• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
    • About RAA
    • Meet Sherry Truhlar
    • What makes us unique
    • Reviews/Clients
    • Press
    • Licensing
  • Contact
  • Client Login

School Auctions, Fundraising Auctions, Charity Auctioneer

  • Services
    • Onsite Auction Services
    • Fund a Need Experts
    • Consulting
    • Onsite workshops
  • Products
    • $10 Trainings
    • On Demand Webinars
    • Books
  • Speaking
    • Why Sherry
    • Keynote and Other Topics
    • FAQs
  • Blog
  • Free Resources
    • Newsletter
    • Auction Item Guide™
    • Recording: Porch Parties
    • Blog
  • Store
You are here: Home / Blog Post / Eleven options for fundraising auction venues
Oct 11

Eleven options for fundraising auction venues

Sherry Truhlar 2 Comments

A B&B was the venue for this outdoor benefit auction in Tennessee. We gathered around the outdoor pool.

A B&B was the venue for this outdoor benefit auction in Tennessee. We gathered around the outdoor pool.

A client called last week. Her preferred benefit auction venue is booked, and she’s on the hunt for a new space that will hold 200-250 guests.

“Can you point me in a few directions?” she asked.

Here in the Washington, D.C. area I have a list of interesting venues to meet her guest count. But as this blog is read by auction planners from across the globe, I’m going to be more general.

Changing your venue is an easy way to give a facelift to your benefit auction and it comes with the added benefit of often increasing attendance, if you select wisely. Guests love checking out new venues!

Consider these alternatives.

  1. Private homes – It will work if the home accommodates the guest count.  At a home outside of San Diego, I stood on a small stage in the driveway.  Guests faced me, theater-style. And if the event is to be held inside the house, standing on a staircase to conduct the auction gives a bird’s eye view.
  2. Bed & Breakfast – At an auction gala a few years ago, the buzz was all about the new venue.  The stately antebellum home had only recently opened as a bed & breakfast and everyone was clamoring to see what it looked like inside.  Tours were conducted before the auction began.  (See photo.)
  3. New hotels – For a change of scenery, head to a new hotel. “New” might mean “recently built,” or it can just be a new venue for your group.
  4. Refurbished or renovated hotels – What facility is getting a facelift in your area?  Check in with the Chamber of Commerce for ideas.
  5. Museums – Depending on the museum, expect to pay big bucks  –  a $50,000 rental fee isn’t uncommon here in Washington, D.C. (And personally I don’t think it’s a smart use of your most charity’s funds.) But in the Fort Lauderdale, FL area, the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum offered a reasonable rate and a client hosted its school auction at the facility.
  6. Public spaces – On a hot autumn night, a client conducted an auction with 1,000 people under the town hall pavilion. An auction under the (rain-free) stars will make for a memorable evening.  Unbelievably, it was a mere $500 rental fee.
  7. Catering hall – Because catering halls are specifically designed for events, catering and parking is often a snap.  One of my Cincinnati clients uses a catering hall popular for weddings and fundraisers.
  8. Shopping malls – Your auction might be either indoors next to the fountain or tucked into an empty storefront.
  9. School auditoriums and church fellowship halls – These are perennially popular for two good reasons: cost and a nice open space.  Parking is also rarely a problem.
  10. Theaters – To conduct a live auction, it’s easy to have people seated in a theater.  Just make sure the lobby is large enough to accommodate your silent auction (if you have one).
  11. Work facilities – Know of a cool work facility? We’ve conducted more than one benefit auction in an airport terminal or airplane hangar.   What about a manufacturing plant, nightclub, or a salt mine 650′ underground?
Share on Facebook Share
Share on TwitterTweet
Share on Pinterest Share
Share on Google Plus Share
Share on LinkedIn Share
Send email Mail
Copyright © 2016 Red Apple Auctions Co. All Rights Reserved

About Sherry Truhlar

Fundraising auctioneer and education, helping schools and nonprofits plan more profitable benefit auctions. A prolific writer for her own blog and other fundraising sites, she’s been covered in The Beacon-News, Town & Country Magazine, The Washington Post Magazine, Northern Virginia Magazine, Wiley's Special Events Galore!, AUCTIONEER, and other publications.

Reader Interactions

This benefit auction blog is temporarily closing
How to control your loud school auction crowd

Comments

  1. Jill says

    March 28, 2017 at 8:53 PM

    We will be holding one in the event space at a local brewery. They offer up the space free one Monday evening per month to a qualified non-profit.

    Reply
    • Sherry Truhlar says

      March 28, 2017 at 9:37 PM

      Sounds like a fun space, Jill! I suspect it will draw some people just because of the venue.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Connect with Me Here

What auction planners say

Sherry, oh, Sherry! You were an invaluable asset to this year’s gala. With your assistance we were able to add so many new elements that truly made a difference in taking our event to another level. This year was the most successful yet! Everyone loved you and the amazing energy that you brought to the event. We look forward to having you again in 2018!

