Benefit Auction Centerpieces

Some people have complicated relationships with people. I tend to have complicated relationships with auction centerpieces.

As an event planner, I *loved* centerpieces. If I needed to "dress" the room on the cheap, I knew the trick. Forget about wall decor. Divert a tad more money into the table decor (as that's where guests spend most of their time) and with the right linens and a fun centerpiece - KABOOM - you've got yourself a festive atmosphere. The rest of the room be damned; if the table looked good, the theme worked.

The fact is that I teach organizations how to improve their return-on-investment with little-used benefit auction ideas. "Follow my advice," I say, "and with some simple changes (sometimes substantial changes), you can start making more money selling that same item in your benefit auction."

So I'm in a quandary about these centerpieces because one method of improving ROI is to turn cost-centers into profit-centers. How can one do this?

Sell the cost-centers.

Centerpieces are a perfect example of selling a cost-center. A few organizations are able to secure centerpieces for free, but usually centerpieces require a financial investment. It's only natural a group wants to recoup that cost.

But there's a line (and it varies by organization) as to when you are being smart about raising money and when you just look like another Midwestern garage sale selling one too many deviled egg dishes.

Here's a general rule. School auctions can sell centerpieces for higher prices than other non-profits.

When children have produced a centerpiece, and the guests are parents of those children, it is an easier sell. What parent doesn't want to own their own child's artwork, and simultaneously make a donation to their kid's school. You'd be a monster not to buy your child's work of art.

This relationship breaks down if the guests are not parents of the children. For instance, if children living in a homeless shelter create the centerpiece, and the guests are John and Jane Smith (no relation to the child), the centerpiece will sell, but usually for less money. There is no blood tie.

Here's another general rule. Consider the cost of your event ticket.

If your event has a high ticket price in relation to competitive events in your area, avoid selling centerpieces. A higher ticket price attracts a different clientele. Do you really want to nickel-and-dime that guest? If I paid $500 to attend your gala, and then you try to entice me into buying a $25 floral arrangement, it seems as though you're being cheap, dahling. At that price-point, some guests will expect you to *give* them the arrangement.

On the other hand, if I paid $40 to enjoy your fundraiser, I would expect to see a number of smaller fundraisers within the party itself. A $10 raffle ticket? Bring it on! A $20 centerpiece? Of course! A dunking tank with some hunk sitting there in boardshorts? I'm there, and fishing out another $25 to try my aim. In this scenario, the selling of a low-cost centerpiece better fits your ticket price.

Make your decision after considering your crowd and ticket price.

This is a mini-taste of the advice I dish out -- for FREE -- in my Benefit Auction Ideas ezine. Get yours here:
http://www.redappleauctions.com/resources-auction-help/benefit-auction-ideas-ezine/

To your auction!
Sherry Truhlar, CMP, BAS
www.RedAppleAuctions.com

When I was a corporate event planner, deciding on centerpieces for special events was one of the creative aspects of my work. Part of the process was making them functional and fun.

As a benefit auctioneer, I have definite ideas on what makes for a good centerpiece!

To keep this post short, I'm only going to talk about fresh *floral* centerpieces.

Here are three auction tips for selecting a good floral centerpiece for your auction fundraiser.

1. Keep them inexpensive.

Even if you sell the centerpiece, they usually won't make you more than what you paid for them. I've noticed a trend that the centerpieces are being scaled down in this economy - smart move! Even when the economy is booming I'd prefer if the centerpieces were inexpensive.

2. Keep them small

The auctioneer needs to be able to see around and over them. Both bidders and auctioneers get frustrated when they can't see each other.

3. If you aren't selling them (or borrowing them), give 'em away.

Guests love taking centerpieces home. If you think there's going to be a swarm of people clamoring for your centerpiece, create a process so guests know the correct pecking order. For instance, mark one of the wine glasses with a gold star, or tell the group that the person with the shortest hair at the table gets first dibs on the centerpiece.

For other great benefit auction ideas, get my FREE ezine (and enjoy a special gift to help you in your procurement process).
http://www.redappleauctions.com/resources-auction-help/benefit-auction-ideas-ezine/

To your auction!
Sherry Truhlar, CMP, BAS
http://www.RedAppleAuctions.com

In my work with dozens of charities and schools, Venice takes a position as being one of the most popular benefit auction themes. Something about the city's canals, or its Carnival, or maybe it has to do with Italian culture in general that seems to capture our imagination. And of all the Venice themes I've seen, each one has somehow managed to work those beautiful Carnival masks into the gala.

