The short answer. All Hands on Deck is an annual art fundraiser at Beyond the Pale Brewing in Ottawa, where local artists decorate skateboard decks that are then sold by silent auction. In 2023, its fifth year, a record 236 decorated decks went up for bidding in an online MobilBid auction from May 23 to June 4, 2023, in support of Operation Come Home. The brewery called it its smoothest auction to date.
The organization: Beyond the Pale Brewing
Beyond the Pale Brewing is a Canadian craft brewery in the heart of Ottawa, Ontario. It was founded in 2012 by Shane Clarke, Rob McIsaac and Al Clarke, and is known for its craft beers, its limited-edition and experimental brews, and a family-focused atmosphere. The brewery takes part in local community events and has been growing its distribution beyond the Ottawa region.
The event: All Hands on Deck
All Hands on Deck (as in skateboard deck) was started by Ottawa artist Daniel Martelock and is promoted and sponsored by Beyond the Pale. It has become one of Ottawa's favourite fundraisers.
- Artists buy a deck (or two) from the brewery.
- They have six weeks to decorate it, in whatever style they choose.
- The finished decks come back to the brewery and go on public display there.
- The decks are sold through a silent auction.
In 2023, the event's fifth year, a record 236 decorated decks were featured in the auction. The proceeds supported Operation Come Home, an Ottawa charity marking 50 years of helping homeless youth avoid becoming homeless adults.
How they used MobilBid
Beyond the Pale had tested other ways of running the auction before choosing MobilBid to build and manage it. The 2023 auction ran online for nearly two weeks, from May 23 to June 4, 2023, so bidders could bid from their phones or computers at any time while it was open, not only on a single evening.
An art auction of 236 one-of-a-kind items is a lot to manage: bidders need to know when they've been outbid on a piece they want. MobilBid sends outbid alerts by text and email, so bidders can come back and bid again before the close.
Results
The 2023 auction was the largest in the event's history, with a record 236 decks. Using MobilBid, Beyond the Pale had its smoothest auction to date.
“Over the last few years, we have looked into options to help run our yearly auctions. None have compared to MobilBid. The ease of setup, user interface and one-to-one support have been exceptional. This year, using MobilBid, was by far the easiest for the team and led to a much smoother-running auction. A real joy to use.”
Running an art or community auction?
Businesses, breweries and community groups run charity auctions with MobilBid as well as charities themselves. A MobilBid auction costs 5.5% of silent auction sales, with a $220 minimum and a $2,500 maximum per event, and there's no contract or annual fee. See pricing, read more customer stories and testimonials, or open a free account and build a test auction.
Run your next auction on MobilBid
Open a free account and build a test auction, or talk it through with us. You only pay when you run a real event: 5.5% of silent auction sales, $220 minimum, $2,500 maximum.