Consciously Uncoupling Your Emcee and Auctioneer

For maximum impact at your next event, everyone on stage ought to play a distinct, specific role. This is your opportunity to share the vision of your work with your most ardent supporters and to inspire giving. Two roles that should not be overlooked, under-valued or combined in order to achieve this are the emcee and auctioneer.

Choosing the right emcee can elevate your storytelling and your guest experience. But they don’t need to be a celebrity to bring the impact. Great emcees have a connection to your work, they’re comfortable on stage and they move the program along in a timely manner to make the most of your audience’s time.

And while your emcee is the host for the evening, acting as your storytelling and logistics partner, the auctioneer is your strategic partner working to maximize fundraising potential in the room. In the world of fundraising, benefit auctioneers are game-changers.

Benefit Auctioneer Specialists (BAS) have gone through special training to help you sell your mission as well as the items in your live auction or raffle. They work with you before the event to maximize pre-committed gifts in the special appeal. They are able to work with the energy of the room and manage surprise gifts or last-minute live auction items. They recognize your biggest donors by name for their generous gifts and keep the focus on your mission with a heavy dose of gratitude.

As tempting as it may be, we don’t think the roles of emcee and auctioneer should ever be rolled into one. Not only does this ask a lot of one person, it’s a missed opportunity to create a more dynamic program that’s engaging and entertaining for the audience.

At this year’s SPOON Dinner, SPOON had a great opportunity to elevate both program and fundraising by uncoupling the role of emcee and auctioneer. This year was the 10th anniversary of SPOON, and they had a lot to celebrate and share with longtime supporters.

By hiring an auctioneer from Artisan Auctions, SPOON had the right strategic partner before and during the event to maximize giving and exceed fundraising goals. And by focusing their staff member and strategic partner Aaron Babbie on the emcee role, he was able to successfully host the event from stage and also develop rapport and energy with the auctioneer. The result was better fundraising than ever before and a room full of energized, excited supporters.

When you’re thinking through your program and the people on stage during your event, make sure you give ample credit to the distinct roles of the emcee and the auctioneer. Both have the potential to create deeper connections with your supporters and raise more support for your work. To learn more about the difference in the emcee and auctioneer roles, check out our book, “Planning a Successful Major Donor Event.”