Are Paddle Raises Replacing Live Auctions? What's Working in Fundraising with Marissa Walters

EP 113: Are Paddle Raises Replacing Live Auctions? What's Working in Fundraising with Marissa Walters

Jeff Porter: All right. Well, welcome back to the Elevate Your Event podcast, where we talk about all the various ways you can make your next fundraising event better than the one before. And we've got a special guest today: Marissa Walters. You're the founder and CEO of Wild Hair Auctions.

Marissa Walters: That is correct.

Jeff Porter: And you're also a founding member of the Summit Auctioneers Collective. Tell me a little bit about that.

Marissa Walters: Yeah, it was born about a year ago. I'd been thinking about it for years, because being a solopreneur — you know this from when you first started — can be very, very lonely. And we're competitive, right? As auctioneers, we're competitive in this market. But I kept thinking, what if there was a way for us to get together, get rid of the competition, and be collaborators, and that way be better for our clients? So I paired with three amazing local auctioneers, Debbie Scheer, Taryn Atlas, and Libby Pollack, and we decided to be a powerhouse group of women who are going to serve our clients the best we can. We share all the things. That was my other thing: I have my data for my auctions, but I wanted to know what they were seeing. So we decided to take the gloves off and be collaborators. Now we have a breadth of knowledge, because I get to ask them, "Hey, how does this package do for you guys? Have you ever sold this?" Our numbers are now founded in a ton of data, because it's four auctioneers bringing all of our events together and looking at the numbers and going, "Oh, this is more successful than this. Let's try this." And I don't feel that competition. We still compete — we all go up for the same jobs — but I'm happy to let one of them get it, because I know that org will be taken care of, because all four of us are in their corner.

Jeff Porter: I think that's absolutely awesome. And to your point, there's competition, but there's also kind of "coopetition," right? I was recently at the Benefit Auctioneering Summit, and Handbid was a sponsor there, and I was really impressed with the amount of cooperation and collaboration that benefit auctioneers have. And they do it simply because they want the best for their client.

Marissa Walters: Exactly.

Jeff Porter: How can I make my client's event better than the last one? I call it stealing ideas from each other. They're helping each other, they're stealing ideas, they're sharing data. And they all know they might go up against each other for a particular event they're trying to win, but that's really up to the client to choose, in terms of personality and fit and cost and all that. They're not holding it against each other. So it was really interesting. I was soaking in a lot — not only the data they were sharing, and we're going to talk about some of the data you have, but also the practices and the challenges, and having someone else stand up in the room and say, "Here's how I solved that problem," or "Here's how I tackled that challenge." So anyway, I think it's awesome that you guys have come together.

Marissa Walters: Yeah.

Jeff Porter: Great set of auctioneers. So what I want to do in this podcast is talk about what's going on. What are you seeing? You've raised millions of dollars, you're running a ton of events in Denver, and maybe even traveling at this point. I'm getting this vibe of a soft economy. What's going on at events from your perspective right now?

Marissa Walters: It's really interesting, because the one thing we're seeing is that people are still supporting the causes that mean something to them. But instead of maybe the 10 they had before, now they're just doing the five that mean the most to them — and they're still supporting them very robustly. If I look at my year over year, paddle raises are up 40%, which is insane. Live auctions are flat to down. I think people are wanting to give. They don't want something. They're not buying; they're donating.

Jeff Porter: Well, that's interesting. I would think if I'm going to drop 10 grand on a charity, you throw in a trip to Mexico for that.

Marissa Walters: Right.

Jeff Porter: Now, maybe there's awareness among these people that if they buy the trip to Mexico in the live auction, the charity isn't getting all of their money. You think that's part of it?

Marissa Walters: I think there's a little bit of that. And I think it also has to do with the room. I just recently did an event where we had six robust, amazing live auction items, and they all went for more than $10,000, which was shocking. But it was also that donor base. That donor base always does that. It's very similar packages every year, they know it's going to be there, and they're going to take care of it. But they still gave robustly in the paddle, which was crazy.

