Event type
Charity evening
At a charity evening staff don't just serve. They make the bidding work.
Headcount rule of thumb
One waiter per 15-20 guests, plus one or two to run the auction.
In short
A charity evening is structured like a gala dinner with one extra element: the auction or bidding, which needs its own staff. Seated dinner needs one waiter per fifteen to twenty guests, plus one or two people on the auction handling bid sheets, lots and winners' details. Experience says the most common mistake is letting the bidding collide with dinner: if the auction runs during the main course, neither the food nor the bidding works. Separate the two in time, and make sure the crew knows the plan.
Who you need, and why
- Waiting staff
- Seated dinner. One per fifteen to twenty guests.
- Auction assistant
- Bid sheets, lots, winners' details. One or two depending on scale.
- Welcome hostess
- Seating plan, receiving donations, guest list.
- Cloakroom attendant
- Evening wear, guests arriving and leaving together.
What to decide, and when
3 weeks ahead
Guest count, number of lots, bidding format.
1 week ahead
A running order that separates dinner from the bidding.
On site, 2 hours early
Laying up, lots positioned, bid sheets out.
Before the bidding
A short briefing for the assistants on how the auction runs.
What usually goes wrong
- Bidding runs during the main course, and both the food and the auction suffer.
- Nobody owns the bid sheets, and at the end it's unclear who took what.
- Receiving donations isn't planned for, though it's a job at the door.
- The evening's length is underestimated, because bidding always runs longer than planned.
The staff we usually supply for this
Where are you organising it?
Information tailored to the city, with local venues.
Charity evening
Give us the date and the guest count and you'll have a concrete headcount and price within one working day.
- A real quote within 24 hours
- Replacement guarantee for drop-outs
- No minimum order
- A dedicated coordinator on every booking
Frequently asked questions
How much extra headcount does an auction need?
One or two people to handle bid sheets, lots and winners' details, depending on the number of lots. Above twenty lots, two, because everything has to be settled at once at the end.
When should the bidding happen?
After the main course, as its own block. Run in parallel with dinner, service obstructs the bidding and the bidding obstructs service.
Does it need a different crew from a gala?
The waiting side is the same. The difference is auction assistance, which is worth giving to people who've done it, because the admin of a live auction can't be learned on the night.