Event Planning Tips and Tricks for Live Auctions and Silent Auctions
The crowd at a Live Auction
Space for a live auction
In order to have a successful live auction the majority of your attendees need to be able to see the auctioneer and hear and see what is being auctioned. Seeing what is being auctioned can be managed via displaying the actual item or having photos/logos/images of the item on a projector (i.e. PowerPoint slides).
Space for a silent auction
Guests need to be able to be sold on what you are auctioning. Do you have enough space to display the silent auction items without them being cramped? Displays should remind you of department stores – you want to highlight the product in the best way possible.
- Example of Silent Auction Display
Market your top items
Have one table primarily for your premier items – including those donated by celebrities or personalities (especially if they are attending your event). If possible, this table should be in direct view of where people are entering the main auction space. You want to immediately create a buzz that your event has “must have” items.
How many auction items should you have?
Ensure you have an appropriate number of items to auction off. For example, if you have an event for 500 people, 150 silent auction items is a good fit. The number of live auction items depends on length of the event and number of attendees. For a four hour event with 500 people, 10-15 items are sufficient. You don’t want the live auction to take up the whole timeline of your event. At most it should be 30-45 minutes in order to maintain the attention of your attendees.
Silent Auction Layout
What types of auction items should you have?
To hold a successful live auction, make sure you have high value or experiential items that are hard for people to get. The harder to get – the more people are willing to pay. Silent auction items should be appropriate for your audience. For example don’t have all products geared towards women if 50% of your attendees are men. Look for balance.
Floor Plan
Separate the silent auction area from the live auction area. Once your live auction is complete it can turn into a dance floor. It’s also a great place to put food stations. Place your beverage bars strategically where people have to walk past your silent auction items to get to the bars. This ensures they see more of what you are auctioning.
Do you have additional live auction and silent auction tips to add? Send them in!