Jeff Porter: That says something about the organization, right? They've cultivated the right donors in the room who understand this. How do you do that, Marissa? I sit on a board here locally in Denver, and this comes up consistently. I've actually got sponsors and table buyers asking us — asking me specifically — "How do I attract the right people to my table?" Because I get to invite my friends, but I know who in my little friend group might show up and donate and who may not. They're probably only going to donate enough to cover the cost of their meal, because the charity is important to me, not to them. So how do you do that? Do you have any advice for them?

Marissa Walters: I think it's the year-round strategy. And it's making sure you inform your table sponsors or table captains not to invite the random friend that may not give. That's not the point. I was at an event this last weekend where one of the main sponsors had three people show up. Their table was in the middle of the room, and then they left when it was time to give. So you have the optics of a room that's completely full, and a main sponsor table isn't there. That's a little deflating for the people around them. So part of it is your donor team, outside of the event, educating the people who are table sponsors — and looking to your board and saying, "Listen, we love your participation. We love your support. Your financial support is important, but you connecting us with the right people is even more important." And this one org that we did two weeks ago has done a beautiful job since its inception. Part of it is that people connect a lot to the mission — it's about educating kids — so the people who are there understand, and it's meaningful to them. But the gal who got the award — it's so funny — said to the development director, "I was only able to get 24 of my 25 seats." And they're like, "That's okay." And her three tables understood the assignment. When I asked for a certain dollar amount, which was fairly high, those people knew how important this org was to her. Now again, she runs in a totally different circle than I do. My friends aren't the ones raising at the tens of thousands. But she understood: "I'm going to put the right people at this table who can give at that level." And they did, which was amazing.

Jeff Porter: Yeah. And I think it's not as easy as a lot of people think.

Marissa Walters: It is not.

Jeff Porter: It's like, "I have this organization, I'm going to buy a table, it's really important to me." And the next question is, "I've got to go out through my network and find people I think would find this organization equally important." And this is just me talking, but I don't think, if I was going to do that, I can just spring it on them at the event. I need to really prime them, right?

Marissa Walters: Yeah. And you know what I'm finding, too, is with a lot of these orgs — I used to think the soft ask doesn't work. But these breakfast events that orgs have off-cycle, that's the education and the connection. So it's getting someone to that breakfast event and giving them a flavor of who the org is. Maybe the soft ask is on the table, and they might give $100 or $250 because they've just been introduced to the organization. But now invite them back to the gala. Engage them through the whole year — all the things you're doing. Get a board member on them. Become a friend. Get them involved in the organization. Have them come to an event. Then get them to come to the gala. That's where you can maximize their donation. You had the soft ask with the breakfast and the cute kids, but then you bring them to the gala and you get the bigger donation.

Jeff Porter: Yeah. We've talked about micro events as a way to prime your gala. I think that makes a lot of sense. So, okay — what was interesting at this event we just had, where I'm on the board: the paddle raise was good. I'm looking at historical numbers, so it's relative to this particular audience. And of course every organization wants more and bigger givers in the room. Nobody's going to say, "Ah, paddle raise is too high, let's back off."

Marissa Walters: Right, right.

Jeff Porter: So this was on par. They're on track; we're looking at that trend. Live auction comes and goes, and this year I would say it was average. And you said you're seeing something very similar. So what do you think that is? I was thinking, people are going to drop four grand on a trip, and they still have to go buy airline tickets, and travel's expensive right now.

Marissa Walters: It is. And it's a hassle. That's something we don't think about. We all want to travel, but you have to figure out: when can I get the time off? What time of year is it? The parking, all the things. What if you have kids? What if you have dogs? You have to put more energy and effort into it than just giving $5,000 and feeling good about what you did. And to your point, airfare right now is ridiculous. And there are parts of the world that are kind of scary — and people have their own perception of what's scary. I'm not worried about going so many places, but there are people who are anxious about going to Mexico, the Caribbean, wherever it is, for whatever reason. So those are reasons people are like, "I'm good. I'll just give you money." I'm going to Cabo, and someone said to me, "You know there's a travel advisory there?" And I'm like, "For what? Have you been to Cabo?"

Jeff Porter: It's just San Diego in another part of the world.

Marissa Walters: Exactly, exactly.

Jeff Porter: Yeah, I hear what you're saying. So if it's not travel — and obviously live auctions are full of those types of things — is anything working in that area?

