On Tuesday, September 29, 2009 I visited the Rotary Club of Baltimore to talk about benefit auction ideas. I've been documenting some of my Rotary talks, which you can read here and here. The Club meets in the beautiful Belvedere Hotel. (A misnomer: The Belvedere Hotel was converted to condominiums in 1991 and is no longer a hotel.) I'm a sucker for old buildings, so this quickly ranked as the most glamorous venue of any Rotary meeting I've attended. Rotarian President Mary Anne had told me ... Read On >
Benefit Auctions Blog
Only a few spots left: Maximizing your Benefit Auction: Making Everything Count in a Fragile Economy
UPDATE: This class has passed. To keep abreast of future talks, subscribe to Benefit Auction Ideas. ++++++ If you're seeking quality benefit auction ideas, this is one of those no-brainer events to attend. For those of you living in the Washington, D.C. / Baltimore corridor, I invite you to meet me in Millersville, MD (near Annapolis) on Tuesday, October 6 from 10 AM - 2:30 PM, where I'll be speaking. We have limited space at this venue. As I type this, we have about 5 spots left. In a ... Read On >
Bad economy? Focus on these four areas to save the auction
In my 20+ years as an auctioneer, I've witnessed a few economic disruptions that made Development teams nervous. If the economy seems to be going into a tailspin the same year you're in charge of an auction fundraising gala, read this and focus your efforts on these four areas. 1. Invest your time upfront in placing volunteers into appropriate roles where they can shine. Not all volunteers are created equal. To ensure fewer headaches later, make an effort early in the process to get to know ... Read On >
Five areas to cut costs in your auction gala
How many times have we heard that adage that you must spend money to make money? During the 2008 recession when companies cut back on travel, SuccessfulMeetings.com posted this article, “Business Travel Study: Companies That Spend More, Make More.” The article shared the results of a 10-year study funded by the National Business Travel Association. The study found that for every $1 spent on business travel, over $15 could be earned. The report cautioned that under-spending on travel ... Read On >
Outlandish marketing for your benefit auction? Not really.
Earlier in September I was in New York for business. New York City has a lot of street hawkers, and this guy was selling purses. He was dressed as Superman. Carried a purse over each arm. Held up a big sign indicating the price. Wore a big smile and "danced a little jig" to music blaring from his portable CD player. While he oversaw the "in your face" marketing, his two buddies sold purses. Is this idea crazy for your benefit auction? Heck no! It's fun! This past spring, one of my ... Read On >