It's been about one month since COVID-19 checked into the gala scene and prompted a wave of cancellations and reschedules. In that short period of time, the ingenuity of our industry has been on full display. Virtual gala fundraisers are mutating more rapidly than the virus! In five weeks, virtual auction events have pivoted twice. 1. First they shifted from in-person galas to livestreams. Gala chairs hosted these high-tech, scaled-down events in traditional auction venues ... Read On >
Benefit Auctions Blog
Free webinar: Online “virtual gala” options and what’s best for you
More likely than not, you're reading this from the comfort of your own home. We are, as my friend Amy said, on forced sabbatical. It's not our ideal sabbatical, but here we are. During this imposed break, I've been following the journey of those I know who are ill, educating myself on virtual gala options, and working on other projects. ========================== Short on time? Click to register for my complimentary webinar. Date: Friday, March 27, 2020 at 1 PM Eastern Title: ... Read On >
Video marketing auction items to support your online school auction
To support two school auction clients whose galas were cancelled due to COVID-19, I shot videos that they could use as teasers for specific items being sold in an online auction. The goal was to get participants interested in bidding on these items. How did my school auction clients use these videos? They sent the video link in an email blast to their community. They posted and shared the video on Facebook. They added the video to the item description in the software online. It ... Read On >
Should you cancel? Coronavirus (COVID-19) and your auction
I was going to share some thoughts about school class art projects today. But that was before one of my Kansas City readers asked a question about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). "I'm curious," she wrote, "if you have any events canceling or postponing because of the coronavirus? What are their contingency plans?" =============================== When news of COVID-19 broke, I initially thought I'd not write anything publicly. Focused attention on any subject allows it to gain ... Read On >
Mardi Gras school auction: One idea to recruit a new auction committee
Today is Mardi Gras, so it's the perfect time to tell this story. In one fell swoop, some long-time Gala Co-chairs "recruited" a new auction committee *and* announced they'd no longer be overseeing the school auction. ============================= If you've chaired an auction, you know it's demanding work. Though rewarding, interesting, and even fun, it is also time-consuming. Furthermore, some find that if they are good at the job, it's hard to get out of the role. No one ... Read On >