Photography seems to be a part of every event I work. The photographer might be professional or amateur, paid or volunteer.The photography itself takes many approaches:Photobooths with guest props Flip Books Frames Boothomatics Backdrops Portrait Photography Similar but different -- changing the traditional photo donations found in the silent auctionA recent gala had a venue that spread guests between two floors and a balcony. To ensure all knew that a ... Read On >
Entertainment
A unique auction venue sets the stage for Olympic-sized entertainment
One of my clients in the Adirondacks booked a new venue at the base of the Lake Placid Olympic Ski Jumping Complex. The complex was built for the 1980 Olympic Games and now serves as a training complex for Nordic ski and freestyle aerial jumping.It wasn't enough to have this impressive facility serve as a backdrop. The Executive Director of the foundation took the extra step of having Olympic-hopefuls demonstrate their talent for the benefit of the gala attendees.During the silent ... Read On >
Find Your Name Boards: Recognizing guests at large events (trade show, association and conference auctions)
Traveling fills my imagination with new ideas. I'm still writing about stuff I saw after last month's journey west.Before flying home after the fundraiser, I saw that the 2016 Honolulu Marathon -- the 4th largest marathon in the United States -- had a free trade show. The Hawaii Convention Center was just a short jaunt from my hotel, so I visited. Recall that I already wrote about how this trade show used a Graffiti Wall, which is an idea I've already seen used at a Florida benefit ... Read On >
No budget? This silent auction activity is free and interactive
One of my last auctions of 2016 was in Honolulu, HI. The fundraiser coincided with two large public events -- the 75th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor bombing, and the Honolulu Marathon, which is the 4th largest marathon in the United States.The marathon was scheduled to be run the day after I left, but a free trade show was taking place at the Hawaii Convention Center down the street from my hotel.I put on my sneakers and drove over there. (lol)One of the displays at the trade ... 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 >