Looks like some venues are still aggressively competing on price.

Vibrant Table Catering & Events in Portland, OR recently sent out a tweet (below):

Hey Non-Profits The Treasury Ballroom waives rental for midweek events. Great for your spring auction or fundraiser http://bit.ly/6wqnPc

Waiving the rental fee midweek?!  That caught my eye.

I’ve conducted successful midweek auctions.  And with no rental fee, operating costs drop.  It’s the same space, but just a different night.  It might be worth the switch, especially if you’ve got a flexible group.

Here in Washington, D.C., I heard about one popular high-priced venue (the rental fee is in the 5-figures) which had 50% fewer bookings this past September. Ouch!  Knowing that, I’d be working to negotiate a great deal for my non-profit, if I knew that venue was under consideration for my own fundraiser.

If you’re in the market for a venue, keep your ears open for deals.  And if you’re in the market for all sorts of charity auction ideas, this Benefit Auction Ideas e-zine will help.

© 2005-2010 Red Apple Auctions LLC. All Rights Reserved.

"A Night at the Museum" benefit auction theme featured a different museum (as a centerpiece) at each table. On this table, the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum was in the limelight.

Many of the benefit auctions I work use a floral centerpiece on the table.  I certainly enjoy the freshness they bring to a table, but I’ve also seen some creative non-floral centerpieces at my auction fundraisers.

Most often an organization will opt for a non-floral centerpiece due to cost.  As attractive as they are, flowers can be expensive. Flowers are a “nice to have,” not a “need to have,” so they can be quickly cut from a budget. But you still want to have an attractive table arrangement.

Many non-floral centerpieces can also be made or assembled by kids (although these weren’t).  This is useful if you are running a school auction or a non-profit which benefits children.

This photo is from a “Night at the Museum” benefit auction.  Each table had a creative centerpiece showcasing a different museum around the United States. In this shot, the National Baseball Hall of Fame museum is featured.

(And for other centerpiece blogs, take a look at shrinking floral centerpieces.)

copyright (c) 2009 Red Apple Auctions LLC

As seen on the shelf in my grocery store: Oprah's Dec 2009 "O Magazine" cover has a teaser in the upper right corner about winning a trip "to the Oprah Show."

I am often asked what is the best auction item to secure for an auction fundraiser.

Easy answer:  Tickets to The Oprah Winfrey Show

In your fundraising auction, Oprah will outsell tickets to the Superbowl, a private helicopter charter to a Relaix and Chateaux property, and even the chance for a Presidential meet-and-greet.

Friends, when Oprah tickets are up against any other auction item, it is — to borrow a WWE term — an Oprah SmackDown.

As one auction guest told me, “Even if you aren’t a huge fan of Oprah, she’s so generous, you might happen to be in the audience on the day she gives everybody some fabulous gift … like a car.”

Last week, Oprah announced she’s leave the show in the the fall 2011, at the end of its 25th season.  But she’s not retiring.  She’ll reappear in some fashion on her new venture, The Oprah Winfrey Network, which will replace the Discovery Health channel.

So right now, I imagine that Oprah and her team are busy planning one heck of a 2-year-long going-away party.  I predict that these last few months of her show will be stellar.  I suspect she’ll include twice as many surprises.  And I know that any group which manages to secure tickets to any one of her final shows will make an awful lot of money for its fundraising auction.  Wahoo!  

My advice: Draft your letter.

1. If you know someone affiliated with The Oprah Winfrey Show — or even someone affiliated with similar shows — always start by asking your contact.  Knowing somebody who knows somebody might be all it takes to get some of the limited VIP audience tickets often set aside for talk shows.
2. If that’s not an option, draft your letter.  Write to the show, explain your cause, and ask for tickets.  You’ll have a better shot if your cause is one that is aligned to Oprah’s beliefs: living your best life, being true to yourself, helping children, etc.  If this doesn’t sound like your charity, save your time (and Oprah’s) by directing your efforts on securing a different auction item.  (For a related post, I talked about the importance researching a celebrity’s interests here.)
   

