Case Study: The Twin Town 2016 Challenge

Raising a staggering $250,000, Special Effect recently held its bi-annual 3-day rally event, Twin Town, of which $50,000 was generated directly from auctioning off over 90 fabulous items on the GalaBid platform. Two-years in the making, 100 plus cars and 400 participants, the Twin Town Challenge was not just a race, but a series of points based challenges, motor circuits and lots of fun. And to finish off the long weekend the event concluded with a themed Gala Evening and street party in Le Touquet with live bands including the 'Village Idiots'!  Alison Hilbourne the trust fundraiser at Special Effect had this to say about GalaBid's innovative platform:

"The Auction Site was FAB, I LOVED working with it. So easy to upload items, photos etc. Just brilliant. I'm SO glad we found out about it / you and would definitely use you again..."

So what did Twin Town do right and how can you administer a successful fundraising initiative for your worthy cause?   

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Marketing & your fundraiser.

Twin Town marketed the auction perfectly, raising over 11,000 before the event had even begun. The team made use of an interactive auction site branded to the Twin Town theme that really helped glue the event and cause together. Additionally, they promoted the event on social media using celebrity endorsements and participant engagement.  

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Get the word out there! 

Taking full advantage of the unique GalaBid SMS feature, organisers sent item and auction updates to participants prior to and throughout the rally event. They were even able to thank participants via a customisable text post-event using the software.   

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Usability & automatic registration. 

Using GalaBid's revolutionary fundraising platform, individuals who had applied to participate in the event were automatically registered. This helped create a real pre-event buzz that continued through the event itself, closing on Mondays bank holiday once participants had arrived at the homecoming reception.   

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Competition to Encourage Prize Donations. 

The prize sourcing achieved by Twin Town is one to be admired. To help inspire donations organisers encouraged teams taking part to donate items in exchange for 'points' leading to an overall winner of the event. As a result, donations came in thick and fast. Items included: the chance for one lucky supporter to appear in the game, Football Manager 2017 as a 'Newgen' player; and a copy of 10 Downing Street, The Illustrated History signed by David Cameron (not that he participated!).

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Take full control! 

Using GalaBid's CMS system enabled those managing the event to have full control. As items continued to be donated throughout the event itself, GalaBid's user-friendly system was a life saver, allowing organisers to easily and efficiently upload prizes at any point. They were further able to independently manage payment and the checkout console facility to review who had paid and which items had been dispatched.   

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Background.Special Effects

are a UK based charity, using technology to enhance the quality of life for people with physical disabilities. Twin Town was set up by Brendon Cross, to help support the growing charity. It is a unique fun rally, challenging its participants to drive a £500 banger on a 1000 mile journey, eventually treating them once they arrive in France, to a fabulous street party celebrating life on the road and the developments of Special Effects. On its second year, the Twin Town rally gathered momentum, with over 100 cars taking part, travelling from Blenheim Palace, Oxford to Le Touquet, France in the name of fun, freedom and fundraising! GalaBid's software was an ideal fit for the transient nature of the event, allowing participants to access the auction via their mobile phones, whether it be on the road, or at the evening celebrations.   For a free trial or demo... get in touch!