With the new year brings a return to routines. I'm attending many committee meetings and watching volunteers working hard on spring auctions. The questions I'm asked most center around charity auction procurement. And no wonder! It's one of those make-or-break areas of an auction gala. If you don’t nail it – if you can’t get the right items -- your guests won’t be bidding and you won’t be raising money. Some of the more frequent questions committees have are: Who likes to donate? Which ... Read On >
Benefit Auctions Blog
The charity auction ideas YOU (Auction Chairs) researched in 2011
Year-end recaps are great ways to get up to speed on the best information that auction chairs were learning last year. And if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know I'm a numbers person. I like to measure results and make decisions based on numbers. There’s nothing like seeing the answer in data and going for it. So this week, I'm giving you the most popular blog posts of last year. Consider it your insider’s guide as to what was hot when it comes to charity auction ideas, as ... Read On >
Charity Auction Trends 2012: We’re still talking technology and always talking food
I’m predicting three trends for 2012 charity auctions. Two of them involve execution. No, nothing that harsh. I’m talking about the other kind of execution, when we're getting stuff done. We’ve heard a lot in the past couple years about trends in technology, but I think 2012 is the first time we are going to see some of these ideas in action. First – for better or worse - mobile bidding will become more widely adopted in the silent auction. Vendors have been touting electronic bidding ... Read On >
VIDEO: Unusual charity auction venues – airplane hangars
Almost any space can work for a gala auction, though you might need to make some adjustments. The more unusual charity auction venues have the added advantage of attracting guests to your event. This corporate airplane hangar had some advantages and disadvantages, which you'll hear in the video. Watch the video below. ... Read On >
VIDEO: Where to get charity auction items
It's one of the biggest stresses of any auction committee ... where to get items. If you're involved in a first year event, the item procurement process is especially tedious. Knowing what items to get -- and WHERE to get them -- is overwhelming. To help you understand the process at a high level, here are the three primary ways to procure charity auction items. (And I'm guessing that you've never heard of #3!) (UPDATE: The Tech Teleseries mentioned in the video has passed. Stay abreast of ... Read On >