Fundraising auctioneer Sherry Truhlar at the Blue Hope Bash, a gala auction that used silent auction mobile bidding. Watch the video to see nice displays and other elements.
I’m in the thick of the fall auction season. Last week I was working all across the country, so expect to see more videos down the road — as I have time to organize them. 🙂
In this first clip, you’ll see an auction layout of an event I worked two weeks ago here in Washington, D.C.
The organization, Chris4Life Colon Cancer Foundation, is only five years old. Yet the group has already raised a whopping $7 million dollars to fight colon cancer. (Impressive!) They have three core initiatives focused on research, awareness, and patient care.
This is the second year they’ve had an auction at their gala, and it was the first year I worked with them.
Note the silent auction layout and the ballroom. A few points to watch:
- The gala was held at the lovely Four Seasons. The hotel has great staff, but for a silent auction, it’s a bit of a tricky layout. You’ll see why in this video.
- The organization used a mobile bidding vendor so you won’t see silent auction bid sheets in the silent auction area.
- Attractive /compelling props
- Low centerpieces
- Easy to read silent auction signage
And here’s a second video, also using mobile bidding. This was “A Night in Paris,” organized by 360 Youth Services in Naperville, IL. It was about twice the size as the event above and had all the activities — silent auction, dinner, and live auction — in the same room.
Here are some points to watch:
- Good / nice spacing of item displays
- Defined “silent auction” area versus a “program / dinner” area
- Good sound system (you can hear it being tested as I film … ha!)
- Centerpieces that wouldn’t interfere with the visibility of the auctioneer
Questions? Comments?
Post your thoughts below.
What has been the success of other auctions with mobile bidding? Our auction, which is in its 34th year, has over 500 guests (of all ages) with a silent auction of 400 items and a live auction. We have had mobile bidding the last two years of up to 50 items… my young volunteers would like to have mobile bidding for all 400 items. Any experience?
Gosh Kathy, that’s a really broad question. As with most things, some groups love it. Others abandoned it after 2-3 years. But in your case, it would seem to me that it would be easy for you to make a decision. You’ve been running what statisticians would call a “split test.” Simply do an analysis on those 50 items compared to the 400. If sales on those items are performing better than the others, roll it out.
You might find ideas these mobile bidding posts, too. https://www.redappleauctions.com/category/mobile-bidding-e-bidding/handheld-bidding-devices/