Charity auction tips don't get much simpler than this ... survey your guests after your gala. I was reminded of this recently while listening to the radio. On a recent morning show, the DJ was asking his co-hosts and callers about their preferred superhero power. "If you could have one superhuman power," he'd ask, "What would it be?" Flying and invisibility were popular, but so was the ability to read minds. The ability to read minds would be handy at your auction, wouldn't it? You could ... Read On >
Event sponsorship can grow, if you look in these places
I always seem to be behind in my reading. But as it's summer, I'm enjoying taking my dated magazines to the swimming pool with little cares as to whether the magazine gets sopping wet with chlorinated water. This past weekendI read an article in the March issue of INC magazine (page 23) called "Why Inc. 500 CEOs Are Smiling: They're getting ready for good times ahead - and they're creating jobs." INC conducted a poll of Inc. 500 CEOs and found that the vast majority have been hiring and ... Read On >
Party with a Purpose: A stellar birthday bash
I recently posted an article on how to involve Millennials in your benefit auction. (It's almost prerequisite reading for this post.) Today you get to see a Millennial in work, and -- further bonus! - how it ties into a recent LinkedIn conversation I've been following. Aaron is my virtual intern. After I spoke at a George Washington University event management function, he came up to me and said, "Don't forget me. I'm going to be contacting you!" And he did. He's been helping with some of my ... Read On >
Do guests wear costumes to your auction? Here’s a coupon.
I like to share deals when I find them, and here’s one that caught my eye. Spirit Halloween sells product online, but the company also sets up temporary storefronts which appear a few weeks prior to Halloween and disappear shortly after October 31. Some benefit auction themes encourage guests to wear a costume. If your auction is the type of event that will have guests wearing costumes, this might be a store worth browsing. They may also have decor elements you could use, depending on your ... Read On >
An auction lighting idea for the do-it-yourselfer: Gobos
Lighting can make a stunning difference in the ambiance of your benefit auction. But if an auction lighting company isn't in the budget, there might be elements that could be managed by an enthusiastic volunteer. I'm not suggesting it would be easy or ideal, but I've no doubt there are some volunteers out there who like to dabble and play. And if I provided an idea what could be done with lighting via this blog post, that might be all of the encouragement you need to get started. So that ... Read On >