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

17. Raffles

Event raffles are great for raising money from attendees who either can’t or won’t bid for auction items. They allow attendees to participate in the event without committing large amounts of money. It is very important, however, that the prizes awarded are of high quality and good dollar value. Additionally, they must be interesting and easy to play. Again, they should be in keeping with the theme of your event. Here are some “rules” to consider.

·         If you are having a general raffle, do not have too many prizes. If you have a lot of prizes available, it is better to combine some into larger more valuable sets. Remember, you want your attendees to go home thinking that they received great value for attending.

·         When selling tickets, make sure you have some way of identifying those attendees who have already purchased tickets. They are there for fun, not to be hounded to buy tickets

·         Have enough ticket sellers on the floor. You need to get as many attendees buying ticket as possible.

·         Have some raffles have limited tickets available and make a big deal when they are all sold.

See what other “rules” you can think of that will benefit your event.

18. Offsite Bidding

Sometimes people would like to attend your event but cannot because of personal reasons or prior commitments. It might be to your advantage to put an offsite bidding strategy in place for your live auction, especially if you have really unique and expensive items to auction off. It is not appropriate or workable for most events, but if it can be done, it might add dollars and excitement to the 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

15. Financial Controls

Strong financial controls must be in place during the event. If they are not, confusion can break out and all the hard work will mean nothing because your attendees will be upset and your volunteers will be frazzled. Develop the controls in advance, you will be glad you do.

16. Games

Event games can be a lot of fun and if run properly, very exciting. However, if they are NOT run properly, they can become a distraction and take away from the other fundraising aspects of your event. Additionally, the games must conform to the theme of your event. There are many types of games out there. Some can be purchased or rented; other can be made up by your committee with little or no cost. Here’s a short list of ideas to start your creative juices flowing: darts, roulette, card games, crown & anchor wheel, balloon toss, etc.

(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

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)