I'd not seen this entertainment activity at any of our other galas. This private school auction had a western-themed fundraiser. To add to the ambiance, they brought in a mechanical bull for guests to ride during the silent auction portion of the evening. Although guests were wary at first, they eventually warmed to the idea to try it. The bull was positioned in the middle of an inflatable ring. It reminded me of an inflatable swimming pool for children. When the guest was thrown off the bull ... Read On >
school auction
Auction centerpieces: Should you sell them or give them away?
When I worked as an event planner, I loved auction centerpieces. If I needed to dress the room on the cheap, I knew the trick -- Forget wall decor and divert a tad more money into the table decor. Guests spend most of their time at the table, and with the right linens and a fun centerpiece - BAM - you've got yourself a festive atmosphere. The rest of the room be damned; if the table looked good, the theme worked. But now that I teach nonprofits how to improve their return-on-investment in ... Read On >
Benefit auction item: Procuring walk-on movie and TV roles
An auction volunteer from Minnesota recently wrote, "How do you even get some of these items. I'm just frustrated in over my head." Yikes! I want you to be inspired, not frustrated. If I've got tips on how to secure a benefit auction item, I'll share it. One of the more popular items I sell are those related to the entertainment industry. A walk-on part usually refers to the opportunity for someone to be part of the background of a movie or a commercial. This isn’t a speaking role, but it's ... Read On >
A School Auction Excels at Marketing a Potato Cannon
The right unique school auction items will sell for high dollar in your gala. And a potato cannon, made by the school's beloved maintenance department, in an all-boys Catholic school ... is a perfect example of that. The cannon sold for $1000 at the school auction... twice. (Once the Auction Chair saw how well it was selling, she confirmed the maintenance team would be willing to build another one. The school doubled its revenue on that item.) Not only is this a fun idea, but what ... Read On >