Developing An Auction Dinner (Part One - Continued)

 I have had the privilege of attending and working with thousands of auction dinners throughout North America for over 20 years. Some had several thousand attendees, while others only had fifty or so. The articles that follow are meant to give an overview of how successful auction dinners are conceived, planned and managed.

For anyone who wants a complete "Developing An Auction Dinner" package, complete with working manuals, workbooks, sample forms and PowerPoint presentations, visit my Festival and Event Planning website.

Event Development

13. Entertainment

Having entertainment at an auction dinner is always a question mark. While you may want to create a special atmosphere with music, you don’t want to take away from raffle ticket sales or interactive games. Make sure, if you do decide on having entertainment, that it has a specific purpose and is timed and located not to interfere with your fundraising efforts.

14. Celebrities

Creating a “draw” for you event could be very helpful both in promoting the event and increasing ticket sales. Inviting a celebrity is one way of accomplishing this. The committee should talk over the idea and go ahead with it if desired and possible.

(To be continued)

Developing An Auction Dinner (Part One - Continued)

 I have had the privilege of attending and working with thousands of auction dinners throughout North America for over 20 years. Some had several thousand attendees, while others only had fifty or so. The articles that follow are meant to give an overview of how successful auction dinners are conceived, planned and managed.

For anyone who wants a complete "Developing An Auction Dinner" package, complete with working manuals, workbooks, sample forms and PowerPoint presentations, visit my Festival and Event Planning website.

Event Development

11. Flow

It is important to consider the “flow” when developing the event’s agenda. Having a smooth flowing, well planned event will insure that attendees enjoy the event, spend their money and come back for more. This stage should be discussed thoroughly and a detailed “event map” should prepared. The “map” should take the event from start to finish and it should be referred to regularly throughout the planning process.

12. Awards/Rewards

Honoring your volunteers and sponsors is smart business. These people who volunteer are the backbone of your event. Their hard work deserves to be recognized. The chair should create special recognition awards for each member of the committee. The committee should create a special thank you for the chair. Hard work needs to be recognized for people to return to help in future events. Likewise, individual and corporations who contribute substantially to your event should be recognized. A reward system should be put into place at the beginning of the event and potential sponsors should be made aware of what rewards are available. Different levels can be put in place depending on the amount donated.

(To be continued)

Developing An Auction Dinner (Part One - Continued)

 I have had the privilege of attending and working with thousands of auction dinners throughout North America for over 20 years. Some had several thousand attendees, while others only had fifty or so. The articles that follow are meant to give an overview of how successful auction dinners are conceived, planned and managed.

For anyone who wants a complete "Developing An Auction Dinner" package, complete with working manuals, workbooks, sample forms and PowerPoint presentations, visit my Festival and Event Planning website.

Event Development

9. Ticket Sales

Preparing, printing and distributing your event tickets early is imperative. This is the key to having a great turn out to your event. The more people who attend makes for a better the event… more fun, more excitement, greater revenues. Additionally, the tickets must be numbered so that you can maintain tight financial control of the event. This will be discussed in greater detail later

10. Quality Control

The key to holding a successful event is planning and control.  Leave nothing to chance. This means considering all aspects (finance, agenda meals, activities, décor, etc) of the event and then preparing a detailed check list. This will allow the committee to maintain control of the event throughout the entire process. Maintaining tight control will translate into a quality event.

(To be continued)

Developing An Auction Dinner (Part One - Continued)

 I have had the privilege of attending and working with thousands of auction dinners throughout North America for over 20 years. Some had several thousand attendees, while others only had fifty or so. The articles that follow are meant to give an overview of how successful auction dinners are conceived, planned and managed.

For anyone who wants a complete "Developing An Auction Dinner" package, complete with working manuals, workbooks, sample forms and PowerPoint presentations, visit my Festival and Event Planning website.

Event Development

7. Ambiance

When decorating your facility create an ambiance conducive to the type of event you are holding.  If it is a formal type of event, lower the lights (except at the live auction), have a live musician playing in the background or greet your guests in formal attire. If it’s a theme event, create an ambiance that enhances the theme. You want everyone who attends to become an intricate part of the whole event. When considering your décor, make a list of all the elements that could add ambiance to the event. 