P.P.S.  If you personally want to secure tickets to The Oprah Winfrey Show, the acquisition steps are different.  I’ll outline the process here, only because I suspect some readers would like to know.

A few years ago, The Oprah Winfrey Show had a call-in process.  It’s since been transferred to an Internet-based reservation lottery system on www.Oprah.com.  Fans can become a (free) member on the site, and — once inside your member profile site — access the Show Reservations area. When the reservation window is open, you are able to submit your request.  (P.S.  At the time of this writing, the window is not open as no shows are being taped in December 2009. The window will re-open in January 2010.)

Within 24 hours of the reservation window closing, the seats are filled by a random selection process.  If you are one of the chosen, you’ll be sent an email.  You’ll have 48 hours to respond to the instructions in order to claim your tickets.  (And by the way … you’ll need to provide the first and last names and ages of all of your guests when you submit for a reservation!  In addition to the lottery, this added level of detail is part of why it’s difficult to get tickets, and why you would not follow this format if you are trying to acquire tickets to be donated to a charity.)

Finally, Oprah’s site makes it clear that only tickets received through the show’s reservation system are valid, and that people should not be paying for tickets.  That said, I do know legitimate charities have received Oprah tickets to sell at their non-profit fundraisers.  Clearly, those tickets are coming through other channels and not through the “en masse” reservation system on the Website.  So although repeated entries through the show’s online reservation might improve your odds of winning tickets for your personal use, those tickets are not likely eligible for sale in an auction fundraiser.

Copyright (c) 2009 Red Apple Auctions LLC

Yes, it's a garage door. Photo is courtesy of www.style-your-garage.com.

These garage doors are impressive.

Someone sent the link to me a couple of weeks ago.  Although I’m sure it would sell in a benefit auction (I’d recommend putting it in the silent auction for most of the auction fundraisers we do), I am not sure how likely you are to get the donation.  It’s a German-based company.  If you’re a German school … or have a fluent German speaker amidst your ranks … maybe you should call them!?

The photos are less than $300 and they have many styles.  (Check out their website.)

(c) 2009 Red Apple Auctions LLC

Benefit Auctioneer Sherry Truhlar lecturing at Stratford University.

One of my favorite event planners in Washington, D.C. is Alice Conway, CSEP.  I met her when I was a student in the George Washington University Event Management Certificate program, and she was overseeing the program.

Alice has since gone on to launch a similar event management certificate program at Stratford University, while simultaneously running her event management company, BB&C Productions Inc.

Alice is a svelte, sophisticated woman who looks more like she should be a publicist in New York than working as an event planner in D.C.  She seems to know everyone in the event industry here, warmly greeting them and then quickly listing off their accomplishments when introducing them to others.  She exudes a sophistication in both style and manner …  and she’s usually easy to spot, because her chic, tailored clothes are often some shade of pink.

One of the elective courses of the event management program is Event Fundraising.   Alice invited me to be a guest lecturer for an hour or so during that 15 hour course.

What a fun class!  The students asked some good questions about auction fundraisers and charity events, but were also inquisitive about the process of securing an auctioneer’s license.  Before I left, I organized a drawing.  The students put their name on a piece of paper, and I said the winner could attend one of my upcoming benefit auctions to observe, assist, and absorb.  All of the students were so enthusiastic about wanting to attend an event, I finally caved.

So, some of my clients this fall will receive a bonus!  You might be one of the lucky events where I’ll be accompanied by a capable event planner from Stratford University.

(c) 2009 Red Apple Auctions LLC

Hey, why is my name in the first sentence on the cover of this newsletter?

Beginning last fall, many clients started asking me about how the economy was affecting fundraising auctions.  South Florida Urban Ministries was one of them.  The economy was our first topic during our coaching session in January.

In the course of conversation, I talked about how a dip in the economy actually spurs some companies to new heights, and I cited one such example.

A few weeks later, the Executive Director used that example in his letter.  Although it was a jolt to see my name in the first sentence on the cover of the newsletter, I was excited to see that SFLUM was directly addressing the issue with its supporters.  He reminded them about the good work SFLUM was doing in the community, he talked about some immediate needs, and he set the tone that it’s time for everyone to band together to help each other.  Kudos!

