Our Virtual feature was designed as a one-screen solution - allowing your supporters to watch the livestream, chat and bid on a single screen. The embedded livestream window can display either our built-in single camera feed or a more elaborate feed produced using external software, (such as OBS or ViMix) or a professional AV service.
Livestream designed for meetings - such as Zoom or Google Meets cannot be embedded in our one-screen solution.
This article provides instructions for using our software alongside a Zoom-type livestream fundraising event - utilizing the more familiar tools used to run a gala auction.
Overview
Zoom Elements:
- Livestream production (including showcasing any items while bidding takes place)
- Guests place bids and make donations in the Chat Section
Auction Software Elements:
- Create catalog of items (to record sale to winning bidders and for online preview, if desired)
- Register guests (paid or free)
- Advance Check-in (to vault credit cards and/or provide Zoom meeting details)
- Recording winning bids and donations made via Zoom Chat to create "carts" for guests
- Send Invitations to Self-Checkout to pay
- Reporting Revenue
How to:
Important! These instructions use SchoolAuction/Tofino's GALA tools. Although you are planning a "virtual" event - you will not be using SchoolAuction/Tofino's VIRTUAL tools - so make sure that the Virtual Event feature is disabled on your site:
Creating Items in the Catalog
Create all the items to be offered via Zoom chat as Gala Live items:
In "Sales Info" section:
- Type = Live items,
- Bidding via: Bid Paddles
Create a Cash Donation option as a Special Appeal/Paddle Raise to be offered via Zoom as a Gala Option:
- Offered in Catalog,
- Bidding via: Bid Paddles
Registering Guests
In order to use the Gala tools for a virtual event, ALL participants must have a ticket (which can be free):
If you are not charging admission, and you have a spreadsheet of known supporters, you can self-import a simple spreadsheet of names and email addresses to issue tickets automatically.
If you want to charge admission, or offer different types of tickets:
- Create the Ticket Types you want to offer.
- Setup Online Ticket Sales on your event site.
- Make sure credit card processing is setup on your event site.
- Send Invitations to Buy Tickets to imported or migrated users on your event site.
- Your team can also enter tickets from RSVP or order forms.
For last minute attendees, you can either direct people to buy a ticket online and/or provide a phone number to call to register. The person fielding registration calls can easily issue tickets from the Gala Check-in Screen.
Advance Check-in
The Self Check-in feature is used to:
- confirm which ticketed guests intend to attend the virtual event (and allow time to "nudge" those who haven't confirmed)
- request or require participants vault a credit card prior to participating
- provide a link/access to the Zoom livestream
1. Enable and Set-up Self Check-in
- Uncheck "Require credit card entry and vaulting during self check-in" if you want to request, but not require participants to vault a card in order to participate.
- Use the "Custom Text for Confirmation page" space to provide instructions for joining the livestream and note that access details have also been emailed.
- Edit the Self Check-in Confirmation email to include links/instructions for the zoom event.
2. Make sure credit card processing is setup on your event site.
3. Send Invitations to Self Check-in one to three days prior to your event.
Recording Winning Bids and Donations
Use the Auction Night > Gala Task > Sell Item/Sell Bulk Item buttons to record winning bids and paddle raise donations just as you would for a gala event - the only difference is that you're entering "sales" from the Chat window rather than paper tracking sheets:
Awarding items to High Bidders using Sell an Item button.
Entering Paddle Raise donations using Sell a Bulk Item button.
If someone without a ticket manages to win an item, or makes a donation, you can create a cart/order for them by Creating an Internal order on the Orders Page.
Sending Invitations to Self Check-out
Be sure to edit the Invitation template to provide instructions for how to pick-up or arrange delivery of items won.
Once all winning bids and donations have been recorded in the software, you can Send Invitations to Self Check-out.
Note: If you created internal orders for non-ticketed guests, they will not display in the Auction Night > Self Check-out list of open orders. You will need to send their invitation from the Orders page.
Reporting Results
1. Use the Auction Night > Will Call page to gather and distribute/deliver items to the winners.
2. Summary Reports provide sales and revenue totals and supporting details.
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