Build Revenue with Glitz in a Glass Auction Game

Auction Games: Build Revenue with the Glitz in a Glass (Diamonds in Champagne Flutes)!

This glittery, romantic fundraising idea will add a little bling to your event, pad your fun, and pull guests into the spirit of your event. This auction game is an especially good addition to events themed with stars, bubbles, glitter, gold, or jewels.

How Does it Work?

Decide on a number of glasses of champagne to make available and a price point at which you think you can sell them all — you want them to go fairly quickly, and not have any leftovers, to ensure a winner at the end. (Try selling 25 or 50 glasses for a smaller event, 100 for a bigger one.) Choose champagne flutes that can double as keepsakes, so everyone walks away a winner and feels good about participating and shelling out the cash. Depending on the size and value of the diamond, organizations have success charging anywhere from $25 to $100 per glass.

Next, attach a small baggie to each glass containing a “diamond.” All of the bags are stocked with imitation diamonds except for one, and only a single lucky winner will receive a top-notch, unset diamond. Except they all look the same, so who can tell which is which?

Here’s the fun part! After the glasses are all sold, ask the jeweler who donated the diamond to set up an appraiser table outside the ballroom, capable of distinguishing between the “real” diamond and the imitations. Then, as part of the game, guests take their “diamonds” to the appraiser at some point during the event program to have it appraised. The appraiser table offers huge exposure to your jeweler partner or sponsor.

Once the real diamond has been identified and all of your guests have been appraised, the appraiser delivers the winning bidder’s number to the emcee to be announced.

Variations And Other Names

This revenue enhancer is known by several names, including Diamond in a Glass, Bubbles n’ Bling, Diamonds and Drinks, and Diamond Bar Raffle to mention a few.

Lance’s Advice

• Start selling the glasses early on in the evening, and make them available for purchase for a set period of time, e.g. one hour. Publicize to your guests that there’s a limited time to buy a glass — and possibly win the big prize.
• Make a crystal tower or pyramid out of glasses, filling and selling them one at a time as a visual representation of how many glasses remain. If glasses are selling slowly, task volunteers with going table-to-table to sell the rest.
• Feel free to make substitutions! Instead of a single unset diamond for a prize, substitute real diamond earrings, with cubic zirconia-set earrings for the secondary prize. That way, everybody leaves with something new to wear.
• Make sure to publicize your fun game of bling and chance, and explain how the rules work, so nobody misses their opportunity to buy some bling and get it appraised.
• It’s best not to put the jewel in the glass, but if you choose to do so, make sure people are warned not to swallow the jewel in the glass and offer to remove it for them before drinking.
• Announce the winner during the live auction.

Some Personal Insight from Lance

This is a benefit auction revenue enhancer that I have never seen fail. When people come to an auction gala, a glass of champagne greeting them at the door seems very well received. For a small donation—in many cases only $25—everybody wins. You get a glass of bubbly plus you are going to get a jewel of some sort—at least some costume jewelry.

This article is part of our 26 Proven Revenue Enhancers for Your Fundraiser eBook available as a free download. If you looking for new revenue enhancing ideas and how to incorporate them into your event—this easy-to-use lookbook is for you.