March 2020 is an incredibly challenging time for fundraising auctions, especially in cities or counties where the government is calling for social distancing (i.e., no non-essential large gatherings or social events). There is a lot on the line for every organization that puts on a fundraising auction, and the decision to hold or cancel an event in the midst of a public health crisis is not an easy one to make.
Organizations are faced with a daunting decision, and many are deciding to proceed with their fundraising auction. If you are choosing to proceed with your fundraising event, there are some simple steps you can take to help make your guests feel comfortable, help your event succeed, and (more importantly) also help prevent the spread of any infectious disease – but especially Covid19.
1) Encourage guests who are sick to stay home. Screen for obviously sick guests at the door and send home anyone who is showing visible signs of sickness. It seems obvious to state this, and while we haven’t had issues in the past with people who were sick with the flu showing up to events and spreading their germs, it is still worth communicating to your crowd.
2) Support guests who choose to stay home and offer them alternative methods of supporting you, either via proxy bidding or some online participation tool like GoTo Meeting. Whether they are sick or worried about getting sick, the decision to stay at home is theirs to make. You should make sure that decision doesn’t preclude them from supporting you and your cause.
3) Provide clear messaging to your crowd about your decision to hold the event. It is always a good idea to reach out to key bidders and attendees in advance of your event to make sure they are committed to attending and supporting the auction. A high level of pre-event communication is even more crucial now. You have done a risk/benefit analysis and arrived at this decision conscientiously, now bring your crowd into the loop. What are your needs and how would cancelling or postponing your event negatively impact your organization? What won’t happen if you don’t hold the event?
The Pure-alien is here to help keep your hands clean.
4) Once guests arrive, do everything you can to make them feel safe. Provide at least one hand sanitizer station at registration, preferably more around the event as a whole. We’ve seen events with a small bottle on every table – which may have been overkill, but it was appreciated by guests. If you are having a difficult time locating hand sanitizer, you can always make your own.
5) If you are having a silent auction, offer everyone their own, brand-new pen at check-in. This will make attendees feel more comfortable and at ease. It will also reduce the amount of hand sanitizer your crowd uses.
6) Reevaluate your auction items based on the reality of the present moment. Check in with donors or providers to see if they can extend expiration dates to two or even three years, instead of the standard one-year expiration; especially for trips, large-scale events, parties and sporting events. Consider pulling trips to impacted areas and cruises out of your auction. In fact, don’t consider it, do it. Trips to Italy and Princess Cruises are not going to do you any good if you keep them in your live auction.
7) Encourage guests to embrace zero-contact methods of greeting; eliminate handshakes and hugs. Embrace fist-bumps or come up with your own greeting if possible (the “Vines and Vision Toe-Tap”) and have greeters demonstrate it on the way in. Normalize the new normal. People probably want to get away from the fear, uncertainty, and doubt that is inundating us these days, but we still need to encourage safe behavior.
8) Work with your caterer and venue staff to adjust the layout of your room if you are suddenly expecting a smaller crowd. Subtle changes in ballroom configuration or usage of pipe and drape can make a room feel intimate.
9) Work with your caterer or banquet manager to evaluate and adjust your food plan if necessary. Now might be a bad time for an un-staffed buffet or “family style” service. Some creative collaborating with your food services team should be able to find a solution that makes everyone comfortable.
10) Finally, thank your guests and appreciate their presence! You don’t need to overwhelm them with how thrilled you are that they braved the outside world and came to your event, but gratitude for everyone’s desire to congregate and support you is always a good thing.
