Overcoming Murphy’s Law  at Charity Benefit Auctions, Part 2 - “The Alcohol is Free, Right?”

As a fundraising auctioneer, navigating the dynamics of an open bar is part of the job. 99% of guests are respectful and generous, and can get loose without letting things get out of hand.  But every once in a while, the open bar policy leads to intoxication, disruption, uncomfortable conversations, shame…

Or it can lead to overly-unintentional bidding.  How do I deal with an intoxicated or irrational guest who raises a paddle and bids recklessly? It’s an art form I’ve tried to perfect over nearly three decades. The trick is to gently acknowledge the guest without giving him or her too much attention. If I ignore the person, that could backfire spectacularly, as the individual will likely up the ante and become even more belligerent. At the same time, the auction must go on without interruption. Often, to walk that fine line, I work a little audience magic to help persuade everyone that the drunk person is part of the show. Sometimes the person becomes my foil; other times, they can be my accomplice. I will never embarrass someone in a public event, but I can sometimes turn their bad behavior into a plus for the organization.

Did I mention that charity benefit auctioneers need to be fast on their feet? When Will Smith walked up on stage during the Oscars and slapped Chris Rock, a lesser host would have been speechless in the aftermath. Fortunately, I’ve never had anyone physically accost me at an event, but I’ve confronted many audience situations that could easily have derailed an auction. As with all such cases, I always tell my clients to plan for and expect bad things to happen at the worst possible moments. The only thing I can guarantee is that if one of my auctioneers or I are up on stage, we’ll always find a way to make it better.