Thank you so much - I didn't even think of contacting the high school av team, great idea!
Unfortunately, as far as having students as runners, since there will be alchol at the event, we can't do that. It definitely would have made things easier though!
I don't have any experience with this sort of function but I have a close friend who hosts a dinner like this every year for a charity group. A few things I know she did:
She recruits high school students to be hosts/hostesses for the evening. For many of them this counts toward community service requirements they need for church or graduation.
She solicits gift bags from local businesses to give away as door prizes - including home based businesses such as Pampered Chef, Mary Kay, etc.
For table centerpieces, a local florist might make them at cost if you allow them to put a small, tasteful card with them advertising the business. The flowers can then become a door prize for one person at each table to take home with them.
Maybe find out if your high school has a media/av team that might be willing to run a dj/sound system for you. Maybe you don't want dancing but at least some background music would be nice.
The principal is set on having it out at a banquet hall because he wants to "formal it up a bit". So, I figured we could include some free tickets in with the admission somehow and I'm not sure what else, but I agree with you that there need to be *extras* for the price of $30 a ticket. To answer your other questions- as far as I know there will not be other entertainment, but there will be alchol available(provided as a cash bar). It's a sit down dinner because he was against having 100+ people up at a buffet, which of course adds to the cost, but... when some people are set on having something done a certain way, sometimes there's no changing their minds [img]redface.gif[/img]
Wow, depending on your area, $30+ a person for dinner plus asking them for more money during the auction is a lot. Will there be other entertainment? Alcohol? We're from a small-medium community and our local Rotary Club does this type of thing every year, but I can say that they DEFINITELY provide us with enough goodies and fun for the whole evening for it to be worth the price.
Is your principal totally against having it in your cafeteria or your bingo hall? You could still have a meal catered in and dress up the place.
I am chairing our 2007 Gift Auction (Tricky Tray) and I am stuck. The principal wants to have it out as a dinner type thing, which I thought would be a good idea, (we hope to have 100-150 people attend) but now I'm wondering if it would be better (more profitable) to just have it in the bingo hall where we can price admission tickets at $7 each (the usual price here), sell water, soda, tea/coffee, and snacks. I've priced some halls around here and the cheapest one would cost $30 per person plus 18% gratuity & 6% sales tax. I'm really in need of pros/cons of having it as a dinner and the experiences of others who have held auctions both ways. Thank you so much in advance for *any* opinions/advice!
