Some galas attract an older guest base, while events like primary school auctions skew the opposite direction, attracting a young donor base. Consider this when deciding your opening time and overall program/schedule. As I work different events, I've noticed that retired Seniors arrive and leave events early. So if your cause attracts many guests in that demographic, opening your doors earlier than other galas in your city might be a smart move. Additionally, I'd recommend scheduling the ... Read On >
Benefit Auctions Blog
Hey Gala Chairs: Here’s asking advice from a real Gala Chair
Some people are intimidated about asking for items for their auction. After this past weekend's auction, several of us went out to dinner. (The auction was an afternoon event, so the day was still young for an evening meal.) I sat next to the Gala Chair, who does a great job with procurement, and visited with her about how she likes to ask for items. In the video, you'll hear a couple of nuggets she shared with me. https://youtu.be/5jd_JnuiV2k ... Read On >
4 reasons you need live auction displays
I'm always surprised by the number of fundraising auction committees who go to great lengths setting up displays for silent auction items, but then fail to see the importance of setting up a live auction display. I encourage teams to apply their effort towards auction activities that garner the highest returns. Most times, your live auction items will far outsell any silent auction items, so set-up the displays accordingly. Give extra attention to how your live auction items will be ... Read On >
SuperSilent / Best of Silent Auction categories are becoming obsolete for some
If you decide to change your silent auction into an online-only auction (meaning guests use mobile bidding instead of paper bid sheets, **and** you don't set up displays for the silent auction), you will need to make some operational changes to your auction. The reason being is that some activities work only with paper bid sheets. Two quick examples: encouraging guests to bid on a particular line, and closing the silent auction item-by-item. A third activity that can be eliminated is the ... Read On >
What’s really happening when the auctioneer is missing bids
I asked a prospective client why she was shopping for a new auctioneer. "It's time," she said, "there were some things that happened. He missed some bids last year." Did he miss bids? Or did he ignore bidders? That's what I address in this video. At auctioneer school, I was taught to focus exclusively on my two active bidders until one of them dropped out of bidding. If one dropped out, then -- and only then -- was I to start searching for another bidder. Staying with my two ... Read On >