Krystal Fenwick
Read more testimonials

Thank you so much for the outstanding job you did for us on April 1! I have received so much positive feedback from so many who attended. You even earned Sister Suzan’s (our Vice-Principal) seal of approval! Safe travels to all your many events and thank you for making our biggest fundraiser of the year our best ever!

Diane Albano, Director of Development
St. Joseph Academy Catholic High School (St. Augustine, FL)
Read more testimonials

Sherry is flexible and easy to work with. She gives honest feedback and advice throughout the planning and implementation process. Without a doubt, Sherry and Red Apple Auctions has helped take our annual fundraising event to the next level.

Beckie Middendorf, Development Director and Janet Gulla, Development Coordinator
St. Henry District High School (Erlanger, KY)
Read more testimonials

Sherry is “on board” from day one of auction planning, works closely with our steering committee and is only just a phone call away. The night of the auction, we toss her the keys and let her drive the event! We are never disappointed!

Charly Ryan, Director of Institutional Advancement
The Academy of the Holy Cross (Kensington, MD)
Read more testimonials

I was very fortunate to have Red Apple on board for my first auction. Working with Sherry was invaluable. She provided guidance at every phase of planning, from procurement on forward – and she challenged us to make our event more ambitious and more successful at every stage. Thank you, Sherry!

Pete Goldlust, Director of Development
Oak Hill School (Eugene, OR)
Read more testimonials

If your auction needs to upgrade, call any auctioneer you find on Google. But if you want your auction to be impressive, meaningful, and profitable, you need to call Sherry.

Erin Banda
2016 NYUMBANI Board member
Read more testimonials

The auction was entertaining .. proactive … the crowd was involved and felt a part of it,” he said, emphasizing, “The entertainment value was huge.

Darrell, a long-time attendee
Read more testimonials

We plan on booking Red Apple Auctions much earlier for our next event so we can take advantage of more of the pre-event offerings.

Nicole Carr, Director of Grants and Special Events
The Ivymount School (Rockville, MD)
Read more testimonials

Sherry, personally, I can’t even begin to tell you the immense amount of positive feedback that I received having YOU (and Darby) there with is this year! Some of the tidbits: You added EXCITEMENT and ENTERTAINMENT… You added EXPERTISE and FUN… You helped the evening FLOW, in a wonderful and positive direction… You were FUN,… Read The Rest “Anne Livaudais Knudsen, 5th year gala co-chair”

Read more testimonials

Aren’t KK and Michael a cute couple? They liked that I “moved the crowd along … kept the crowd engaged but wasn’t obtrusive or invasive. We were able to talk but still keep track of what was going on.”

Read more testimonials

You have NO idea of how many people came up to me (I know Julie as well) and said, ‘That auctioneer was incredible … she engaged the crowd, … she got the bidders to bid without being rude/pushing, … I loved observing her, I just watched her, … she did a great job.’ It was… Read The Rest “Staci Meruvia”

Read more testimonials

Geri said: “Great job of getting potential donors in the room to step up to the plate and not feel guilty or bad about it. They actually wanted to give more … and that’s not something I’ve seen in many other auctioneers.” The following year, she herself ‘stepped up’ and became one of the gala… Read The Rest “Geri”

Read more testimonials

Irene attended one of my New Hampshire auctions and assumed I must be a radio personality — until I started to chant that fast talk. “I’ve been to this event before with a couple of other auctioneers,” she said, “Your ability to get personal with people in a way that isn’t intimidating — men, women,… Read The Rest “Irene”

Read more testimonials

Most product & consulting remarks are found on their respective webpages, but I’ve listed two below so you’re assured my products are as spot-on as my auctioneering.   Not only was our 2013 auction a blast, but our Washington, D.C. public school raised $67,000 — that’s $25,000 more than last year! The evening went off… Read The Rest “Carolyn Kahn-Hall and Andrea Del Vecchio”

Read more testimonials

As a former Fox News Anchorwoman, I am often called on to perform at auctions. So, I know first-hand that auctioneering can be a difficult job. Sherry Truhlar is one of the best in the business. She is skillful at managing an audience and keeping them focused on the task at hand – which is… Read The Rest “Cynthia Steele Vance”

Cynthia Steele Vance
Guest at The Potomac School 2014 auction (McLean, VA)
Read more testimonials

home | auctioneering | consulting | free item guide | about

 

Red Apple Auctions Co., PO Box 6066, Arlington, VA 22206
Toll free: 888-474-0838 | Email: Info@RedAppleAuctions.com | Copyright © 2005 - 2018

 

Sherry Truhlar • Charity Auctions • School Auctions • Fundraising Auctions • Auction Galas • Benefit Auctions

 

Terms of Use · Privacy Statement