8. Atmosphere

When developing your event, put yourself in the shoes of your attendees. As you walk into the room, how do you feel? Are you excited and ready to be part of the adventure, or are you bored before you even start? Think about how you would want to be entertained, what kind of prizes you would like to win, what food you would like to eat. Remember, you are not just creating an event, you are creating an experience!

(To be Continued)

Developing An Auction Dinner (Part One)

 I have had the privilege of attending and working with thousands of auction dinners throughout North America for over 20 years. Some had several thousand attendees, while others only had fifty or so. The articles that follow are meant to give an overview of how successful auction dinners are conceived, planned and managed.

For anyone who wants a complete "Developing An Auction Dinner" package, complete with working manuals, workbooks, sample forms and PowerPoint presentations, visit my Festival and Event Planning website.

Event Development

5. Event Theme

By creating an event theme you also create direction. A theme allows you to focus on the final vision of the event. Being able to visualize the final look of the event makes planning it easier. Like planning a trip, if you know your final destination, the way there is just a matter how you get there.

6. “Little Touches”

When planning an event, don’t just think of the large details, but think of the small ones too. It’s the small details that make an event special, an event to remember and to talk about. During the development stages of the event, make a list of all the small details you could include in your event and then see how many you can implement. Here’s a start to your list, you finish it.

·         Flowers for the ladies – boutonnieres for the men

·         Flowers in the washrooms

·         Centre pieces on the table

·         Decorations on the wine glasses

·         Décor the hall

·         Chocolate on each placemat

·         Custom placements

·         Unique program

·         Name tags

(To be continued)

Developing An Auction Dinner (Introduction)

 I have had the privilege of attending and working with thousands of auction dinners throughout North America. Some had several thousand attendees, while others only had fifty or so. I’ve seen everything from luxury automobiles to original works of art to elegant jewelry to a talking fish, auctioned off. The enthusiasm for the talking fish was unbelievable. Some halls were decorated exquisitely others had no decorations at all. Some were organized with military efficiency, while others seemed to have no organization at all.

I guess what I am trying to convey is that Auction Dinners come in all shapes and sizes. The only things they really have in common are the hundreds of dedicated volunteers who spend their precious time to help organize these events.

The articles that follow are dedicated to all those volunteers, past, present and future, who mean so much to their communities and organizations.

The articles are meant to give an overview of how successful auction dinners are conceived, planned and managed.

For anyone who wants a complete "Developing An Auction Dinner" package, complete with working manuals, workbooks, forms and PowerPoint presentations, visit my Festival and Event Planning website.

(To be Continued)

Event Development (continued)

 “The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Several months ago, I started the series with the first section, “Initial Development”. The second section is entitled “Research and Preliminary Planning”. Now that you and your team have decided to proceed with the event, it’s time to get serious! As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!”

Research and Preliminary Planning

You’ve determined that you “financially” want to proceed with your festival or event and you and your committee have completed plenty of “research”. Now it’s time to start your “Preliminary Planning”.

Preliminary Planning – Theme

Is the theme of your event suitable for your group and your community? To hold a successful event, it is important to hold an event that represents the character of both your group and community. For example, if you are holding a “waterfront event”, you should to be near water. Or, if you are holding a teen event, it should have input from teenagers. Find something within your group or community that has a connection, something that everyone can identify with and then plan the event on that foundation. By doing this, you will find it easier to gain the support of all participants (committee members, friends, community and patrons).

Preliminary Planning – Duration

How long will your event be…both in terms of planning the event and holding the event? Longer events need more time to plan, more manpower, more participants and likely more money. Chances of greater success or failure grow in relationship to the size and length of the event. Before you decide, weigh all the pros and cons before totally committing. If you do decide to choose a longer event, make sure everyone understands what it will take to ensure success. The development of a critical path and manpower chart would be prudent at this point.

Note: This concludes the "Research and Preliminary Planning" portion of my Event Development Series. The "Leadership" portion will follow in the months to come.