Marissa Walters: Yeah. Organization-specific items are working. Schools are very easy, because you can get all the free stuff: principal for the day, the parking spot, the car loop spot. But those still sell really well, because it's a cool experience and something your kid can talk about. We all know the parking spots so well. One thing I've been selling a lot lately is a car loop spot. It was introduced to me by a suburban school, and I was like, "A car loop spot? What is that?" It means you don't get out of the car. The teacher comes and grabs the preschooler, takes them in, and gives them back to you at the end of the day. I was like, "That's genius." It's like the drive-through. We joked that it's valet for your kids — and you don't have to tip. If you're a mom with an infant who has to get the preschooler and the infant out of the car, that's a genius idea. We have another org that's garden-focused. They have a gal people love who's a genius when it comes to growing stuff in Colorado, so we sold a consultation with her. We did an auction chicken — we sold six of them. It wasn't for a ton of money, but people were excited to be connecting with the organization and giving to the organization. So it was twofold. Those things are still super successful.

Jeff Porter: Okay. And they're tied to the organization, and they offer something of value to the person who's bidding on it.

Marissa Walters: Right. I think it gives them a little bit of prestige.

Jeff Porter: Yes. I remember that. We used to do a lot of school auction podcasts and blogs, and we still run a lot of school auctions. And I remember thinking, "Oh my God, sixth-grade graduation tickets are ridiculous" — what people will pay for the front row.

Marissa Walters: Oh yeah. We just did an event where a young kid was volunteering, and I sold Christmas program front-row seats, and he was like, "Mom, why would people pay that?" He was shocked that someone would do that. And the mom was like, "Hey, it's prestige. It makes you feel good. You're in the front row, you get the best pictures of your kiddos." And we're going anyway.

Jeff Porter: Yeah. I'm going to be there. I get free parking and I don't have to be there early. Done.

Marissa Walters: Right.

Jeff Porter: No, that's fascinating. But for the non-schools, I think you're suggesting organizations try to come up with things that are uniquely connected to them.

Marissa Walters: Totally. If you can find something on brand or on message that people want to connect to — if it's with the ED, maybe that's important, maybe it's not, who knows — is there someone in your organization people love and want to be involved with? Find a way to connect with them. That's a huge piece.

Jeff Porter: That makes a lot of sense. So what are things you would tell people to avoid at this point?

Marissa Walters: Interestingly, lately: sports tickets, if they don't come with a bunch of extras like parking or VIP access to something — meh. It's funny, we had our Summit call this morning, and Debbie said you can throw a rock and hit someone who has tickets to any of these sports teams, and your buddy might just give you those tickets. And our teams are good, but two years ago they were selling like hotcakes, because we had the Stanley Cup and we were crushing it in all areas. Now our teams are good, but not as good as they were. So just two tickets to an Avalanche game in a regular section isn't getting what it used to.

Jeff Porter: Right. Well, let's think about it, because we have a box at Fiddler's Green, and I'd put concert tickets in the same boat.

Marissa Walters: Yep.

Jeff Porter: Because of another main reason, which is that most donors are going to be very restrictive on dates. Whenever I'd get Broncos tickets donated, it was always every game except Kansas City — that's not happening — and some other key games. Or we get Rockies tickets: no fireworks game. Well, no one goes to the Rockies to see the Rockies play. They're going for the fireworks. Last year it was no Dodgers, no Cubs, no fireworks. And I'm like, those are the only times people go to Rockies games. I can't sell to the Dodgers fans in town, I can't sell to the Cubs fans in town, and I can't sell the fireworks game. So these things are worth the paper they're printed on.

Marissa Walters: It's true.

Jeff Porter: And with concerts, there's obviously a genre alignment, but at the same time there's a date. It's specific, and that can be really tricky.

Marissa Walters: Weirdly — I'm not sure who these people know — but I've had three orgs this year with tickets to any concert at Ball Arena, and I was like, "Who do you know?"

Jeff Porter: They own — I can tell you this, because we've chatted with them — they own a suite.

Marissa Walters: There you go. So it could be any concert, but it'll usually say "up to negotiation."

Jeff Porter: Right.

Marissa Walters: And that's always a struggle, too.

Jeff Porter: Oh, yes. Because when Taylor Swift shows up at Ball Arena — she's not going to, but say she does — that one's going to be off limits.

