Your event is finished and you are exhausted. Time to pack everything away, right? NO, this could be a huge missed opportunity.

Take the extra time to have a meeting with those involved. Find out what went well and what caused problems. Don’t forget to seek input from all the volunteers. From the ticket-takers at the door to the volunteer coordinators, each person’s viewpoint will help give you a compete picture of the event’s strengths and weaknesses.

What were the biggest sellers at the silent auction? Those will be “must get” items for next year. What silent auction items did not get any bids? You may want to recommend that these not be included on the “recruitment” list for next year. You can even leave notes directly in Pearl Bids silent auction manager -so that when you look at items, donors and guests for next year, its all there!

Be open minded and remember not to take comments personally. Constructive criticism can be your best tool to strengthen your event. End your event with a list of suggestions for the future, recommendations of things to change. Whether you will be taking the lead again next year, or passing on the hat, getting a head start by being organized and being able to pull up notes and contacts from the past will let next year’s event and silent auction start off with a leg up.