On Signup Parties (aka Socials, Easel Parties, Pay-to-Plays, etc.)

As mentioned in an earlier post, there will be signup parties at this auction.

What's a signup party? Here's an example. Mike and Rebecca (parents of a sophomore at Hypothetical High School) decide that, as their contribution to the HHS auction, they are willing to host 12 people at their house on the day of the Kentucky Derby, and serve these people mint juleps and fabulous tasty food. It's well-known in the HHS community that Mike and Rebecca's house features a patio with a spectacular view of the valley and a gorgeous garden, and Rebecca has an awfully sharp wit and so we KNOW that people are going to want to go to the party.

The Procurement Chair and Rebecca sit down to discuss the idea over a julep or two, and decide to charge $35 per person for the 12 slots.  The Procurement Chair takes a few pictures of the patio and the view and a mint julep, and enters the Kentucky Derby Bash as a Signup item into the auction software, with a quantity of 12, and a price of $35.

On the night of the auction, the Procurement Chair puts a signup sheet on a table, surrounds it with pictures of the patio, of  the mint julep, and of last year's winning horse.  Guests who want to attend write their names down, and at check-out, pay $35 for the slot.  After the event, the Auction Chair prints out a report with the names of the people who signed up, and Rebecca emails them to tell them how much fun the party is going to be, and when to show up.

The auction books $420 in contributions from that item alone ($35 x 12 guests), and everyone is happy.

Here's a link to another blog post on Socials, by a woman I met through the PTA Great Idea Bank website.