In my last blog post, I reflected on some of the more creative auction themes I saw in 2019. Today, let's look ahead and consider a few trends I'm seeing in fundraising auctions. Auction Trend #1: Three popular auction themes In 2020, I expect to see a lot of these types of themes. "The Roaring '20s," "Great Gatsby," and other nods to the 1920's. With a turn of the calendar, we've returned to the '20's -- it's just 100 years later. "20/20 vision," "Hindsight is 20/20," and other ... Read On >
Benefit Auctions Blog
The 9 best auction themes from 2019
In the process of pulling together content for my new Auction Item Guide, I was reminded of the many themes my clients used over the past year. Here are the auction themes I thought most creative. The Eye Ball: See and Be Seen - The event raises money for eye research and corneal transplant, so the theme is directly tied to the mission of the nonprofit. I wrote about this event first in 2018 when the organization used a different, but equally clever, sub-theme. An Evening in CASAblanca - ... Read On >
2019 Benefit Auction Statistics: How does your event rate?
Generally speaking, I'm not a fan of comparing the numbers of your benefit auction to other events. Results vary by region, guest capacity, the cause, the type of event, and other factors. Furthermore, unless you are able to see all of the data and how a charity is tracking its results, numbers can be misleading. Highly misleading. But on the other hand, many Auction Chairs are curious. They like auction statistics because they learn what others charge for tickets, for instance. Or how ... Read On >
The auction venues of 2019
Three years ago I wrote a post listing eleven different options for benefit auction venues. And at various times, I've talked about unusual venues like this Olympic training facility or a car dealership. As 2019 ends, I thought it would be fun to take a review of my year and note where my clients held their fundraising auctions. Here were the most popular types of benefit auction venues in 2019. Hotels: Over 20 clients held their fundraiser in a hotel. Hotels are typically the ... Read On >
Use your auction catalog to remind guests about group bidding
Once or twice a year I open up my shopping cart for sales of a product I call the Catalog Carnival. The Carnival is a collection of catalogs and programs whereby I have pointed out the clever ideas worthwhile to model. What good ideas come from auction catalogs? The image on this page shows a modest example, though the photo quality is poor. Here's what I was sharing. A bold reminder was printed at the top of the live auction page. Remember: Costs can be split among multiple bid ... Read On >