Are you wondering about what to do in these times?  Or about that company I mentioned?  Read on for some auction ideas related to minset!

I talked about how many millionaires have been made in down economies.  Our current recession is a natural cycle.  Some businesses will fade away for failing to remain competitive (unless the government provides bailout money), but others will thrive.  I’d even suggest that this is a wonderful time for many people to birth their own businesses.  Sometimes all we need is a kick in the pants (like a job layoff) to make us take the initiative to make a change we’ve been wanting to make for a long time.

I mentioned a company which leaped to the top during the Great Depression.

Harry and David, the mail-order company which makes those yummy gourmet gift baskets, was facing economic ruin when they could no longer export their Oregon-grown pears to Europe’s affluent market.  In dire straits, they began to think creatively.  They realized they could start shipping their product by mail.

In 1934, the brothers traveled to San Francisco and New York to pitch their product to industry leaders.  They pitched to those businessmen that their luscious pears would make the perfect business gift.

Their idea worked!  Orders flooded the store, the pears found a new fan base all over the United States, and Harry and David became a direct marketer of fruit and food gifts.  The mail-order catalog industry was born.

Just as Harry and David sought out new customers, you might need to seek new donors.  The traditional places you have farmed for donations and sponsorships might be less able to give.  This might be the time for you to seek fertile ground elsewhere.

Keep reminding yourself that there is still money being made and there is still money being spent, but you might have to seek it in a different corner of your world.

Here are a few ideas:

• Start procurement earlier than usual.  You might get more “no’s” this year, and that’s OK.  They have a right to say, “No.”  But you also have a right to keep asking the next person, and the next…
• Throw a wider net.  Reach out to more potential donors to ensure you procure enough of the right items.
• Reach out to more people (call them to personally invite them) to keep your audience numbers up.
• Be creative in thinking about what types of items you want to sell. Items which cannot be purchased elsewhere (e.g. lunch with a well-liked mayor; a day with the fireman, etc.) will always draw bidders, regardless of the economy.
• Conduct an aggressive pre-auction marketing campaign for your items
• Stay mission focused.  It’s important to remind your supporters about what you do.
• Subscribe to Entrepreneur magazine (one of my favorites) and see which companies are growing.  Target them!
• Maintain your upbeat, positive outlook.  Enthusiasm sells!  You’ll attract more donations for your benefit auction when you personally are convinced that a donor should give.

(c) 2009 Red Apple Auctions LLC

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Hannes Combest is NAA’s President. We attended Springtime Expo’s Young Professional reception (hey — we’re hip & fun!).

I spent the last two days with Hannes Combest, President of the National Auctioneers Association, at the ASAE Springtime Expo gala in Washington, D.C.

The first night of the event, ASAE hosted an event targeting young professionals.  It reminded me of a trend I’ve seen with regards to auction fundraisers.

Many of the galas I work have a population in the age range of 45+.  Some galas skew much older. (As I think about my clients, the one exception is a church benefit auction in which everyone in the audience is 18 – 30 years old.)

Although there are many reasons to host a fundraising auction (read them all here), the primary reason is often for financial support.  You will raise the most money if you have an audience filled with guests who understand your mission and have the financial means to support it.

Many people reach their prime income earning years between 45 to 54, so it only makes sense that gala auctions often find their guests to be “of a certain age.”  Some in that age range are also in a mindset in which they are ready to start ‘giving back’ to their community more readily, either through financial support or volunteer hours.  (Non-profits like both!)  It wouldn’t usually make sense to target professionals in their 20′s and 30′s because that crowd would be less likely to add dollars to your bottom line.

That said, what about cultivating your audience?  Someday those 20 and 30 year olds will be in a position to give.  You’ll want to be the organization they think of first.

A number of galas (the larger ones, primarily) incorporate a Young Professionals (YP) tier into their ticket pricing.  There are many names for this tier (e.g. Young Professionals, Young Benefactors, Young Supporters).  Select a title which fits your style.

The YP’s reduced ticket price can include a portion of the evening’s activities (such as the reception & silent auction, or the entertainment & after-party with dessert bar) or the entire event.

