Why a charity auctioneer always has a back-up plan (or three)

Every event runs perfectly right up until it does not. A microphone dies, a headline bidder leaves early, a lot falls flat, the running order changes ten minutes before we start. The mark of an experienced host is not that these things never happen, it is that the room never notices when they do.

I assume the technology will misbehave

I always know what I will do if the microphone cuts out, the screen freezes or the bidding system hiccups. Usually that means being ready to project, ad-lib and keep the energy up while it is fixed, so a technical wobble becomes a shrug rather than a silence.

I have a plan for the flat lot

Not every lot flies. When one stalls, panic is the worst response. My back-up plan might be splitting it, bundling it, opening it to the room differently, or landing it gracefully and protecting the momentum for the next one.

I expect the running order to change

Speeches overrun, guests of honour arrive late, dinner runs long. I build the night so I can compress it, stretch it or reorder it on the spot without losing the thread. My flexibility is planned, not improvised.

Calm is contagious

When I stay relaxed, the committee relaxes and the room stays warm. Half of my job is being the steadiest person in the building, so that whatever happens behind the scenes, the evening out front feels effortless.

If you want a host who has already thought about what could go wrong, get in touch.