A photo is worth 1000 words, so in today’s video, I show you some potentially problematic bid paddles compared to some great bid paddles. It’s so easy to produce a good bid paddle. You can generally print them yourself, if you desire. There's no need for fancy sticks, colors or shapes. You’ll see what I mean in the video. To see what some of these bid paddles look like in a real auction environment, watch the new (tongue in cheek) game show where you get to be the auctioneer. It's called ... Read On >
Bid Number / Paddle
The hot new auction game show: “Spot the Bidders!”
Alright Auction Planners, it's time for "Spot the Bidders," the new game show that puts YOU in the auctioneer seat! In this 1-minute video, can you find the bidders in the crowd? Nonprofit revenues depend on it, and a well-designed bid paddle and large bid number are two critical components for success. Post how many bid paddles you find (before I reveal them to you at the end of the video) by leaving a comment. https://youtu.be/GwghaC0dkmg ... Read On >
Land acknowledgments in fundraising events
Call it coincidence, divine intervention or luck, but I'd bet that you've had a situation whereby you see or hear something, and suddenly it shows up somewhere else. Like when you consider buying a particular type of car, and suddenly that model is all you see on the highway. That serendipity is what led me to write about today's subject. ============================== Thanks to a cancelled flight that left me scrambling to get from one fundraiser to another late last month, I've ... Read On >
This auction bid card served many purposes: bid number, seating assignment, advertisement, and more
Here's a clever way to ensure guests keep their auction bid card as they mingle during the silent auction reception. One of my client's included key information on the back of each paddle. The guest's name Guest's table number Schematic diagram of the ballroom, with highlighting on the table at which the guest would be seated. (Notice that the guest's table is highlighted in yellow to make it easy for the guest to locate.) An introduction of the auctioneer Information about ... Read On >
Using the auction bid paddle as a sponsorship opportunity
Some nonprofits will print a guest's bid number on both sides of an auction bid paddle. The benefit of this approach is that regardless of which side of the paddle is shown to the auctioneer, the bid number is viewed. Another idea is to sell the space on the back of the bid paddle. The back of the bid paddle can be combined with other benefits and offered to a single sponsor at a high commitment level, or it can be sold as a standalone benefit to a company underwriting a specific ... Read On >