Guests purchasing at that level must be younger than a certain age (30 to 40 seems to be the range), or in some cases, they must already be active in the non-profit’s regular YP club.  (Some non-profits organize regular activities for this set, with the auction gala being one of those monthly activities.)

If your auction committee wants to try this, I encourage you to ask one or two of those YPs to help on your auction committee.  Not only will they offer a fresh perspective to your planning, but their involvement will encourage other YPs to get involved and/or attend the event, too (provided the YPs have a good time on your committee!).

(c) 2009 Red Apple Auctions LLC

P.S.  If you enjoyed this article, you’ll love our FREE twice-a-month e-zine! Sign up here.

My March 31, 2009 HSMAI Affordable Meetings email highlighted an article written by The Associated Press titled “Major Hotel Companies Cutting Event Costs.”  Many fundraising auctions are held in hotels, so the title grabbed my attention.

For obvious reasons, hotels prefer clients who book sleeping rooms.  The challenge with fundraising auctions is that the non-profit is more interested in ballroom space to accommodate a silent auction and a dinner (or cocktail hour). My clients usually have local guests who attend the auction, enjoy the evening, and return home — to snooze in their own beds.

Does that eliminate you from nabbing a great deal on a hotel?  Not necessarily.

The article highlighted several deals, so – for those of you booking venues right now for auction fundraisers this fall or next year — let’s see how we can swing this to your advantage. Of the hotels listed, I think these four companies had deals which could benefit you.

1.  Hyatt Hotels – For events involving at least 10 guest rooms, Hyatt is giving a 10% discount at its resorts, or 6% at its hotels.

2.  Starwood Hotels (i.e. St. Regis, Sheraton, and Westin) – Offering a 3% discount on the total room bill and 10% discount on food and drink.

3.  Fairmont Hotels – For events with at least 10 rooms, 10% off total room bill.

4.  The Kessler Collection (hotels in CO, NM, NC, GA, and FL)  are waiving all no-show fees and eliminating penalites for rescheduling events.

Here’s five auction tips which resonated with me as I read about those hotel chains:

* Discounts on food and drink (F&B in the vernacular of the trade) are obvious perks.

That is often the largest expense of a fundraising auction, so any discounts are savings straight to the bottom line.

* A ten room minimum is workable.

One of my non-profits uses four rooms for staff alone.  After they’ve set up the auction, worked the event, and tore down the party, it’s often 1 AM and staff are “rewarded” by getting to crash upstairs in the hotel room instead of driving home in exhaustion.

* Market sleeping rooms to your guest list.

Couples can enjoy making a weekend of the party … even if the party isn’t on a weekend. Remind them that if they book a room, they can attend the auction and drink as much wine as they’d like, because they won’t be driving home until the following day.  And who doesn’t love breakfast at hotels?  Mmm.

* Auctions celebrating a milestone (“It’s our 25th anniversary!”) often market their gala to founders and alumni who launched the organization oh-so-long-ago.

Select a Friday or Saturday night to make the date more appealing to out-of-towners.  They’ll want to support the group (especially if you are honoring them during the evening) and will often need a room.

* Eliminating penalties for rescheduling and dropping no-show fees are good additions to your contract.

Planning is difficult because planners usually secure critical functions in advance (e.g. venues, auctioneers, check-out services, bands), but specific schedules are often not determined until dates near.  For instance, a decade ago I worked at an association.  We booked our convention dates at least six years in advance, but it’s hard to know what you’ll be doing six years from now!  With fundraising auctions, event planners book venues nine months to a year in advance, but the Board of Directors might decide to reschedule an auction date 2 or 3 months before the event (I’ve seen it happen!).  Avoiding rescheduling or similar penalties is a good way to play it safe in uncertain economic times.

If you want to read the entire article, the HSMAI link led me here: http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-hotelsside0330,0,915228.story

(c) 2009 Red Apple Auctions LLC

AUGUST 2009 UPDATE TO THIS POST: Here’s a FREE teleclass I’m leading to discuss auction fundraisers and venue contracts.