By Shannon Eason
“Our auctioneer put a fire out…yes, a real fire!”
“What do you mean no one recorded the fundraising results?”
“Why are the registration lines going all the way out the door?”
“But we’ve always done it this way.”
These are just a few phrases that have been heard by meeting professionals across the country. As a meeting and events planner, I’m sure you can add even more! Yes, you recommended six bars for their size crowd, but they chose to save money and have two. Who’s surprised the night of the event when their lines are so long that they have to delay the start of the program to accommodate their guests? The list of challenges (or as I’d like to say “hair pullers”) can be quite long. We all know, preparation is key, but you’re limited as to what you can do. Organizations too often say their budget won’t allow for the recommendations from the professionals. But sometimes, we must use the art of negotiation.
In this instance, your event contact wants to only have 2 bars with your 300 guests. This will mean that there will be approximately 150 guests per bar and an average time of 45 seconds to not only prepare the drink but also ring it up (because it’s a cash bar). 45 seconds at 150 guests is approximately 112 minutes. Yes, almost 2 hours to run everyone through for a beverage. That won’t work! But if you spell it out logistically to your contact, you can make your point.
The timeline for the evening plays a critical role. You’ve told the event contact that their 1,000 tables will take approximately 30 minutes to drop plates. You’ve arranged your timeline to take 30 minutes between the welcome and the program start, but four venue employees called in sick. Now their timeline has added 20 minutes, so do you just delay the program? Do you start while plates are dropping? Do you move something forward like the sponsor thank you’s to fill the time? Flexibility is key to a smooth transition. If there is already an option to add the sponsor thank you’s to the welcome while plates are being dropped, you’ve not added 20 minutes on to the evening, you’ve simply moved 20 minutes after dinner to before. Problem solved and the overall end time will stay the same.
Let’s talk about registration lines. This can put every donor in a bad move before they even get into the event. Their software company recommended six registration volunteers, but the organization thought four would be plenty. You have 500 planned attendees––that’s 125 per volunteer. It takes approximately 2 minutes to register, including capturing their credit card. That means each volunteer is looking at four hours. That’s 2 minutes multiplied by 125 attendees = 250 minutes divided by 60 minutes. Yes, that’s four hours.
Okay, I know that sounds crazy and people arrive at different times, but it really takes planning to avoid this logistical nightmare. But let’s say it’s too late: the event is here and now your contact is looking at you with panic in their eyes and looking at you for a solution and relief. What can you do to save the day?
These are all REAL scenarios that auctioneers have recently been in. How did they react? Well, the answer is… the auctioneer in each situation took control and took action. That’s really what you expect, right?
“Hey, the centerpiece is on fire!” – Auctioneer jumped off the stage, threw water and put out the fire, got back on stage, and went back to work.
“There’s a gentleman that’s had a medical issue. Is there a Dr. in the house?” – Auctioneer commanded the room, created an aisle down the center of the room to get the stretcher and EMT’s to the patient, and kept everyone calm until they got the patient into the ambulance. The team went right back to work and were respectful of the donor that collapsed as well as his family. They thanked everyone in the room for their patience and grace.
You lose electricity and the room is completely blacked out. – Auctioneer had everyone turn the flashlights on their phones and point them up. It generated enough light in the room to continue the fundraising. Numbers were incredibly high due to everyone’s compassion for the situation.
The Wi-Fi is down and the donors can’t get on the app to give. – Auctioneer goes old school with paper and pens for the silent auction and doesn’t miss a beat. The live auction and Fund A Need continued on with no hiccups and all results were entered into the app the next day.
These are scenarios that were handled by professional benefit auctioneers. But as meeting professionals, you must know when to step up and take control to get through a challenge. By coordinating with the venues, the event planner, and the staff, even the toughest hurdles can be jumped. The key is to know there can be hurdles and be prepared for them.
MEET
Shannon Eason, CEO and Founder of Everything Gala, LLC, a fundraising and consulting firm. Eason is an International Auctioneer Champion and has been conducting auctions for almost 40 years. Along with being an instructor and mentor, Eason conducts seminars and workshops across the country.
For 20+ years, the MEET family of products have provided regional and national resources that have kept corporate, association, medical, education, independent, and religious meeting and event planners informed about relevant vendors, industry news, tech innovations, and resources that impact and influence how and where they plan their group business.
For 20+ years, the MEET family of products have provided regional and national resources that have kept corporate, association, medical, education, independent, and religious meeting and event planners informed about relevant vendors, industry news, tech innovations, and resources that impact and influence how and where they plan their group business.