Marissa Walters: Yep.

Jeff Porter: So you have to deal with those.

Marissa Walters: But we've definitely seen that.

Jeff Porter: It's also up to the generosity and flexibility of your donor.

Marissa Walters: Totally.

Jeff Porter: I'll tell you, one year we donated our whole box at Fiddler's Green, and I wasn't very specific about it. I said it just needs to be coordinated with us. And of course the guy won it for a lot of money, and I felt really good about it, because it was for a charity I love, that I founded. And he wanted to go to the Dave Matthews concert. I could sell the box for about $3,000, so it was fine — I had no problem with it. The only problem was Dave wasn't playing that year. Dave only comes every other year. So I had to tell him. And I said, "You know what? I'm going to honor this. I have a feeling you're not going to forget this. I don't want to give you a refund or have the charity refund you. I'm just going to honor this. You've got my email." Sure enough, right at the beginning of the next season: "I want those Dave tickets." I'm like, "They're yours."

Marissa Walters: That's awesome.

Jeff Porter: So you also have to see if you can find donors who are going to be that flexible sometimes.

Marissa Walters: Absolutely. And that's hard. It can be tricky. And good on the donor for being a donor — we appreciate that. And I also respect and honor the fact that they have restrictions on things.

Jeff Porter: What about memorabilia? Is that something—

Marissa Walters: I hate memorabilia.

Jeff Porter: Yeah.

Marissa Walters: It's just so hard. Now, I've had organizations prove me wrong, where I've been like, "I do not want to sell that. I'll do it because you told me to."

Jeff Porter: Especially when it's on consignment.

Marissa Walters: Yeah, it's so hard.

Jeff Porter: It could be fake, too.

Marissa Walters: It could be. They basically just sit in a room and sign a bunch of them, and you don't have a certificate of authenticity. How do you value that? It's really tricky.

Jeff Porter: I've seen charities get burned by that. We've done podcasts in the past on the authenticity of memorabilia, and it's a really, really dangerous market to get into, especially on consignment. If you went to the Broncos — they're probably not going to give you this, but if you got a signed jersey from one of the players — the Broncos are likely to give you some sort of card that says it's real. You can trust that. When you start getting them online from these places — we know the places we trust, and we know the certificates of authenticity we would trust, and they really only come from a few places. Fanatics has theirs, and then you've got JSA, PSA, and Beckett. If it's not one of those, I wouldn't buy it. I've been at events where they were like, "We're going to put the Bruce Springsteen guitar up on stage, and the auctioneer is going to auction it off." And I'm texting people I know in the industry, snapping photos of it, and immediately getting texts back saying, "That is fake." And I'm like, how do I handle this? I can't have the auctioneer sell this off.

Marissa Walters: Right.

Jeff Porter: So yes, I'm with you on that.

Marissa Walters: Yeah. I think those are tricky, obviously. And they're very market-specific, too.

Jeff Porter: Yes. My dad used to be really close friends with the former coach of the San Antonio Spurs. So when the Spurs dominated, I got a basketball signed by the entire team. Now, that would sell way better in San Antonio.

Marissa Walters: I know.

Jeff Porter: So I was trying to figure out who I could trade this with. You have to take that into account, too.

Marissa Walters: Yes. And if they get memorabilia — if it's gifted to them — of course, sell it. I always tell them to put it in the silent. If they really want it in the live, then I'll say, "Hey, go try to get tickets to that game or that team." So, Broncos — cool. Let's see if we can find two tickets to go with it, and we'll sell those together.

Jeff Porter: So you're sitting down with your clients and consulting them through this. You're looking at last year's live auction items and suggesting changes. But if it's heavy on travel experiences, are you steering them away from it, or just saying, "We'll see how it goes"?

Marissa Walters: I do my best to steer them away from it. One or two travel things is great. A whole lineup of travel doesn't work. Also, the number of items needs to come down. It's about quality, not quantity. And again, there are rooms like the one I was talking about from two weeks ago, where they have the three they have every time. People know it, and it's donors in the room who donate it. It's a villa — not just a house or a condo — a villa in Hawaii, a villa in Spain. Those are repeat items that are easy, and you know people are going to bid. But going out and grabbing a whole bunch of different travel stuff doesn't work.

