how some shopping centers were offering free or inexpensive space to non-profits until a paying tenant could be found.

The shopping center management got some wins from the arrangement.

1. It’s a chance for them to do something kind for a local charity.
2. They avoid the awkwardness of an empty retail space.
3. It also might be good for attracting new business. One of the interviewed property owners said that because the space is “open” to the public, prospective renters could walk in and poke around. Some asked leasing questions, inquiring about square footage.
   

The non-profits also got some benefits.

1. Free or deeply discounted rent.
2. The visibility of being in the mall exposed their charity to thousands of people ambling by their new “storefront.” Those are potential donors who might otherwise have never heard of the organization.

The downfall? If the space is leased, the non-profit must pack-up and leave, usually on short notice.

My thoughts:

• Hosting a benefit auction in a vacant store in a mall would be a one-of-a-kind experience.
• You would only need the space for a day or two.
• The auction venue would have to be large enough to host your guests and allow for catering prep. (Maybe one of the mall’s own restaurants could be the caterer?)
• As I think about the size of a “typical” mall store in my area, I’m guessing this would best be suited for charity auctions with no sit down dinner (passed heavy hors d’oeuvres with desserts, perhaps) and on the smaller size, like 100 – 150 guests.
• This can’t be a benefit auction you plan for months in advance because the space might be rented by the time you’re ready to use it. It would need to be planned within a short time frame. It might be best suited for “medical emergency” benefit auctions (when someone is hurt, and friends pitch together to host a benefit auction to help with expenses) … or in response to a venue change, as in the case of my charity auction client.
  

Has anyone done this? Please share below, if you have. I’d love to hear about it.

© 2010 Red Apple Auctions Co. All Rights Reserved.

Got your auction venue secured but still need ideas for items? Get your FREE Benefit Auction Item Guide here.

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company's art is always edgy ... just like its performances.

Last Tuesday, I headed into Washington, D.C. to check out the open house offered by Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company.   (I’m always game to learn about new potential benefit auction venues.)

I’ve been to Woolly Mammoth before, but under different pretenses.

As recently as six months ago I was in that same space, but I was attending as a patron of the arts.  I hadn’t paid attention to critiquing the space as a potential venue for an auction because – like any good theater-lover – I was focused on the production itself that night.

But there I was last Tuesday, thinking about flow, and food stations, and silent auction tables, and all those things good Auction Chairs consider when they are sorting through an auction gala’s festivities in their mind’s eye.

The theater holds 265 people

So what are my overall thoughts of the facility for use as a benefit auction venue?

I think it would work for groups in that 225-or-less range, but bag the silent auction. Instead, opt for a live auction only with one or two revenue activities thrown in for added income.  But I wouldn’t opt for any activities which take up floor space because it’s not conducive for that.

The theater has a three tiered lobby which advertises an occupancy of 350.  The tiered layout is attractive, but it would be detrimental to a silent auction as guests could easily wander off and never see the items.  Better to have your volunteers amidst the crowd, selling tickets to the raffle.

The main area outside of the theater.

For your live auction, it would be easy to move guests into the Main Theatre, which has an occupancy of 265.

I liked that some of the chairs alongside the stage are not nailed to the floor, allowing guests to move chairs as they’d like.  Some seats are actually barstools and have the added benefit of a ledge to rest on.

These chairs are secured to the floor. But not all chairs are. And look at the different heights to ensure good visibility of the stage.

I especially liked that wine is allowed in the theatre.

Alcohol can be sold and served on premises.  As many charity auctions serve alcohol, having that added benefit of bringing the refreshments into the theater itself is an added plus.

These barstools were in the back. Guests will want to sit back here and will appreciate the ledge, too.

About 6-steps down from the main / mid-level is the Rehearsal Hall (35′ x 43′) and the Meyere Foundation Classroom (30′ x 22′).  Either would work for a secured check-out area, if needed.  Note that there is an additional cost to rent those rooms, and those classrooms are located 6-steps down from that main /mid-section.

Generally speaking, I’d put registration on the top level where guests could see it immediately upon entering the facility.  Then direct guests down to the main floor (where the Main Theatre is) for drinks and savories during cocktail hour.  For the live auction and program, you’ll move guests into the Main Theatre.

When it’s time for check-out, either direct guests back up the stairs (where you had the registration tables), or set up a separate check-out in one of the secured rooms.  (But remember, that’s an additional cost and about 6-steps down.)

The facility offers five approved vendors.  You’ll not be disappointed in your choices:

Put your auctioneer on the stage ...

• Geppetto Catering
• Occasions
• Ridgwells
• RSVP
• Windows

To rent the lobby and theatre, advertised rental space is $1800 for a half day (4 hours).  Honestly, who can pull off an auction fundraiser in 4 hours?  So plan on spending $3600 to allow you the time you need for the function.