Silent auctions have long represented the most effective fundraisers for thousands of non-profit organizations. Recent advances in technology will help “supercharge” your event results. Easy access to quality auction items, better service, plus winning bids that soar thanks to more competition during the auction itself! This playbook will help you best consider your options, ask the right questions, find the right partners, and maximize your auction efficiency. Particular emphasis will be given to featuring vacations as they are (by far) the most popular items at fundraising events, and we’ve spent several years studying the vacation rental/ charity event marketplace.
1.0 GUIDANCE FOR CHARITY EVENT ORGANIZERS
We’ve asked hundreds of non-profit event planners to tell us about their silent auction events, and we’ve noted their priorities, identified problems, and discovered specific solutions to improve auction efficiency. We also discovered many great companies that provide technology, service and product (auction items) in support of auction events.
a) Priorities– Generally speaking, most event planners want to be sure that their event runs smoothly and that they raise as much money as possible. They have a limited staff, limited budget and limited time to gather items for their auction. If an event planner uses technology to support their event, they need total confidence that the technology will function properly and not let them down.
b) Problems/ Challenges– Planning a good fundraiser takes a lot of time and energy. Event planners must remain focused and work within a fixed budget to coordinate with the venue, the entertainment, the food and beverage and of course secure the items to feature at the auction. Volunteers must be coordinated and social networks leveraged/ local businesses approached to secure quality inventory. Vacation Rentals– While vacations are the most popular items at events, they can often be the hardest to secure because vacation home owners are often very busy, and they are tough to reach. It’s tough to get good photos and details of the property, draft a nice promotional flyer, and negotiate blackout dates. It all takes time that could be spent selling tickets and promoting the event.
c) Solutions- Several great solutions now help solve some of the problems identified above. These solutions can help to improve $$$ results and help your event run smoothly.
Technology Solutions– Our research uncovered many great technology solutions that make it much easier to get and promote inventory, easier for attendees to place bids and to see where they stand and to see when
they are outbid. All of this can now be done from your iPhone or smartphone! Higher end events can display a “big board” showing the total amount raised during the event and show winning bids on a giant screen TV. The pioneers in this market started out by bringing in several hundred thousand dollars of equipment and staff to support the event. The industry is quickly gravitating to what we believe makes the most sense- Mobile bidding using iPhones/ Smartphones. Studies have shown that implementing mobile technology can increase auction proceeds by as much as 300%! Each of the companies below offer some form of mobile bidding and each is in different stages of development. Each offers pros and cons in terms of reliability, user interface and pricing. Contact us and we will be happy to give you our thoughts on each solution and help you identify the right technology partner for your next event. When talking to potential technology (and service) partners, here are some questions to ask:
How long have you been in business?
Can patrons bid with their own Smartphone or do they need to hold another device?
How many events do you do in our area?
What is your pricing structure? Do we pay per item, per attendee, fixed price or combination?
Can you provide some references? Show results before and after an event used your technology?
How do I upload the items into your system? What is the process? How long does it take?
What level of service do you provide pre-event, on event day and post event?
Do patrons have to register or sign up for special services or data plans to use your system?
Who manages the live auction (if applicable) and collects all the winners and cash donations ?
Who checks in guests, cashiers winning bidders and who is responsible for the entire flow?
Can patrons bid anywhere within the venue? Are the items available online before the event?
Technology Providers
Bidpal– Bidpal is migrating away from distributing their own devices at events in favor of allowing participants to use their own phones (good idea for sure). This will make them far more competitive on price, which is where they have been weakest historically.
Auctions by Cellular / Bidsmart – There is some level of partnership between these companies, but it’s difficult to determine exactly how they work together. Flashy user interface, reasonably well received and functional. Strong future competition for Bidpal potentially.
AES (Auction and Event Solutions)- Another company transitioning from touchpad bidding towards mobile smartphone bidding. Offers a host of services and full list available on their website.
BiddingforGood– Seems primarily focused on online bidding and other solutions, but has some ongoing development in mobile bidding. Strong presence in fundraising online, hoping to grow into mobile, text to bid system likely way too complex and likely under redesign.
GoGiggy– Online auctions, golf fundraising solutions, etc, but less emphasis on mobile bidding than some of the others on the list.
Maestro– Alligned with Blackbaud and likely will develop some good technology in the silent auction space. A little late to the party. Needs to develop a smartphone website capability.
QTego – Initially offered text to bid type auctions and now are in development of more robust mobile bidding solutions.
Product Solutions- Every great silent auction event needs great items in its auction. Most event organizers rely on local businesses and supporters to help with gathering auction items. Restaurants, bars, amusement parks, salons, bowling alleys, and art galleries are all logical targets for those seeking items. Supporters that own vacation properties are often asked to donate a spare week or two in support of the cause. Vacations are by far the most popular events at silent auctions but often times the most difficult to easily get. Memorabilia and autographed items are often very popular as well and there are several companies in the business of providing this sort of merchandise for silent auctions. Some examples of these include Unique Auction Items, Heritage Awards and Auctions, Bluetree Marketing, and others. In some (most) instances, adding some extra items can really help your results. In any case, the primary goal should be to get a limited number of quality items (avoid “auction fatigue” and dilute your donor pool) and ensure that a significant portion of the sales price goes to the charity. Equally important is to ensure that it’s easy to print any promotional flyers and/or feature photos and details of all of the items within your mobile bidding software. All of this helps make your life easy and greatly increases the money you raise at the event.
Vacation Rentals– Charity Helpers, LLC spent over two years developing a solution to allow non-profits to easily post vacations donated by supporters and provide access to $millions in vacation rental inventory donated by property owners all over the world. Direct connections to property manager calendars allow for easy import of countless vacations. Owners donate either ALL of the rent or HALF of the rent at their option. An integrated (api) technology solution allows non-profits to easily “claim” vacations and show them at (both manual and mobile automated bidding) events. Vacations are also offered to support charities at Geronimo.com and on thousands of private label TravelPledge accounts. With one click, event planners can claim vacations, golf, and much more for their events.
Interface allow charity event organizer to claim a vacation for an upcoming event.
Service Solutions – Many of the companies providing mobile (and touchpad) bidding technology solutions also provide some level of service to support the auction event. The amount of service provided varies widely (even between individual franchises of a given technology provider!) Alternatively, you may decide to hire an experienced event planner to help ensure your event runs smoothly and to handle the relationship with the technology provider. Tip- don’t count on the event planner to replace the staff recommended by the technology provider. Don’t take the chance of things breaking down in the middle of your event. Adding the right level of quality customer service can make the event so much more enjoyable for the attendees and can make it easier for the event organizer to focus on the big picture. Useful added services you should look for an event planner/ technology partner to provide include:
Pre-event planning (table seatings, invitations, food and beverage, etc) Event setup and layout Event staff Entertainment
Ticket sales/ Event registration Customer service reps to “upsell” the items Technology support
Summary – Recent advances in technology combined with easy access to auction items, reliable mobile solutions and well organized staff all can pay big dividends at your next event. It’s well worth spending a little extra time upfront to identify the right partners that will help make your life easier, make you look good, and help to optimize your auction results. Attendees will enjoy your event, tell their friends and support next year’s event!