Floral gala centerpieces are the norm at most of our auctions, but are other ways of decorating your table. Check out this NON-floral, balloon centerpiece I saw in St. Louis, MO last week at the Missouri Meetings & Events Expo. The "Boot Camp" theme of the Expo wasn't lost on the company that brought this balloon bouquet. American Carnival Mart decked out their booth in full Boot Camp motif, so this "floral" arrangement is on the green-and-black side. As you can see, the balloons ... Read On >
decor
Hello Honeysuckle! 2011’s official color packs punch in benefit auction themes
Here’s a bit of froth and fun for my first blog post of 2011. If you're evaluating some trendy benefit auction themes or centerpiece ideas, here’s the color to use. PANTONE® 18-2120 Honeysuckle: the official color of 2011 Until stumbling across this last week, I had no idea there was a color of the year. (Naive of me.) In addition to paint, the perky shade has already been rolled into Visa cards and wedding dresses. Pantone says that the vibrant color of honeysuckle “lifts the ... Read On >
Do guests wear costumes to your auction? Here’s a coupon.
I like to share deals when I find them, and here’s one that caught my eye. Spirit Halloween sells product online, but the company also sets up temporary storefronts which appear a few weeks prior to Halloween and disappear shortly after October 31. Some benefit auction themes encourage guests to wear a costume. If your auction is the type of event that will have guests wearing costumes, this might be a store worth browsing. They may also have decor elements you could use, depending on your ... Read On >
Venetian masks used as auction centerpieces
At a nonprofit auction, the Venetian masks made for a lovely auction centerpiece. Venice is one of the most popular auction themes I see. Maybe it's the city's canals, its Carnival, or just the Italian culture in general that seems to capture our imaginations. At every Venice-themed auction I've worked, masks have been incorporated into the decor. At this fundraiser, the masks had a predominant role in the auction centerpieces. Each centerpiece showcased lovely half-masks. Many of the ... Read On >
Auction themes play to underwater mysteries with Treasures of the Deep
My team and I worked an event in southern Virginia which was one of the most attractive and creative auction themes I've attended. It wasn't a large audience -- the crowd only numbered around 225 -- but the decor and atmosphere was exquisite! It was one of the more magical auctions I've attended. The theme was Treasures of the Deep. All things of underwater intrigue could be found here. The dark, mysterious, quiet of the ocean seemed to come alive in this fitness facility (not that you could ... Read On >