The idea for an auction was created over three decades ago and over the years has gone from raising USD$1,000 to over USD$24,000 annually. The Live and Silent Auctions are charitable events and all proceeds are put into the Student and International Travel Grant Fund that is used to support travel grants to the following year's Symposium. It is a community effort and we can't do it without each and every delegate.
If you have an item that you would like to donate, please download a blank auction form here. Fill one form for each item and bring it along with the item to the Silent Auction Area in the Kalamary Room. Auction items can be accepted up until 5pm on Monday 20th March. We will then sort your items and decide if they will go in the Silent or Live Auction. Note that printed forms will also be available at the Registration Desk.
If you have any questions, please contact Marina.
With outrageous items, bidding wars, a Symposium King and Queen competition, and other surprise cash competitions, the Live Auction is not only a donate and purchase event, it is an event that everyone can participate in and support. You can vote with your dollars, pay a nominal fee to enter a regional food eating contest, donate turtle and non-turtle related items from your home, work or travel regions, make something, donate services, donate vacation home or field camp time, or bid on something someone else donated.
The Live Auction will be situated in the Bolivar Ballroom C-D-B-E and will commence at 8pm on Thursday 23rd March. Note that there will be credit card facilities accepting Visa and Mastercard. If you need cash for the event there is an ATMs within the Hilton Hotel.
The Silent Auction will commence in the Kalamary Room at 9am on Tuesday 21st March and conclude at 4pm on Thursday 23rd March. Note that winners of items within the Silent Auction will be required to pick-up and pay for their item before 3pm on Friday 24th March. There will be credit card facilities accepting Visa and Mastercard.
Here are some tips to consider for auction items before you travel to the Symposium:
- Keep an eye out for any turtle-related items where you live, work, play, and travel to throughout the year.
- Try to focus on unique, useful, handmade, silly, wearable, packable items that can generate equal or greater value when thrust into a room with hundreds of turtle fans.
- If you have the ability to donate time at your research station or can offer specialized services to the science and conservation community, then consider this as a donation.
- If you are a maker yourself, make something special and one-of-a-kind - photography, paintings, jewelry, ceramics, wood, clothing, and quilts are all very popular.
- Anything WEARABLE - dresses, skirts, hats, jewelry, and shirts are always popular.
- Alcohol - Special spirits from your region, beer, and wine with turtle labels or names, and anything alcohol always fetches top dollar. In previous years, a bottle of Sake with a story went for USD$1,750 and it may reappear again this year!
- Bring your Colombian Peso or US dollars - set aside some cash for voting and participating in the competitions as the cash is a significant portion of our funds.
- Be BRAVE and follow your instincts. If you know someone who wants an item - help drive the price up by bidding against them - just try not to get caught with the highest bid!
- If you purchased a popular item in the past, consider regifting it as you know it can continue to work well as a fundraising item - if you can part with it!
- SHOW UP for the closing of the Silent Auction and the start of the Live Auction (Bolivar Ballroom C-D-B-E and starts at 8pm on 23rd March). Check the schedule/location and make sure you are there to get your final bids in and WIN WIN WIN both for you and for the Symposium.
- Solicit - don't be afraid to solicit donations from other artists and makers for the cause!
- Know that we were all students at one time or another and we all needed a little support.