Tennessee benefit auction planners, this post is just for you.Admittedly there's nothing in this post about smoking. But all three rolled off my tongue as I typed. Let's cover the other two.The Tennessee Auctioneer Commission, a regulatory board under the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, published two articles in its Fall 2015 NewsLine newsletter. One addressed the sale of alcohol and the other looked at charitable gaming at auctions. I found the articles easy to read and ... Read On >
Blog Post
School auction theme: Night at the Museum
I recently showed a few photos from this 2009 auction to a client who was going to be doing something similar. The memory of that event still impresses me, so I thought I'd post a few of the photos on the blog. ++++++++++++++ When the Development Director told me that the school auction committee had settled on a "Night at the Museum" theme, I wasn't overly enthusiastic. Many times I'll have some ideas on how to support the theme. For this one, I was a tad stumped. I ... Read On >
Auction gift idea for a Brazilian themed event: Carnival mask
Last week I published a video about five popular gifts to give guests at a benefit auction. Here's another guest gift idea. This idea didn't make the video, but it's also not as popular or common. However it was quite popular at this Brazilian auction. The theme was "Meet Me in Rio." Carnival masks of various colors were given to guests as a gift. They placed one mask per salad plate. A secondary benefit: the masks served as decor, sprucing up the gala tables. I recently posted the ... Read On >
An alternative to the silent auction
Last week I received an email. A benefit auction volunteer was reaching out. Her charity-of-choice raises money for schools in overseas countries. They have a smaller auction (~120-150 guests) managed in a walk-around food station-styled event. She wrote: We have begun discussions about next spring fundraiser. We have found that the silent auction route has not given us much in return for all the work it takes. We want to keep the live auction, but are looking for an alternative to the ... Read On >
An ice-cold venue and Olympic entertainment was a fitting tribute to an honoree
I had a memorable auction last week in upstate New York. I want to tell you about it and share a couple of observations. But first, let me share a story from my early days in USA's capital. Nearly 15 years ago my parents were visiting me in Washington, D.C. In preparation of their visit, I'd purchased tickets for us to watch a performance at the Kennedy Center. Just a week before they arrived, I also won a prize from a radio station. It included tickets to an afternoon performance at a ... Read On >