Some of the questions that always come up for an auction
fundraising event are: How many auction items should I have in total? How many silent auction items and how many for a live auction?
Although those questions are subjective, I do have some
opinions on the subject that may help give you some direction
- Know your audience/crowd
- You will need to gage the demographics,affluence, and
length of time for the event. This will allow you to plan the number of items and the type of items (signed prints vs unsigned prints etc.)
- Have a firm grasp on the number of people attending the event, this will allow you the opportunity to select the appropriate amount of items
- My recommendation on the number of silent auction items would be 1 or 2 for each attendee
- Having more items than that will make it tough to create interest and may keep the other items reaching their
potential bid amounts
My recommendation for a live auction
- Maximum of five items. I feel that any more than five to
seven auction items can get a bit too long for the attendees that may not be bidding
- Ensure your auctioneer is able to work with the crowd to ensure you get maximum for each item at the event
- A team of spotters for the auction are a must
- I feel that the best time to schedule the live auction (depending on the number of speakers you have) is before the keynote speaker
- When setting up, have a specific area set up for the silent auction that won’t interfere with the evenings events
- Make sure you also have a display of the live auctions
items that is clearly signed
Have a plan as to when the silent auction will end
- Coordinate the auction time frame with the emcee so
that they can let the crowd know when it is closing
Make sure the emcee is aware of the silent auction so that they can announce it throughout the evening
It is important to have a central area for payment for the auction items
- It is great to secure a system to accept credit card for
paying
- You should never allow a sold auction item out of the
building without payment
Silent auction and live auctions are a great way to raise funds
at your next event
