Have you ever experienced a silent auction? They’re fun, interesting, and a very effective means of promoting your cause!
Auctions come in many different flavors, like the traditional live or open auction, the sealed-bid auction, the online auction, and the hybrid auction. But here today, we’d like to discuss the silent auction.
As Vegas Concepts specializes in event planning, we are frequently involved in charitable events. We often recommend the silent auction as an approach to ensuring a successful fundraiser.
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First of all, what is a silent auction?
A silent auction is one where people write down their bids on a sheet of paper, a bid sheet, usually placed near the item being auctioned. At the close of the auction, the highest bid wins the item. Silent auctions are often used in charity events with the items being auctioned simultaneously, then “closed” at a fixed time. It’s “silent” because there is no auctioneer, per se. In charity auctions, each bid sheet usually has a fixed start amount, set bid increments, and a “guaranteed bid” amount. A “guaranteed bid” is a “buy now” amount.
Popular items for auction are tickets to athletic events, concerts, or even movies. Or have fine bottles of wine as the object. Perhaps a getaway trip or fine dining experience at one of the fantastic locations in the DFW metroplex. The possibilities are virtually endless.
What makes a silent auction effective?
They’re fun. – Especially if the objects of the auction are popular, and the more attractive the item, the more enthusiastic the bidders become. The imagination is the only limit!
They’re interesting and entertaining. – There’s a certain element of competition among the bidders, though not like at a live auction, which piques the interest of the participants.
They work! – The silent auction is so effective, that many non-profit organizations have turned to silent auctions as either a stand-alone event or as a way to maximize proceeds from an ongoing fundraising effort.
Another added benefit to a silent auction is that they’re simpler and more hassle-free than other types of fundraising events because the details have been prepared beforehand and there is less need to manage the activity.
So promote your cause and start planning a silent auction fundraising event today! Call Vegas Concepts, the fundraiser specialists, at 972-438-1800, or click Get A Quote to submit a quote request.