Home > Blog > Live Auctions > Raise $100K With A Paddle Raiser Party
Hello, my fabulous fundraisers!
If your past Sign-Up Parties have sold well during your Silent Auction, I've got an advanced technique to help you DOUBLE THAT REVENUE.
You can up the ante with a Paddleraiser Party during your Live Auction.
Just like the Sign-Up Parties, the Paddleraiser Party is an opportunity for your guests to purchase a spot or two (or ten) for a spectacular soirée...
Maybe it’s a Progressive Dinner for 10 couples, or an Evening Out featuring dinner by a famous chef and a live concert. Something you know that your guests will find exciting.
And some of the setup is identical to Sign-Up Parties. You’ll need to have a set date, a set location, and a limited number of spots available.
But here is where we take it to the next level:
During the Live Auction, when you’re ready to introduce the Paddleraiser Party, have your emcee describe the party in a way that will get your bidders all revved up, and then your auctioneer will say something like...
“If you would like to go to Chef Ramsey’s Master Class for $2,500, please hold up your bidder number up with one hand and use the other hand to show how many spots you’d like.”
Because you’ve put together a package that really excites your bidders, let’s imagine that you get lots of interest: after tallying this first round of bidding, you’ve got 40 hands in the air!
But, we only have 20 spots total...
So we need to move to Round 2, and DOUBLE the Price Per Spot from $2,500 to $5,000.
That’s right!
“If you want to go to Chef Ramsey’s Master Class for $5,000, please hold up your bidder number up with one hand and use your other hand to tell me how many spots you’d like.”
All 20 spots at $5,000 A PIECE!!
And we make $100,000 on ONE item.
That’s what I call success!
The key to a Paddleraiser Party is that adjustable price point which can be increased based on your attendees’ level of interest, so now you have the potential to make much more money than if you were locked into a set price of $2,500.
Plus, if you’ve taken the time to put together a Seriously Special Event, instead of offering it as a singular item for one person to purchase, you’ve created the chance for more participation in your live auction and most importantly maximized your revenue.
BUT BUT BUT!!!
It is critical that the party you offer is extremely enticing to your attendees.
There must be lots of interest, or this will fall flat in the Live Auction, and even worse, that dip in energy could kill your momentum for the rest of the night.
Paddleraiser Parties do take a little more time to sell during the live auction than the more traditional items, so I recommend only adding one to your lineup. Any more than that can be overwhelming.
And by offering this one Super Special Event, you’ll keep demand for your Paddleraiser Party at a premium.