While a longer bid time can help spread awareness of the auction, most bids will still come in at the end of the auction NO MATTER WHEN that happens. At a paper and pen silent auction, closing at the end of cocktail hour can create a frenzy of excitement and carry that high energy into the rest of the gala. Like any event, a successful silent auction depends on an airtight planning process. No matter how big or small your budget is, your silent auction will be a success as long as you respect some steps. From creating the auction committee and soliciting silent auction items to determining bidding rules, these are just some stages our step-by-step guide will walk you through.
The steps to get sponsors mirror the steps to procure auction items. Rather than asking for items to sell, you are asking for cash contributions. Consider placing your drink stations in the most remote areas of your silent auction to draw bidders. Just be careful that no lines extend in front of bidding areas. Most ticketing providers charge you a fee per ticket sold, which reduces your risk if you don’t sell many tickets but also can be expensive if you sell out.
Save only a few most valuable or flashy items for this, and end the event on a big note before bidder fatigue sets in. Continue to offer donation opportunities throughout your event, along with incentives. This way, people that aren’t interested in bidding or can’t attend the event can still make an impact. Share your donation page link with event attendees and supporters through email and social media. Some families will have access to great products, some can donate their expertise, or maybe they have a set of season tickets to your local team they are willing to donate. Or silent auction websites may want to buy a prize or gift card to local merchants that they can donate.
There are many ways to run silent auctions these days, but how you go about it depends on your unique circumstances and needs. These silent auction rules will help you put together an event that runs smoothly. Remember to dedicate someone to manage this process from start to finish. Silent auctions have the potential to produce significant revenue if done well, but this means a multi-step planning process. They’re a high investment initiative in terms of time commitment, but the rewards can be huge for nonprofits. Paybee swiftly and effectively captures all the information about bidders and how they make bids.
So if you’re looking for a fun and unique silent auction item, consider tickets to a sporting event. There’s no perfect, magic formula to choosing the right virtual silent auction items, as this will depend on your unique circumstances, particularly your audience. Remember, when you put an item up for auction at your next fundraising event, your job is to market that item to the best of your ability. It’s your job to tell your audience why they will want to place bids on your items. With all this in mind, it’s time to get inside the mind of your bidders to get a better understanding of the psychology behind the bid.
(The second page stays on the table so guests can see who won the item.) Runners deliver the original bid sheets to the cashiers, where they’re consolidated by bidder and tallied for checkout. There’s a reason these old-fashioned school fundraisers remain popular in the high-tech era. With good planning, silent auctions can be reliably profitable events.
You’ll stay sane and organized, and your attendees will trust your judgment and feel more comfortable with the auction process. You can’t host a silent auction without exciting items and packages! Brainstorm a list of items and packages that are relevant to your organisation’s audience.
Avoid “L” or “U” shaped layouts, corners, or anything that might interfere with your bidders’ mobility, such as big pillars or planters. Americans require much more physical space when browsing and buying. Quickly customize an Estimate Template below by adding rows and columns, including extra tabs, and choosing new label names and colors.
If you receive lots of smaller, low value items, group them together to create a hamper or bundle to attract more interest. You can also use it to personally thank all your donors and reinforce your message. And that helps give everyone a good feeling about attending your event and supporting your cause.