Naples, FL, April 04, 2013 –(PR.com)– How do you turn .5 million auction into a .5 million day? With a double match. That’s exactly what happened recently at the SWFL Wine & Food Fest Auction to benefit children’s charities under the gavel of award-winning auctioneer Scott Robertson, CAI, BAS. Robertson has been the auctioneer for this event since its inception in 2006.
Organizers had topped million in net proceeds the prior year, Robertson’s record. Feeling that they couldn’t strike twice, the organizers set the goal at mid to high 7 figures. Then, two days before the auction, a major donor stepped forward and offered a million match if the auction could raise million again. The auction team went to work doing math and figuring out the lots that could be doubled and sketched out a scenario to help them raise the bar further. An announcement was crafted and read to all attendees at the pre-event the night before urging bidders to double their dollars the next day.
Robertson conducted the auction that steadily rose in excitement. A popular auction lot for a winery trip was doubled with Robertson running back and forth in the crowded room to seal the bids–both sold at 0,000, the momentum grew. The final lots brought the tote board to .9 and then increased it to .3 million. A dramatic finish to the auction occurred when 0,000 was kicked in by three event angels which brought the total to .5 million.
Then the major donor took the microphone and announced his .5 million match. This pre-arranged match was also used toward the beneficiary’s standing million match for one .5 million day.
