How to Choose Your Auction Format: In-Person, Hybrid, or Virtual?

The fundraising event landscape is ever-changing, with new technologies gaining popularity and guest preferences fluctuating from year to year. In 2025, for instance, only 19% of nonprofits reported planning virtual events, compared to 32% that said they’d host at least one hybrid event, and 83% prioritizing in-person activities.

While staying aware of trends is important, it’s ultimately up to your organization to decide which event format is best for you. This is especially true when it comes to auctions, which offer unique benefits in in-person, virtual, and hybrid formats.

To choose the right auction format for your next event, gather past event data and explore the benefits and potential challenges for each one here. Let’s start by breaking down the most important factors to consider as you make your decision.

Key Considerations for Choosing the Right Format

Before you explore your options in detail, you need to make a few decisions about your event. Who will attend? What are your priorities? What are you working with in terms of budget, and how much do you need to raise to hit your fundraising goals?

Take time to clarify and consider each of these factors:

• Audience: Your target audience should be your first consideration for the auction’s format. Guests’ preferences, locations, and engagement history will help you understand whether in-person or virtual events work best for them. For instance, if many supporters live out of town, you should host a virtual or hybrid auction so they can easily participate.
• Budget and Resources: Each format comes with different costs in addition to the price of auction items, from venue rentals and catering to online auction software. Determine if you have the budget to host a large in-person event or if a virtual event would be more cost-effective.
• Event Goals: Most events have strategic goals beyond fundraising. Whether you want to attract new donors, engage employees, or improve relationships with alumni, think about how each auction format could help you further that goal. For example, brand-new supporters might be more likely to attend virtual events out of the gate, while university alumni likely want the connection provided by in-person auctions.
• Timeline: Do you want to host a one-time event or a more extended auction that guests can participate in on their own time? Virtual events can run for longer time periods than in-person or hybrid events, allowing more people to bid on items. However, extending your auction may remove some of the excitement and feelings of community offered by real-time events.

Beyond these factors, the OneCause event planning guide recommends analyzing the success of previous events to evaluate which formats your audience engaged with most. Your organization’s attendance rates, fundraising event ROI, and direct guest feedback are the most valuable metrics to consider.

With your own data and the above considerations in mind, let’s dig deeper into the pros and cons of each auction format.

3 Types of Auctions

1. In-Person Auctions

In-person events are the most traditional auction format, and they’ve stuck around for good reason. They bring energy, real-time bidding excitement, and meaningful face-to-face connections between supporters. And don’t worry about these auctions being too traditional—you can use mobile bidding tools instead of paper bid sheets to keep your in-person auction up-to-date and highly engaging.

To host your auction in person, you’ll need a venue, catering, decorations, plenty of volunteers, and entertainment. Don’t forget to factor in auction items and mobile bidding software.

✅ Benefits of In-person Auctions

• More Guest Engagement and Connection: Building relationships with your organization and other event guests is much easier when you can speak face-to-face.
• More Personal Experience for VIP Donors: Most major and planned giving donors want to attend events in person so they can meaningfully connect with your organization’s leadership and other supporters.
• Guests Can See Auction Items for Themselves: Seeing what they’re bidding on up close increases trust and transparency. Plus, guests can ask questions about the items and receive immediate answers from event staff.

⚠️ Potential Challenges of In-person Auctions

• Long Lines, Missed Opportunities, and Confusion Due to Paper Bid Sheets: If you don’t incorporate mobile bidding into your in-person auction, you risk facing several challenges that might frustrate guests and reduce ROI. That’s why we highly recommend using mobile bidding software to simplify auction participation and management.
• More Time-intensive Planning Requirements: In-person events require a lot of logistics. Your team must organize venue rental, catering, entertainment, volunteers, security, item displays, item distribution, and more. If you have a small team, this may feel like too much to handle.

2. Hybrid Auctions

A hybrid auction offers the best of both worlds, allowing guests to choose between participating in person or online. However, it requires you to essentially plan two events—which means considering additional planning, costs, and event management needs.

To run a successful hybrid auction, you need an engaging in-person experience and an intuitive online bidding website. Use specialized auction software to ensure that bids sync and guests get accurate, immediate updates about the status of the items they bid on.

✅ Benefits of Hybrid Auctions

• Greater Accessibility: By offering the flexibility to attend online or in person, you’ll naturally host a more inclusive event that guests of varying abilities can participate in.
• Ability to Reach a Larger Audience: Adding a virtual option means anyone can join your auction regardless of their location or familiarity with your organization.
• Appeal to Various Guest Preferences: Your guests aren’t all the same—and their event preferences won’t be either. A hybrid format gives you the flexibility to engage both those who love the in-person experience and those who’d rather join from home.

⚠️ Potential Challenges of Hybrid Auctions

• Difficulty Managing Two Audiences and Event “Spaces” at Once: Engaging both virtual and in-person guests requires a cohesive approach. Without a clear strategy, user-friendly software, and enough volunteers, you risk creating confusion and disconnection between guests.
• Strain on Your Organization’s Resources: To host both in-person and online portions of your auction, you may need to spend more money. Consider all the costs of in-person events plus any necessary technology for livestreaming, additional volunteers to manage chats, etc.

3. Virtual Auctions

Fully online auctions are great for organizations with large audiences and/or limited resources. These events take place 100% virtually, using event management software or a mobile bidding app to facilitate bids.

✅ Benefits of Virtual Auctions

• Lower Costs: All you have to pay for is auction items and event management software—virtual auctions cut the costs of venue rental, food, and physical displays.
• Easy for Anyone to Participate: The right software makes bidding online simple. Any supporter can visit your event website, browse items, bid on their favorites, and check out easily.
• Fewer Staff and Volunteers Needed: You’ll likely need a few event staff members to monitor the online chat and ensure everything runs smoothly, but this is nothing compared to the sizable volunteer team you need for an in-person auction.

⚠️ Potential Challenges of Virtual Auctions

• Difficulty keeping online guests engaged: Without face-to-face interaction, virtual guests can easily get distracted and disengaged. To boost engagement, use features like live chat and outbid notifications. Some organizations even combine online auctions with other virtual fundraising ideas, such as a raffle or livestreamed performance, to provide a more holistic experience.
• Technical difficulties: If you don't provide clear instructions, your guests might have trouble navigating your auction website or downloading your bidding app. Fortunately, you can mitigate this challenge by choosing intuitive software.

Hosting Successful Auctions in Any Format

Regardless of which auction format you choose, it’s up to your organization to strategically promote your event and follow up with guests afterward. Thank everyone who attends your auction, and send a feedback survey to ask about their experience. Their answers will help you determine which formats to use in the future.