Melissa

Bravo Events and Design Foundry incorporated the silent auction items into the decor. Items were displayed on two walls as well as on tables and stands.

Without the need for bidding sheets, Design Foundry could display the local dining gift certificates and plaques on a mixture of shelves and crates attached to one of the gallery walls. This provided a better vantage point for multiple guests to view the items at once, like in a museum, compared to a table arrangement where only one guest can view an item at a time.

The wall arrangement for the auction items opened up 100 square feet of event space that Design Foundry filled with high-boy and café table seating.

Lounge areas provided a secluded respite for V.I.P. guests and sponsors compared to general admission. Design Foundry mixed tufted chairs with wooden tables, metal stools, and industrial-style accent tables to create the farm-to-table meets urban chic ambience requested by the Board of Visitors.

Chalkboard signs indicated the V.I.P. lounges listing the sponsor levels—each named for various types and bottle sizes of wines—for that lounge.

When using tables in a silent auction layout, planners often face the challenge of how to use them after the items are cleared away. Windows Catering turned the tables to dessert buffets throughout the room within 15 minutes of the auction closing.