A Silent Auction is simply another way of raising money at your event using donated items that would not necessarily make it in to the main Auction - usually lots ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand in value. Traditionally, Silent Auctions have been very passive, with bidders placing one bid per lot at the beginning of an event, with highest bidder on each lot winning it. However, with Ignition's tried and tested software solution, Silent Auctions become interactive, competitive and visually engaging -most importantly they simply raise much, much more money!
The most essential item for any Silent Auction are the Bid cards or Bid Cheques. These should be generously laid out on each of your dinner tables and have plenty for your guests to use.
When a guest is ready to bid, they simple fill out a bid card and hand it to their table hostess. The hostess then takes the bid to the team of data 'inputters' who will input the bid into the software application. Within seconds if the bid is higher than the previous bid, the bidder will be displayed on one of the screens.
At the end of the auction, the highest bidder is the winner. Ensure that prizes are paid for and collected on the night. If you have high value items, you may want to ensure you have credit card facilities available.