Head to www.BeSmurfed.com to get your own Smurf name.

As a child of the 1980′s, I know the Smurfs.  I didn’t watch the cartoon, but the merchandising was so strong that you were bound to run into a Smurf-something.   And this Friday, Papa, Brainy, Smurfette, and the rest of the gang return when The Smurfs movie is released.

So as an educational post on the meetings industry and its tie-in to your auction fundraiser, today’s post teaches about SMERF:  the SMERF market.

In the meetings industry, SMERF stands for Social, Military, Educational, Religious, and Fraternal.

Your benefit auction may or may not be a SMERF.

For instance, association and government meetings aren’t SMERF.  If — and I’m pulling this out of thin air — the American Industrial Hygiene Association decided to conduct an auction fundraiser at its annual convention to raise money for its PAC, that would not be SMERF.

But if the Society of Decorative Painters held an auction to raise money for — hmmm, help me out here — a software program to better design the quarterly newsletter … or maybe to raise money for the American Heart Association in honor of a beloved member who recently passed from heart disease … that would be SMERF.

And if at your family reunion you held an auction to raise money to cover shared expenses for the next family reunion (which is what I’ll be doing this Sunday), that is definitely SMERF.

That might even be SMURF-ILICIOUS.

So should you find yourself chatting with some venue’s event manager about your auction fundraiser, and you overhear her mention SMERF to a colleague, know that she’s not talking about those little blue creatures wearing white pants.

© Red Apple Auctions Co.  All Rights Reserved.

P.S. Auction fundraiser help begins with Benefit Auction Ideas.

Last week across the newswire, I read an article about an Idaho athletic booster auction fundraiser that was small in size, but not by design:  Blackfoot Broncos Annual Fundraiser Attendance Falls.

The school’s Booster Club, located in Blackfoot, ID (population ~11,000) was raising money for athletic programs.  The booster auction usually brings in several thousand dollars.

The Booster Club President suggests that the economy is to blame for the lower attendance and fewer donations, but a  hazing controversy within the boys basketball program might have also darkened the event.  In a video, the judge talks about the polarizing effect on the small community.  That trial might have colored the mood of the auction fundraiser, especially as it was held to raise money for athletic programs.

So what do you do when you’re in a swirl of negativity and sense your event will feel the effects?

Here are some ideas:

• If lower attendance will be expected, plan accordingly and reduce the number of items for sale. We don’t want your event to become a garage sale with guests toting home bargain-basement deals.  Keep it small and slick.

• Procure from donors not involved in the controversy. If Mr. Smith usually donates an item, but the controversy swirls around his family, give him a rest this year.  Unless you really enjoy pushing the envelope, allowing some time to pass might be a smart decision.

• Offer items not related to the hot button. Last year I sold a week’s stay at a stunning vacation home along the beach.   When there is no controversy, this is a top-selling item.  But in this case, the home happened to be located on the Gulf, and the auction was during the height of the news coverage for the gushing oil spill.  The controversy was regional, but it had a local effect.

• Call, call, call. Personal invitations to encourage people to attend your shindig can help mend fences.

Although it’s not easy conducting a gala amidst challenges, it can be done.  Your event and efforts may be the shining beacon of light your community needs to get everyone rowing in sync once again.

Want more help for your auction fundraiser?  Get Benefit Auction Ideas.

©2011 Red Apple Auctions Co.  All Rights Reserved.