Today I participated in an educational panel focused on event planning for associations. One of the participant questions was about ChatGPT. She wanted to know if and how anyone was using it. "What is ChatGPT?" was one of the first comments back. ChatGPT is not really an "auction tool" or an "event tool," though it certainly can be used for both. I find it creepy, so I've been avoiding publishing anything about it. But with her posed question, I suspect others might also be wondering ... Read On >
Technology
Conducting a phygital NFT auction
If you work for a nonprofit and an NFT is donated to your charity for the annual auction gala, you might find this video of interest. Back in May 2022, I was part of a "first." According to its organizers, the event I share in this video was the first — or certainly one of the first – phygital NFT auctions in the world. (Phygital = physical + digital) I am not a Web3 or NFT expert. This becomes abundantly clear as I stumble through describing basic NFT terms. Nonetheless, I hope this gives ... Read On >
Three memorable ways to thank auction donors
Though I have talked before about the need to thank auction donors, I don't recall ever sharing these three tools, which make the "thank" pretty darn memorable. Video resources Text tools Phone ideas This video was shot, edited, and uploaded at the airport, so the sound isn't ideal but the content is solid. https://youtu.be/hYG2PyT0Y5g ... Read On >
Using QR codes in your auction catalog
During the pandemic, restaurants taught many of us how to use our smartphone camera to access a menu, using a QR code. That idea is now popping up in auction catalogs, too. QR codes posted around your gala venue can direct guests to registration pages, online auctions, or donation pages. QR codes are also now appearing in auction catalogs. In today’s vlog, you'll see how two nonprofits incorporated QR codes into their auction catalogs. https://youtu.be/AAeXXijjS3w ... Read On >
What is latency in a virtual gala? (And why it matters.)
Virtual galas have their own jargon, and one word that quickly became a common term in spring 2020 was the word “latency.” For the purposes of a virtual gala, it refers to the delay between what is happening "live" and what the audience sees via the livestream. The term is most discussed when we talk about two-screen solution virtual galas because it requires that we change the format of the live auction. And by "change the format," I mean we don't have a traditional live auction and ... Read On >