Jeff Porter: And what are your thoughts on the whole double thing — the hidden doubles and all that?

Marissa Walters: I'm great with one or two of those in an auction, when it's free — someone gifts you their house or whatever it is and says, "Hey, you can sell it twice," and it was donated to you. Some orgs will do, "Hey, everyone can go to Mexico." It works — but it works once. It doesn't work year after year, because they saw it last year and they know what you're going to do. Or item after item.

Jeff Porter: That was the other thing, where I was like, these bidders are going to wise up to the fact that this auctioneer is about to sell this again twice, so they're going to stop bidding.

Marissa Walters: No, you're absolutely right. We had an org this last week that had three consignment travel packages in a row, and the ED was like, "Sell all of them, as many as you can." And we were like, "We'll be strategic." I was actually ringing for another auctioneer, which I still love doing. On one that was doing really well, I had three bidders in, so I communicated with her, and we decided to sell three. Well, the next one wasn't doing that well. I had one bidder in, and the backup bidder wasn't interested. I could tell they wouldn't take another chunk, so we just sold it once. Well, a lady in the crowd who was part of the board was like, "You can sell that again!" And we're like, "Yeah, we know, but nobody wants it." It was a very awkward moment where we had to offer it, and no one bit, and the whole crowd's like, "What is happening?"

Jeff Porter: Yeah, I hear you. To your point, once people have seen it a couple of times, they're like, "Hmm. I feel like I can get this for $2,000. They're going to sell it as many times as they can."

Marissa Walters: Yes. I think it's very strategic how many secret doubles you have in an auction.

Jeff Porter: But you made a point I think is important, which is that those are way more lucrative when they're not consignment packages. There's a place for consignment — we have consignment partners, and they're great. But one of the things we donate at my particular fundraiser is a gourmet meal. It's me and my brother-in-law — obviously we have a team helping us, including our wives — and we put on a full five- or six-course gourmet meal. We usually do it at my house, just because we know where all the kitchen stuff is, but we would travel with it. The menu is all picked out by the winner, all wine-paired, fancy. We've done filet mignon, we've done branzino on a bed of amazing Italian pasta. They go for several thousand dollars — we're talking probably $500 to $600 a person. And we've sold multiples of those, because that's great money for a charity.

Marissa Walters: Totally.

Jeff Porter: Now, if you're not the chef and you can find a local chef, I'd also encourage asking that chef, "Hey, would you mind if we sold two of these?" and see if they'd be willing.

Marissa Walters: To your point, chef's dinners are doing beautifully right now. And what I've seen a lot, too, is catering companies being really gracious and offering a package for you to sell — a version of something. It could be a tailgate, or a charcuterie, or a dinner, which is amazing.

Jeff Porter: Yes. Our caterer offered us something like that as well, and it went for a lot of money. And I love the tailgating idea, because it doesn't have to be the gourmet meal at your house. You literally show up at the caterer's, and they give it all to you done. You're showing up at your tailgate with this amazing pork tenderloin, or whatever it is.

Marissa Walters: Exactly. We did that. We paired it with a CU game, and it was perfect. The caterer had given us something else, and I was like, "Could you do a tailgate instead?" And they pivoted. They were amazing. They gave us a tailgate, we sold it with CU tickets, and it was a great package.

Jeff Porter: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. This is all very, very helpful, I think, for everybody listening. So before we wrap up — we've talked about the trends, what's working and what's not working in live auction. We haven't really talked about the other elements of the event. So, elephant in the room: silent auction. Are those lesser than they used to be? Are they going away? Are they still there?

Marissa Walters: They're still there. I think that's where your bargain hunter is. Things normally sell under fair market value in most silent auctions. But I still think it's important to have one if it's easy. That's what I tell clients all the time: if it's never made a ton of money, don't fight for it. If things fall in your lap, have a small silent. But don't go out and try to procure 60 crazy baskets. You're never getting your return on investment. Find a different way, like a class gift or something else. It's funny, though — it's also room-dependent. I have one org where she puts together these gorgeous baskets. They're prolific; there's so much in them. And every year I look at them and think, "Oh my God, you're not going to make money," and she does. For whatever reason, that group loves those baskets. But that is an anomaly in the world of silent auction baskets. The sweet spot is 25 items. I wouldn't go more. I see people procure 90 items, and you're not getting a return on that investment. They just kind of float.

