Session Objectives

1
Session Objectives

• Participants will
• Learn the Key components of a Benefit Auction
• Learn the steps to take to organize a Benefit
  Auction to deliver needed funds to their
  organization
• Learn tools and tips to escalate benefit auction
  to maximize results

2
Background

• Sherri
• Mike

3
Question of the Day

• Fundraising Event Definition
• The necessary evil that helps me keep my job, but
  takes away a lot of time from the mission of my
  organization
• The fun thing we get to do that gets us out of
  the daily grind for a while

4
Fees

• Buyers Premium- A added to the Final Hammer
  Price of an item, charged to the Buyer.
• Commission- A charged to the Seller of the Item
  
• Flat Fee- A Payment negotiated prior to the
  Auction payable regardless of the outcome of the
  sale.

5
Why an Auction??

• Convert Item Gifts to Cash
• More money from existing donors
• Entertainment Value
• Identify New Donors
• Tell your Story to new Donors

6
Preparation

• Who, What, When, Where and Why?
• Who-Examples
• Who is on your committee? (The Best Committee
  raises the most money)
• How to find the best committee members?
• Who has donated to your organization in the past?
  Who has the connections to get attendees to the
  event? Who has the connections to procure the
  best auction items? Who Are your Guests? Who is
  going to fulfill each task involved in producing
  your auction?

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Preparation II

• What-Examples
• What is the best type of event to produce a
  successful auction? What items do the attendees
  really want? What are we going to do about check
  in-check out speed?
• When-Examples
• When is auction season? When is the best day to
  have a Gala? When should we start the live
  auction? When should we close the silent auction?
  When should we hire the auction team?

8
Preparation III

• Where-Examples
• Where do our attendees want to go? Where are the
  hottest places for trips? Where should the ring
  crew be?
• Why-Examples
• Why did we choose this event? Why would anyone
  want to come? Why do we organize the auction
  items that way? Why hire a professional Auction
  Team?

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Auction Software

• Benefits-
• Tracking attendees and Gifts
• Streamline Check-in Checkout
• Online Ticket Sales
• Online Bidding in Real Time
• Online Pre-bidding
• Questions- Long Term Contract? of
  Processed? Available Technical support? Training
  for Volunteers/staff? Bottom Line Cost.

10
Auction Software

• Auction-Pay
• Maestrosoft
• Auction Tracker

11
Event Timeline

• Determine overall strategy- ( Goal, Needs, Scope
  Budget)
• Recruit Chairman,-360-270
• Recruit Sub Chairs,-270-240
• Secure Location-180
• 1st Full Committee Meeting,-180
• Begin Procurement of Items,-180
• Begin Table Sales Campaign-180
• Auctioneer and Crew Secured-140
• 1st Executive Board Flyer,-120
• Day of Event Schedule Complete,-90
• Entertainment Secured,-70

12
Event Timeline continued

• Invitation List Complete,-65
• Auction Program Printed,-60
• All Items Secured ,-60
• Invitation Mailed,-45
• Technology Secured,-30
• Program Mailed,-25
• Last Committee Mtg,-15
• Auction,0
• Thank You's,2
• Statements 10
• Critique Meeting 15

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• Procurement Wish List Meeting/Party
• Brainstorm hot/ego items
• Identify items the group would buy
• Take ideas from other events
• Dont rule out the unusual
• Reach for the sky
• Circles network 6 degrees of separation

14
Ring Crew/Bid Spotters

• Professional Ring Crew- Worth It?
• The art of persuasion without intimidation
• Volunteer Bid Spotters- Tips for better results

15
Sequencing

• Use bell curve to order items
• Place best items in middle
• Mix similar items
• Dont save best for last
• Fund-a-cause placement
• Timing
• Start during dinner
• Audience is seated, happy and captive

16
Sequencing
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Silent Auction

• Choose items that can achieve more than retail
  value
• Bundle items to create enticing packages
• Create 2-3 sections
• Staggered closing times
• Dont categorize items
• Avoid art, jewelry, professional services
• Create attractive displays

18
Room Layout

• No bottlenecks
• Mix food, beverage and auction tables
• 2x4 rule
• leave space for competitive bidding
• Limit props that clutter
• Captivating item display

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Specialty Ideas

• Procurement parties
• Super-Silent
• Heads or Tails
• Teddy Bear Blitz
• Art/Wine Auction
• Fund an Item (Paddles Up)
• Raffles/Drawings
• Ego Items for your auction

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Bid Sheets

• Bidder number
• Start at 25- 50 of retail value
• Pre-calculated bid increments
• Guaranteed bids
• (150 200 of value)

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• HEADS OR TAILS

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Budget

• Budget
• Review Samples
• Analysis of Cost vs. Return
• Spend the INCOME not the Budget
• Line Items

23
Item Pickup

• Best method
• Sort all items by bidder name
• Volunteers retrieve items for guests
• Ultimate goal
• Guests arrive happy, leave happy and return next
  year to support your Organization!

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• After Action Critique
• Its Over! Whew!!
• Dont Skip This!

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• 1-week-10 days after the event
• The After Action meeting
• Analyze success by "Retention of Value"
• Example
• Item value - 1000- Brought 1200 at Auction-
  200
• Brought 900 at Auction- - 100

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Questions to ask
yourself

• Silent- 200 item Silent Auction- Retention of
  value
• Red- 73- 30
• Blue 64 60
• Green 53 110
• Timeline Kept?
• Expense Ratio? (30 or less)

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• Money Spent Vs. Money Returned
• How much income did the Centerpieces bring you?
• How much income did Dinner bring you?
• Your Venue?
• Raffles/Games?

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Questions to ask
your committee

• Dates your committee met, what they did at each
  meeting and how long each meeting took? ( Hours)
• How many people were on your original Committee?
•  
• Did you have enough members?
•  
• Did all workers understand their assignments?
• Please list the major problems with your
  assignment. Try to add
• possible solutions so that things might run more
  smoothly next
• year
•  
• Please list the things you enjoyed about your
  project.
•  

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• Please list names you would like to suggest for
  your committee
• next year. Include your own if you wish. Please
  underline the possible chairman for the
  committee.
• How do you feel the rest of the Auction went?
  What suggestions
• can you offer for next year?
•   
• Have you itemized your expenses? Do we owe you
  any money?
• We must know within 30 days to get you
  reimbursed.
• Please list any changed to the structural chart
  that you would
• Suggest.
•   
• Please list any additional comments you have for
  us.
•   

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Sherri Ramstedt CMP, BAS Michael
Hanley www.srcustomeventsauctions.com 512-369-3391