A good sound system will make or break your live auction, don’t skimp on it and don’t trust any sound company that isn’t going to send a technician to operate it during the auction. No auctioneer can succeed if your crowd can’t hear them, and the decision to save a few hundred dollars on the sound system can cost you thousands in lost auction revenue.

Engage a sound company early, preferably one who has done a fundraising auction in your event space before and has worked on many charity auctions in the past. Make sure that your sound company understands the need for a charity-auction-specific sound system. In fact, ask for references from other charity auctions on their client list. Our requirements as fundraising auctioneers are radically different from a band or DJ. The goal is to create an environment where everyone can hear the auction at the same level, and chat with friends at their table without yelling. Also, consider others on stage who will need microphones during the auction. Your sound company must be able to accommodate honorees, donors who wish to speak, etc. in addition to the auctioneer.

A sound technician who stays at your event and operates the soundboard during the auction is critical. The ambient noise in a room changes radically between sound check and auction time. You need a professional who can adjust accordingly on the fly, and is there to troubleshoot any issues that arise.

Finally, if you are planning on using a microphone to close down your silent auction, it will probably require a separate sound system – unless you are doing the silent auction in the same exact area as your live.