Whether you’re planning an auction online, in person, or for a hybrid event, sticking to a theme is always a wise idea. Although not mandatory, a theme can inform and guide the design of your event at every stage of its realization.
After all, this key factor could distinguish you from other fundraisers and contribute to the success of your event.
5 reasons to have a theme
Here are, in no particular order, our 5 best reasons to plan your next auction according to a specific theme:
1 - To offer a complete thematic experience
First of all, you should know that choosing a theme is the best way to provide an immersive experience for everyone in attendance. In addition to being inviting, themed events tend to have more well-chosen details that people will pay attention to.
The theme could reflect the purpose of your fundraiser, or it could simply provide an original touch that will guide the design of the event. Either way, it will help you rally everyone around a common goal.
Make all the elements point to your chosen theme, and the atmosphere created will be even stronger. Set up many callbacks to amaze everyone's five senses. Invite them to interact, react, share, and collaborate. It’s the best way to create that unforgettable atmosphere that is so important to ensure you achieve your goal and your mission in general.
2 - To create consistency
The great thing about using a theme is that you can find a way to incorporate it everywhere. The more you include it, the more consistent the experience will be, making it much easier to organize.
That’s right! Your theme will not only make your event organizer’s life easier, but it will also help them understand the target audience.
Here are a few elements that the theme could inspire:
- visuals and logo of the event
- invitations
- social media posts
- auctioned items
- animation
- auction website
- decor
- dress code
- food and drinks
3 - To make your event unforgettable
Let’s say we get into nostalgia mode … what’s your favourite party you’ve ever been to?
There are strong chances that you’ll call it “my Hawaii-themed office party” or ”my cousin 70s style birthday”. It’s like it’s the only way we remember our best nights: themes stand out, go straight to our hearts, and stay forever engraved in our memory.
And if you make a big impression on your attendees, rest assured they’ll come back for your next events and participate in all your auctions!
4 - To better reach your target audience - To make your event unforgettable
A non-specific event might seem generic and boring to some audiences.
These days, fundraisers are popping up all over the place, people are being sought out more than ever, and you need to find ways to ensure an enjoyable time for your audience to make it worth the trip (or the effort to tune in 😉)!
The theme will encourage participation by refining your offering and encouraging engagement. The more original your theme, the more attention you’ll get. It’s also good to consider what you know about the interests of your target audience.
So think about the audience you want to reach and find a theme that will engage them and get their attention.
5 - To please your publicist
As we said earlier, it’s much easier to be inspired when you have a theme!
That way, whether they're going to appear online or in traditional media, the ads will almost write themselves and be much more original.
Having a theme will probably also generate more media interest, which is likely to generate a lot more participation!
And of course, more participation = more money raised for your cause.
Speaking of inspiration
Here are some fun theme ideas:
- A glamorous VIP evening
- An animal-themed auction
- A return to childhood
- A carnival
- A tropical vacation
- An evening at the opera
- A safari expedition
- A country or western festival
- A culinary experience
- Video games
- Magic and illusions
That’s it, you’ve found your online auction’s theme?
With Followmybid, no matter your theme, you’ll have all the tools at your disposal for a great digital auction. Design your custom auction in minutes and discover why hundreds of organizations and nonprofits already work with us. Contact us for more info!
