(Pictured from left to right: Paul Behr-NAA Board of Directors/owner of WWCA/ and formally of Minnesota, JillMarie Wiles-instructor, Lois Zielinski-NAA Education Coordinator and myself)
"BENEFIT AUCTIONEER SPECIALIST!"
I recently had a great time attending a special
course offered through the National Auctioneers Association. This course
was actually the brain child of Jill Marie Wiles of Canby, Oregon and I was
fortunate that she was the instructor of this class as well.
I'm a big believer of education, and even though
I'm older, I NEVER want to stop learning! I thought I'd share with you a
little bit about my experience with BAS (Benefit Auctioneer Specialist).
On Saturday, October 6th my wonderful wife
Bernie drove me to the airport for my flight to Denver, Colorado. When I
arrived in Denver it was nice to find sunshine and temps in the 70's. Our
first official function was to help out with a benefit auction in downtown
Denver. Auctioneer Gary Corbett was nice enough to let a few of us attend,
observe and help out with the "2007 Red Wagon Ball" to help support CASA
(advocates for children). Gary informed me that this was an annual auction
for him, and the bidders were traditionally very giving. There were over
500 people on hand, and it was a "cowboy" theme. Of course that didn't
bother me, and I was happy to put my boots and hat on! I was also glad to
see in the program, that Bill Hanzlik was being honored. Bill is a former
NBA player and former head coach of the Denver Nuggets. Being I'm the
announcer for the Timberwolves, I of course had to visit with Bill. He's a
great guy and a huge supporter of children in the Denver area. We had our
picture taken together, and I'm waiting to receive a copy of it soon.
The event went very well and there was one
thing that really stood out in my mind. When Gary told me it was a giving
crowd, he wasn't kidding. One couple donated an exorbitant amount during
"Fund-a-Need!" The evening ended when word came out that the Colorado
Rockies had won their series and were now heading to the National League
Championship Series. Those in Denver were happy on Saturday night for a
couple of reasons....the Rockies won the series and a lot of money was
raised for the children at the CASA Benefit Auction.
For us, it was in the classroom bright and early
Sunday morning. We actually went through three days of classes dealing with
everything imaginable in the benefit auction business. The class content
was great, and the time spent networking with other auctioneers was almost
just as good! When you get to spend time with auctioneers from 20 different
states, you can definitely pick up new tips and find out what's working well
in other parts of the country.
Plus, I left Denver with some new friends and contacts in the auction
industry.
I will now be officially known as "Rod
Johnson, BAS." Which means I am officially a BENEFIT AUCTIONEER
SPECIALIST. My wife Bernie said I already had the letters BS, so it was
nice to add the "A" in the middle!
I returned to Minnesota around Midnight on
Tuesday, October 9th and the next day at eleven a.m. I had a meeting with a
client who is planning to use the services of Johnson Auctioneering. I was
already putting to use the mass amount of information I absorbed during my
time in Denver.
My week ended with a very successful benefit
auction this past Saturday night in Madison, Wisconsin. Yes, it has been a
busy time for us, but we love this business so very, very much! I cannot
believe how much I enjoy conducting benefit auctions, and raising money for
such worthy causes. An added plus is I get to work with my son and partner
Nathan.
We are looking forward to meeting with a number
of charitable organizations to offer advice and help plan these fundraising
events. So, if you're ever in need of a "Benefit Auctioneer Specialist"
just give me a call...I'd be glad to help!
(If you have any questions or comments, feel
free to email Rod at:
rod@johnsonauctioneering.com)
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