Taking a hot air balloon ride is on many people’s bucket lists. Having one donated for your silent auction is bound to encourage bidding. Tickets to art museums, science centers, and other cultural institutions can be fun excursions for silent auction bidders. Use the PA system at your venue to promote your silent auction and encourage excitement and participation. If you have a ‘Master of Ceremonies’ ensure they are familiar with all items so that they can confidently promote them throughout your event.
You’ll want to choose a place that makes sense with your nonprofit and appeals to your supporters. Helped us run our best auction to date, with virtually no line at checkout, even though we had almost doubled our attendees from the prior year. Same advice for this issue—it sends the wrong message to your guests, and can easily frustrate guests who thought they won an item but are outbid in the extended period. Too few items can frustrate your guests who aren’t as big of spenders as some of the others. Typically, donation for silent auction of thumb is to have one item for every two to three guests.
Using software, schools can streamline the entire auction process, making it easier to manage and maximize its potential. One of the main drawbacks of using silent auction bid sheets is the potential for errors. Volunteers may misread bids or make mistakes when recording them, leading to inaccuracies in the bidding process. Additionally, bid sheets can be lost or misplaced, leading to confusion and potentially lost revenue. This makes bid sheets less than ideal for larger auctions, where the volume of bids and items can be overwhelming.
Yet another option is to hold an online auction after your live or silent auction, to deal with items you didn’t have room for, or that didn’t sell. Another significant drawback has arisen since the COVID-19 pandemic began. One drawback, from a profit-making perspective, is that many attendees at silent auctions place only one bid, then move on.
Consider a backstage pass to a popular concert, a behind-the-scenes tour, or a VIP booth at a sporting event. From relaxing villas on the white sands of Turks or Tulum to adventures in Patagonia or Disney World, these escapes offer guests a truly once-in-a-lifetime prize that sparks major bidding wars. Easy-to-use apps let guests submit their bids directly from their phones. It also notifies donors when they’ve been outbid, sparking friendly competition and bigger proceeds. Guests can shop a gallery of unique and desirable items, sip drinks and mingle while browsing, and of course – battle for the winning bid. Make sure you leverage all of your event attendees and make soft appeals toward the end of the night.