Jeff Porter: That's the thing, too — when you have an event committee and it's, "Okay, everybody go out and get items." Which is so funny for me, because I hate that. Normally when I'm on a nonprofit board, I'm like, "I'll write the check. I'll buy the table. I might go get an item or two that I know I can easily ask for and get. But don't send me out on the street. It's not my gig."

Marissa Walters: But people love that.

Jeff Porter: They do. And you get on these calls and people are like, "I went to these 15 places and got 15 more items," and every day there's more stuff. And you're like, "Oh my God, we were at 25 items, now we're at 50. Now we're going to package this stuff together, because we don't want 90." So yes, I hear what you're saying. I think there's a place for them, and there always will be. They serve a certain value, and it's not just the bargain hunters. For some of the people coming in the door for the first time, who may not want to drop several grand on a trip or raise their paddle for significant money in the paddle raise — they'll bid on that. So now what do you have? Their name, their email address, their phone number.

Marissa Walters: Exactly.

Jeff Porter: Especially if you're using technology, it's way easier to capture that info. So I do think it's a nice entry point. It gives somebody something to do at the event that isn't tied to a significant investment.

Marissa Walters: Totally. And it also fills part of the hour. If you're coming as a guest of somebody to a new event and you don't really know anybody, you can engage with that and not feel awkward during the small talk at cocktail hour.

Jeff Porter: Let me tell you a funny story about silent, because you mentioned that's where your bargain hunters are — and they are, there's no doubt about that. I had a slide once showing silent versus live, and it was Nordstrom Rack and Nordstrom, with a picture of them next door to each other. That's the theory. Except one year at my event, I stacked my live auction with some amazing golf experiences. Colorado Golf Club, Cherry Hills Country Club — you name it. And Marissa, no one's bidding on them in the live auction. I'm looking at my friends out there like, "What is wrong with you people? These are awesome." I think they went for okay money. And afterward I asked, "What is going on, you guys?" And one of them said, "Jeff, there is no way I'm bidding on this item in front of my wife. If you'd put it in the silent, I would have dropped several grand on it. But now you're asking me to raise my paddle in front of my wife. She let me spend three grand on Disney, but she is not letting me spend three grand to go to Colorado Golf Club."

Marissa Walters: Right, right.

Jeff Porter: And I thought, that is very interesting.

Marissa Walters: You're not wrong. That's an interesting thing. And like I said, bargain hunters — that's a horrible label for people. But it's a different psychology of a donor. It's someone who wants to participate and wants to give, but they need something for their money.

Jeff Porter: Well, and I think if you're in the live auction, you want to be seen.

Marissa Walters: Yes.

Jeff Porter: If you're in the silent auction, you don't necessarily want to be seen. Those are the bargain hunters, and the people who want to hide behind a paddle number. So strategy-wise, everybody's like, "That thing's worth $3,000, we're putting it in the live." Maybe you shouldn't. Who's the person who's going to buy that? Do they want to be seen in the room buying it or not? I found that to be another interesting point of criteria, and it's helped us over the years.

Marissa Walters: And I love a good silent auction, too. My husband is the guy who, as soon as he gets to an event, I'm like, "You can't spend more than we're making, my love." But it does feel good to get something.

Jeff Porter: Buy now, pay later. Handbid is thinking about putting in BNPL as a payment option.

Marissa Walters: Are you really?

Jeff Porter: Oh, yes. It's easy to do.

Marissa Walters: There you go. Can you imagine walking out of a charity event with a bill?

Jeff Porter: I know. "I'm going to have to pay this off on layaway for six months."

Marissa Walters: Over time? That's hot.

Jeff Porter: Well, hey — maybe that's not a bad idea. Maybe we should prioritize that, Marissa. I want to make sure your husband is able to go in there and spend the money he needs. Chris Walters can bid on all the things he wants.

Marissa Walters: That's right.

Jeff Porter: And pay his bill off every month.

Marissa Walters: Yes, exactly.

