The Arizona Chapter of the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International — HSMAI — announced that it will present the 35th Anniversary Chinese Auction Fundraiser & Dinner, celebrating the “Year of the Rooster.” This annual event will be held at the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Resort Paradise Valley-Scottsdale on Friday, July 14, 2017, with over 350 meeting and hospitality professionals in attendance. Proceeds from this award-winning event will help support the association’s mission and ongoing efforts to provide quality continuing education and scholarships for those professionals currently in the hospitality industry, as well as those pursuing a career in the field.
“There is so much momentum with the HSMAI Arizona Chapter this year coming off the recent news of winning HSMAI’s Chapter of the Year Award. This year’s Chinese Auction will be an opportunity to give back to the industry that has given us so much. Attendees will not want to miss out on what “The Chapter of Champions” has in store for our 35th Chinese Auction Fundraiser.” said Erik Dorr, President of the HSMAI Arizona Chapter.
The Chinese Auction Fundraiser is a unique event combining silent auction and live auction bidding. Each guest will receive a list of items to be sold during the live auction, and a paddle with an individualized number. Each guest will then “bid” on items by placing one quarter in an individual bucket placed at the center of each table. The auctioneer will roam the room while announcing numbers on each guest’s paddle, until the Chinese gong is rung. The number last called before the gong rings, will win the item. Prizes include, golf outings, artwork, gift certificates for goods and services, signed sports memorabilia and weekend getaways to various destinations throughout the U.S., Hawaii and Mexico. Money is raised through the quarters that are bid on each item, the silent auction preceding the dinner, and a live-auction bidding. This unique auction was conceived by the Arizona Chapter and has been adopted by chapters all over the United States. This event has even been honored with numerous awards including two Stars of the Industry Awards, presented by the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association (AzLTA).
A portion of the proceed from this year’s event will also be donated to HSMAI Arizona Chapter’s 2017 Charity of the Year, Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based charity that was started in 2013 by a group of individuals that saw the need to step up and help members within their own community with hands-on efforts and financial resources. A live pledge drive will also be held during the event to support their ongoing initiatives.
Tickets for this year’s event are available at early bird rates for only $70 per person, or $675 for a corporate table of ten. For more information, call Joanne Winter at 602-240-5552, or register at: hsmai-az.org.
