This article provides a couple quick tips to consider when planning your event and putting together final details and what to anticipate. This article also includes a downloadable PDF to our Event Kick-off Review.
It's time to get started. With the help of this guide, you are sure to be off to a great start on organizing and running your auction event.
Put in the Effort
I am sure you have often heard - your results are directly related to your efforts. The same is true with an auction. If you want great auction items, then you need to make the effort to get them. If you want an amazing party, then you will need to make the effort to organize one. If you want people to come to your event, then you will need to not only INVITE them, you will need to remind them to register. If you want to raise a lot of money, then you will need to have multiple ways for people to spend or give.
How Much Detail is Enough?
Do you care what the centerpieces look like? Will the photos on your site/app be crisp or blurry? Are you the one who wants the lines cut straight, tablecloths ironed and flowers to match your theme? The amount of detail around the event is entirely up to you. Make sure your team/committee is on board with your expectations, otherwise you may find yourself re-doing other people’s work or fixing last-minute “flaws”.
Anticipate the Unexpected
For your auction/event, we aren’t talking only about technology. Instead, we are talking about the many things that could go wrong at your event. In fact, in our experience, most of these “irregularities” have nothing to do with technology. This could include something your caterer forgot, your guests being assigned to the wrong table, names being misspelled, volunteers arriving late (or not at all), or items missing in your mobile bidding software that are on display. While not all “issues” at an event are preventable, you can minimize many of them through preparation and employing an experienced and professional staff to run your auction/event.
Planning Guide: Kick-off Review PDF
Please take some time to review the attached document to help with planning your event and Handbid auction. The old expression from Ben Franklin still holds: "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!"
We have put this document together to help you start your planning. While everything may not apply to your particular situation, it's a good idea to check the steps to make sure you have a plan in place for all the elements of your event and auction and most importantly ensure that all of your staff and volunteers are on the same page.
Many of the subjects covered here are expanded upon in other articles in the Knowledge Base, but we put this together if you want to print it out and use as a guide. Feel free to download and print it out and go through with your auction team! Or, check out our handy Auction Manager Checklist: Click here!