Jeff Porter: No, I think this has been fascinating. I would say 2026 just feels a little bit softer than 2025, but I'm way more encouraged now that you've said these other areas have been fine. "I'm not going to 10 events, I'm going to five, but I'm still spending money on the organizations I care about." And that's always been consistent over the years. U.S. households spend roughly 2% of their adjusted gross annual household income on charities. That's always ebbed and flowed right around there. So I'm not totally shocked to hear that, but I'm definitely encouraged.

Marissa Walters: Yeah. I'll tell you, we started the season and it was — not nerve-wracking, but you're like, "Oh my gosh, what's going to happen?" And then we were more and more encouraged every weekend. On Sundays I'm like, "I can't believe what just happened." And it's been awesome that it's been consistent.

Jeff Porter: That's awesome. So any other closing thoughts you want to share with the audience? And outside of that — you're an amazing auctioneer — tell them how to get ahold of you or the collective.

Marissa Walters: Yeah. You can reach us at summitauctioneerscollective.com. You can also go to wildhairauctionsandevents.com.

Jeff Porter: And you have to watch the YouTube video, you guys, to see why she's called Wild Hair Auctions.

Marissa Walters: Yes. And actually, it was done by Brand Viva. They did a beautiful job on my sizzle reel. But I think the main thing — one thing I can't impress enough — and thank you for saying I'm an amazing auctioneer, I think I do a great job — but more than anything, it's all of the work beforehand. As you're considering an auctioneer, talk to them about the strategy they're going to help you with and what they're going to provide. If it's, "Hey, that guy shows up the night of and you hand him a piece of paper," and that's what your event wants, great. But you're not going to maximize the donations in the room if you don't consult with an auctioneer who's going to be your partner. That's the biggest thing.

Jeff Porter: That's important. I agree with you, and we say the same thing to our clients. When you're thinking about the combination of an auctioneer and the software you might be using, you can't always look at those as just a cost center and ask, "What's the cheapest tool I can get? Can I get this auctioneer to do it for 500 bucks less? Or I'll just get this board member to do it." You really need to think about the ROI on those investments. In the mobile bidding world, there are lots of tools out there. But what we try to make sure we do, very similar to what you're talking about, is help strategize with you on how to maximize your revenue. If you're just looking to log into the software — you want a username and password — that's only going to get you so far. You know that. A lot of the rest of it is sitting down and thinking through what you're doing. How did it work last year? What worked? What didn't? What do we want to change?

Marissa Walters: And where to spend that capital. The centerpieces aren't going to make you money. They're gorgeous, and that's wonderful, but if you're looking to rework your budget, that could be a place where you take some money to get a mobile bidding platform that's a little more robust, or hire people to do check-in and check-out. You think volunteers are great, but there's a point where the reason a company that does that is important is that—

Jeff Porter: It's what they do for a living.

Marissa Walters: It's what they do for a living, and they know how to create a great guest experience.

Jeff Porter: That is key. We call it the amazing arrival experience — how do you make the arrival experience amazing? We'll take that into another podcast episode. But these people are showing up, and the very first experience they're having is getting in that door. Let's make it easy. Let's make it seamless. Let's get them where they want to go, which is usually to see their friends or go to the bar, whatever it might be. Let's not have them waiting in lines.

Marissa Walters: Totally agree. And a lot of that doesn't come from point-and-click, turn-it-on software. It comes from a combination of all those.

Jeff Porter: Yes. Including a very good benefit auctioneer. I have told people multiple times, that is a good investment.

Marissa Walters: It is.

Jeff Porter: A good benefit auctioneer is a good investment.

Marissa Walters: Yep.

Jeff Porter: Good mobile bidding software is a good investment.

Marissa Walters: It's a great investment. Especially when the company that built it has been doing this for 20 years.

Jeff Porter: Right. Exactly. We've been talking about this a long time.

Marissa Walters: I love it.

Jeff Porter: All right. I know — shameless plug at the end, but it's important for a lot of organizations to hear. All right, this has been a very, very fun experience.

Marissa Walters: Thank you for having me. It was awesome.

Jeff Porter: Oh my God, your energy is just great. All right, we're going to wrap this one up. Thank you guys so much for listening in to the Elevate Your Event podcast. Until next time, happy fundraising.

Marissa Walters: Thanks.

Jeff Porter: Awesome.