During the Auction

During the Auction

            From the moment volunteers arrived to help set up for the auction to the moment we all left The Hub, people regularly asked me how I was feeling.  I kept replying, “I don’t know.”  I was so focused on operations that I really didn’t know how I was feeling.  However, I’ve since had time to give it some thought.

            To start, I’m really happy with how we scheduled the event.  I’m glad I’d prepared set up ahead of time by making sure all of the art was ready to hang and that I’d mapped out where each item should go.  I’d even mapped out where to put the admission table and the food.  I’d created various directional signs for guests.  Just enough volunteers showed up to make this happen by our 4 P.M. start time.  I also had scheduled my time leading up to the event so that I was not forced to stay up late the night before in order to finish last minute details. 

            Also, regarding the operations of the event, I kept waiting for something to go wrong, but nothing major happened.  The worst that happened was that some of the art fell down from the wall.  The humidity of the day had loosened the taped string, which was holding the work to the hooks.  Luckily there really was no major damage.  We just fixed how each item was displayed and moved on.  Moreover, volunteers and guests generally were on time.  More importantly, guests were able to bid, win, and purchase items with ease.  They were fed.  They mingled.  They gave to great causes, and they heard information about how to fight trafficking.  We cleaned up afterward and left the building early.  Throughout the day, I also got a lot of positive feedback from guests, which I was so relieved and happy to hear.

            I was also really happy with the entertainment and the speeches given during the event.  I could not have asked for more professional musicians in Candice Russell and then Curtis and Grace of Jubilee Band and Arts Aftercare.  I really thought they created a great ambience and were witnesses to how you can use creativity to speak against a heavy issue like sex trafficking.  I also really appreciated how Jeremy, the president of Rescue:Freedom, spoke with such conviction about helping women and girls leave sex-trafficking.  I also sensed guests making a connection with the work of Arts Aftercare as they learned how their art toolkit is helping trafficking survivors open up about what they’ve been through.  This could not have happened without the great relationships Jeremy has with all of these people.  It proves to me that good relationships are so important in fund-raising.

            I also thought the addition of Caffe’ Lusso and Sozo Friends also helped to give our event credibility.  Guests also learned that you can purchase great tasting, socially responsible coffee.  They also learned that you can purchase wine while giving to a good cause.  Again, this happened because of Jeremy’s good relationships.

            The main thing that I wish I had done differently is to figure out how to get art buyers to our auction.  I used Facebook, posters, and word of mouth to advertise everywhere else I could think of.  Interestingly, our guests bid more on our craft items and photographs than our more expensive fine art.  Part of the issue is that I, the event coordinator, just did not know enough high end art purchasers.  Also, the value of art is subjective.  I think this combination is why our guests purchased less expensive items like the jewelry and smaller art.  We’re still tallying the results, but it looks like we made close to $2,500.00, which is half of our initial goal of $5,000.00.  If we were to put on an art auction again, we would need to either focus on higher end art buyers or more specifically on what we think the general public would like. 

            Last, I also wish I had spent more time figuring out how to formally connect guests to Rescue:Freedom, so that opportunities for volunteering or fund-raising could happen in the future.  However, figuring out the operations of the auction took precedence from the moment I started planning until the moment the auction was over.  On the other hand, I did see guests having conversations with both Curtis of Arts Aftercare and Jeremy of Rescue:Freedom, and they did hear both men speak from the stage.  So it really is possible this happened organically.

            If you were to ask me now how I am feeling about the auction, I would say that I am proud of my accomplishment and what I learned.  We raised awareness and money for sex trafficking survivors.  I just wish I would have had the bandwidth to focus on art buyers and then facilitating future volunteer opportunities.  Now that I understand the operations of an auction, I could make both happen.