A Stylish, Fully Managed Auction Service
Our ‘classic’ paper auction service is more than just bid slips and brochures — it’s a fully managed solution designed to take the pressure off you. We work with you in the lead-up to the event, manage everything on the day, and provide a post-event report. Our goal is to deliver a smooth, stress-free experience and help you raise more in the process.
The Raise Auction Service
Raise provide a fully managed charity event auction service tailored to your requirements.
Our ‘classic’ silent auction features ‘sealed bidding’, whereby guests simply write their highest bid for an item on our unique Bid Slips.
Auction prizes are listed in our stylish brochures, or you can upgrade to our premium event programmes.
We’ll prioritise your donated prizes and can top up from our curated collection including experiences, art, and signed memorabilia, carefully chosen to suit your audience and boost bidding.
What's included?
Auction Manager & Ambassadors
You will be assigned a dedicated Account Manager, an Event Manager and experienced Auction Support Staff to run your charity event auction, assist your guests and gently encourage bidding.
Specialist Auction Prize Supply
The inclusion of our experiences, framed art and memorabilia items at NO RISK on a sale or return basis with guaranteed profit. Charities see an average 42% profit on our items.
Payment Processing and Follow-up
Our team will process payments on our Zettle terminals on the night, then chase any outstanding payments, before providing a full detailed sales report.
Design and Print of Auction Brochures
The auction brochure will be customised with your branding and logo. Include all of your donated prizes along with our supplied items. Option to upgrade to premium event programme.
Raise More with Sealed Bidding
Sealed bidding lets guests place their highest bid, helping maximise sale price — and where available, allows multiple winners for the same item, increasing your profit.
Flexible Service, No Contracts
We don’t believe in tying any charity into lengthy contracts. We’re confident in our ability to deliver exceptional service, earning your trust and repeat business.
Impressive Auction Display
We’ll create an eye-catching display of framed art and memorabilia with LED lighting to elevate your event and attract bids. Lot numbers and poster pages are also printed and provided.
Raise More, Stress Less
Leave the hard work to us. We handle the entire process from the design and creation of your auction brochure, liaising with the venue, running the auction on the night, to post-event admin.
Why Choose a Paper Auction?
Not Every Auction Needs To Be Online
Classic paper auctions are timeless for a reason – they’re tactile, easy to understand, and perfect for venues where tech isn’t practical.
With minimal or even NO costs involved, our classic brochure & bid slip format is often the most profitable option for many charity event auctions.
They’re especially well suited to:
- Gala dinners, charity lunches, golf days
- Venues with no screens available
- Older or traditional audiences
- Events on tighter budgets
- Venues with limited Wi-Fi or poor mobile signal
FAQs
How much does your Brochure & Bid Slip event service cost?
In many cases, we can offer this service for a nominal fee — or even at no cost — depending on the nature of your event.
Get in touch with your event details, and we’ll provide a tailored proposal to suit your needs.
How does the auction run on the night?
Paper auctions run in the background of your event. Our friendly staff will hand out bid slips and politely engage with your guests, explaining the process to them. At the close of the auction our staff will go and collect any bid slips that haven’t already been collected or handed in. We will work out who has won each item and take payments.
How are guests notified when they have won?
We will send our staff out to find guests at their tables (table numbers are collected on their bid slips) we will inform the guests that they have won and take payment and hand over their prize.
We will also send a text to each winner asking them to come to the auction desk to make payment and collect their prize.
What if the winner has left or payment hasn't been taken?
We will send a text to all winners to let them know they have won. If they have left the event we will send them a zettle payment link either on the night or the following day.
Do guests have to take their prizes on the night?
For any physical items we supply (art or memorabilia) guests are encouraged to take them on the night, however, if it’s not convenient we will take them back to our office after the event and ship them free of charge directly to the winners.
What is the auction display and where will it go?
If you’re including any of our framed artwork or memorabilia in your auction, we’ll take care of everything. We’ll bring the items to the event and set up a stunning display that’s ready for guests to admire as they arrive and throughout the evening.
For larger frames, we use floor-standing easels, and for smaller items, we provide tabletop easels. Unlike other auction companies who leave items wrapped in blue foam and cellophane, we carefully unwrap each piece and display it beautifully, illuminated with small clip-on LED lights.
We’ll coordinate with the venue to arrange any necessary trestle tables and work with you both to find the best place for the display at the venue.
Our display setup adds significant impact to the auction experience, and we’ve found that guests are 85% more likely to bid on art or memorabilia when they can see it in person.
Are there any hidden fees or costs?
No, our costs are all transparent. Any service upfront costs will be outlined in your tailored proposal.
Our auction prizes have a set cost price, which is only payable if the item sells in the auction.
We charge a small percentage service fee for taking payments on your behalf, which will also be outlined in our proposal.
Do I have to sign up for multiple events?
No, we never sign our customers up to any lengthy contracts.
We’re confident in our ability to deliver exceptional service, earning your trust and repeat business.
How many items should I include in my silent auction?
We recommend a minimum of 20 items and maximum one item per 10 guests for larger events.
Do I have to include Raise supplied auction items?
Not at all — we can run an auction using only the items you’ve had donated. However, this would incur a significant fixed fee.
If you don’t require any of our items, another option is for us to support you in running your own auction. We can provide guidance and materials to help you achieve the best possible results on your own.
Is a paper auction the most suitable option for my event?
If you’re still unsure after reading the information on this page, please give us a call and we’d be happy to chat this through and work together to find the best solution for your event.
Will I need to be involved in the running of the auction?
Not unless you want to be! Our friendly, experienced team takes care of everything — from the pre-event setup and on-the-night management to the post-event sales summary and transfer of funds. You’re free to be as hands-on or hands-off as you like.
Still have questions?
Give us a call, pop us an email or fill out our enquiry form and one of our friendly team will be in touch.