Living in the Washington, D.C. area, I become accustomed to seeing certain auction items at many of my events. For instance, flags flown over the Capitol and tours of the House or Senate buildings are easy donations from your congressman. But I forget that if you live outside the DMV (DC-Maryland-Virginia metro area), some auction items and ideas are not necessarily as well-known. One such item I saw recently at a school auction was the White House Christmas ornament. The ornaments ... Read On >
Silent Auctions
When to close the silent auction (and other tips for post-pandemic galas)
Silent auctions are nearly all online auctions now, using mobile bidding. This launches a question in our post-pandemic world: When is the best time to close the silent auction – before or after the live auction / appeal? After all, with mobile bidding checkout isn't as difficult (guests are charged automatically for purchases), items often aren't at the venue (guests get them later), and mobile bidding allows for wider participation (guests not attending can still participate). In ... Read On >
Is this a live auction item or a silent auction item?
How do you know if an item is right for the live auction or is a better fit for the silent auction? Generally speaking, I encourage you to work with your auctioneer to determine that. But if you aren't working with one, consider these eight pointers to determine if a donation is worthy of the live auction. https://youtu.be/WLyejaEIL60 ... Read On >
Silent auction procurement idea: Buy Nothing
Silent auction procurement is more difficult this year, but I’ve got a tip for you. Your neighbors have items your guests will buy, and they are giving them away. Buy Nothing sites facilitate that generosity. Some of those items are silent auction-worthy. To give you a flavor of the site, here are a few items I saw listed in just the last few days. Watch the video to learn more about this resource. https://youtu.be/1fvn746KjDU ... Read On >
Changes to consider for your 2022 auction gala
We're headed back to the ballroom in 2022. My clients are planning in-person galas for next year, but that doesn't mean they have stopped considering the impact of COVID-19. Instead, they are making adjustments to manage concerns from guests. Overall, there's a strong desire to host the event in-person. I’m seeing adjustments being made to the live auction, silent auction, entertainment, and venue layout. I don't know that I'd call these auction trends because I suspect some of these ... Read On >