At one nonprofit auction, the masks were used throughout the night and took a predominant role in the centerpieces.

The centerpieces were beautiful and showcased lovely half-masks that only covered the eyes when worn. Many of the masks on display elsewhere at the gala were full-face models, usually larger and more extravagant with feathers or other material. But for the centerpieces, they opted for half-masks made of quality materials with rich color.

Each of the 60 tables had the same style of mask, uniform in color and size. The non-profit opted to sell each auction centerpiece for $60. Although guests were buying a lovely flower-mask-vase centerpiece combination, let's be honest %u2026 the draw was the mask, not the lush, fresh flower ring and lovely vase encircling the mask.

Candles were not part of the centerpiece arrangement. I've no idea how flammable these masks are, but I was told that there was some concern about setting the piece on fire. Yikes! So in light of this fear, you'll see there's a rose - not a candle - floating in the vase.

(Keep in mind: If your plans call for candlelight to supplement the lighting during your dinner, this centerpiece is "dark." No candles = a dimmer dinner.)

One option to brighten the centerpiece could be to use a "fake" candle or LED light. But honestly, I think the design would need to be reworked in order to maintain the elegance. Simply dropping a waterproof LED into this vase might cheapen the effect.

There are many ways to incorporate masks onto your gala table, and this was a sharp, sophisticated effect for the charity auction.

For more great content focused exclusively on charity auctions, get your FREE Guide and ezine here:
http://www.redappleauctions.com/resources-auction-help/benefit-auction-ideas-ezine/

To your auction,
Sherry Truhlar, CMP, BAS
Red Apple Auctions

Here's a simple way to add glitz to your charity auction centerpiece.

A recent issue of BizBash Magazine Florida featured a South Florida company (Uplyte) selling a new mini LED (light emitting diode) which could be submerged in water. It also offered twice the brightness of traditional LEDs.

These LEDs had a 12-hour battery life in water, which is plenty of time to drop them into the base of a centerpiece and let them glow through your dinner, speakers, live auction, entertainment, and whatever else you've got planned for the charity auction.

(So you know ... traditional LEDs offer a pull-tab to activate the light. Once it's turned on, it can't be turned off and runs until it burns out. But these new LEDs offer an on-off switch. You can conserve the battery until you really need it. And unlike candles, they won't "ignite" anything.)

Guests love to take LEDs home, too, which is handy when you're selling each auction centerpiece. The centerpiece becomes more attractive for purchase.

A few of our benefit auctions incorporate ice sculptures into the decor. Certainly these LEDs could be used to illuminate those.

Each light and casing is about 2%u2033 X 1.5%u2033 and comes in white, green, red, blue or amber. They cost $1.65 each with a minimum order of 10 pieces, or $1.50 each if you order 100. It's a fairly modest price, for the effect.

For more great content focused exclusively on charity auctions, get your FREE Benefit Auction Ideas ezine on my website here:
http://www.redappleauctions.com/resources-auction-help/benefit-auction-ideas-ezine/

To your auction,
Sherry Truhlar, CMP, BAS
Red Apple Auctions

I cut this photo out of the Wall Street Journal (I think it was WSJ). It was a story about the Robin Hood Foundation's 2009 auction fundraiser.

I saved it because of the auction centerpiece.

(Not that you can really examine it in this photo.)

I can't quite make out the details, but it appears the centerpiece was a skyscraper "skyscape" theme, perhaps representing the New York location of the Foundation.

I didn't save the article, but I remember the story alluding to the centerpieces as being less glamorous than in past years. They were downgraded as part of the Foundation's cost-conscious planning this year.

And hence, we've reached the primary point of this post:
Friends, you will rarely secure more donations from your guests by having a fabulous centerpiece (unless you're planning to sell them).

Although this Squidoo lens is all about auction centerpieces, I wanted to make that point clear. If your benefit auction centerpiece is simply part of the decor, don't spend a lot of money on them.

Incidentally, the article went on to say that after severe cost cutting, the Foundation was able to raise more than the 56.5 million dollars they raised in 2008. That's one big auction.

For more ideas and free Guides, sign-up to enjoy my Benefit Auction Ideas ezine:.
http://www.redappleauctions.com/resources-auction-help/benefit-auction-ideas-ezine/

To your auction!
Sherry Truhlar, CMP, BAS
www.RedAppleAuctions.com