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April Brown"April Brown is more than an auctioneer, she is an expert collaborator and performer. Her team of auction professionals are easy to work with and ensure that our annual LIHI auction is a success year after year. She invests her time and expertise in the planning process and has helped us create a signature affair our supporters look forward to attending. Her energy is contagious and her professional auctioneering skills are unmatched. Whether she is advising our volunteers or sharing the stage with celebrity, she has the unique ability of developing rapport with everyone. She is an amazing talent and we are fortunate to have her on our team for more than a decade.”
- Sharon Lee, Executive Director Low Income Housing Institute.
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Let’s face it, finding an exceptional auctioneer isn’t easy. For years we hired one mediocre auctioneer after another. Finally we found April
Brown and Charity Auction World. Her influence and powerful training was a game changer. April made our auction the most
successful auction we’ve ever had - in over 10 years of doing auctions! The president of the board said “she’s the best auctioneer I’ve ever heard” and he was the one against hiring a woman. He
asked me to book her right away for next year.
----Our auction would have been a disaster if it wasn’t for April and her team. We were running so late on auction day. They came prepared and when they saw we were short handed and behind, her
team pitched in with the busy work and we started on time. We could not have pulled this off without them.
----The best fund raising decision I ever made was hiring Charity Auction World for our annual auction and gala. Even though she told
me we would love the auction team concept, I had no idea what a difference they would make. Our audience to spent over $25,000
more than last year! WOW! It was a record night! We will never hire “just another auctioneer” again.
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----For years we hired the same auctioneer, who showed up on auction night and usually did an ok job. I had heard of April, but the truth is our board is old-fashioned and was hesitant to hire a woman. She nailed it! We made nearly twice as much
money.
---- April and Michelle are a blast to work with. April’s advice and training is amazing. I’ve never met anyone with more ideas for helping us raise money. She helped us focus on what we could do with our resources and what we should avoid.
We tried games for the first time and they were a big hit and the way she does the Fund-a-need made everyone feel honored and she got every penny in the room. Since
our organization serves women, finally finding a great woman auctioneer who understands our strengths and limitations made all the difference in how our auction felt. These two work so well together and our guests loved them!
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APRIL BROWN is a Master Charity Auction Specialist and a professionally trained auctioneer with over 24 years experience in calling charity auctions. She is a skilled sales expert and understands the importance of developing
positive relationships with volunteers, donors and sponsors. She is versatile and adapts her auction voice and style to match the personality of the
organization. “It is important to supporters and attendees that they feel acknowledged and valued during the event. Charity Auction World auctioneers impart that message in everything that we do and say.”
Michelle, Mike, Kevin and April are passionate, committed and professionally trained auctioneers.
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The role of a master of ceremony is more than keeping the event flowing in the right direction and on time. It is important the audience feels comfortable and cherished and recognized for their support for the organization. We are not just an
announcers, but a program director too. We announce winning bidders, guest speakers, and transitions. We make sure every activity takes place as planned and
the procedures that support those tasks are in play. We discuss all aspects of the timeline in advance and meet early with organizers on the night of the event. We impart your values as well as the message of the organization. We make sure
every person’s time in the spotlight is smooth and a treasured memory.
MASTER OF CEREMONIES
Mike Brown is a Master of Ceremonies with over 24 years experience managing events from the stage. He un-complicates the complicated and pleasantly guides the audience throughout the event.
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The catalog reader is the voice of the donor and a commercial of sorts for the donation. Our role is to make the donation come alive and stimulate the desire to raise bid cards and kick start the need to bid before the auctioneer begins selling. We get the audience excited by our voice, body language and the words we use to create an irresistible urge to come play the auction game. We study and rehearse every word and expertly describe each and every donation in a manner that sells the donation and entices competitive bidding.
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There are two types of people who watch the audience for bids. One is a spotter, a job usually performed by volunteers and the other is the professional ringman or as commonly referred to in the charity auction world, the bid catcher. Unlike the ringman at a specialty sale, the bid catcher at a charity auction makes sure the auctioneer doesn’t miss a bid when conducting the auction. The bid catcher does not exert pressure but rather lets the bidding audience know we are there to help them bid while they continue the conversations at the table or otherwise distracted. The bid catchers are as much in service to the audience as we are to the auctioneer and we have a big influence on the financial outcome. Every member of the Charity Auction World staff is a trained bid catcher.
BID CATCHER
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Consignment is an alternative way to raise money and increase interest and attendance for your fundraising affair. We are proud to offer vacation destinations to privately owned villas and compounds in Tuscany and Bali. The properties are not available to the general public. Each vacation package can be reserved for seven or more days and can be redeemed up to two years after your event. Each destination includes a concierge and dozens of exciting adventures you can add to make the package unique and memorable.
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Bali lies directly north of Australia, the middle pearl in the necklace of islands stretching from Malaysia to New Guinea which comprise the modern nation of Indonesia. Geographically small but culturally immense, Bali has fascinated and influenced visitors from the outside world for centuries. Combining elements of Hinduism and Buddhism with earlier animist beliefs, Balinese religion pervades all aspects of everyday life. Every human activity, from rice growing to massive temple ceremonies, is approached with ritual and reverence. The Balinese performing arts occupy a central place in the life of every village, and continue to inspire artists and students of culture around the world. We offer the private home, Villa Paradiso and the private compound, Golden Buddha Cottages.
BALI, INDONESIA
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Cortona is the jewel of medieval Tuscan hill towns. It is ideally situated 2 hours north of Rome and 1 1/2 hours south of Florence. Cortona is well known as being home to the best selling book and movie, "Under the Tuscan Sun", by Frances Mayes. The road up the hill winds through olive groves, vineyards, and farmhouses and arrives at the entrance of Cortona's ancient walls. The view of the valley below is one of the most spectacular in all of Italy, stretching out to Lake Trasimeno, Montepulciano and beyond. Along with museums, churches and other historical sights, Cortona offers a wealth of good restaurants, cafes, shops and entertainment. It has successfully managed to retain its local, historical character without selling out to trinket-souvenir shops that have dominated so many other Italian towns. We offer 14 private homes in a price range for everyone.
TUSCANY, ITALY
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Charity Auction World offers authentic autographed guitars from top performers in all music genres, from Aerosmith to ZZ Top. Each item includes a letter and certificate documenting the authenticity of the celebrity’s signature and includes a display.
AUTOGRAPHED BY DAVE MATTHEWS
AUTOGRAPHED GUITARS
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Michelle Westford is an auctioneer, comedian and actress. She works behind the scenes and in front of the camera on films, television shows, reality tv, new media, sketch comedy, photo shoots and more. She is fun, upbeat and a skilled communicator and has the “It” factor audiences love. Michelle is a seasoned professional and together with April Brown they are the only professional auctioneers who have developed a charity auction fundraising model for the deaf community. Sego Lily, California School for the Deaf and Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services are just a few of the organizations serving the deaf community they’ve help discover the cash magic of a charity auction.
MICHELLE WESTFORDAUCTIONEER MASTER OF CEREMONIES CATALOG READER
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WESTFORD AND BROWNTHE NATION’S FIRST “ALL GIRL” AUCTIONEER TAG TEAM
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