Banquets & Award Dinners That Fit Scouting & Youth Development

Your annual dinner or golf classic brings in corporate tables and a crowd that loves the outdoors. The auction is a big part of the night, but it can feel like the same items year after year. An adventure trip or family getaway gives guests something new to bid on—and it can sell more than once.

Adventure-based trips, sporting events, and family getaways are what sell at scouting banquets and youth development dinners. Your crowd connects with outdoor experiences. A fishing trip, a rafting weekend, or tickets to a big game feel like a natural fit. Short programs and smaller rooms mean you want items that are easy to describe and quick to bid on. Travel packages with clear photos and a few key details work best. One such item on the auction block can shift the whole evening. Start the bidding 15 to 20 percent above cost, so your council earns from the very first bid. If the room gets excited, the same package can sell two or three times.

Scouting and youth development groups run events with a mix of paid staff and volunteer boards. This structure makes it easy to assign someone to manage the auction without a steep learning curve. The audience knows each other and the cause, so bidding is often friendly and competitive. The outdoor ethos of scouting means adventure travel fits right in, unlike at a school gala where tastes might vary more. Corporate table sales bring in supporters who are ready to bid on something meaningful.

There is no fee to reserve travel packages for your event. You only pay for an experience if it sells, keep 100% over the cost, and can sell experiences multiple times if the bidding gets hot. If an item does not sell, you owe nothing. You are not too late: items can be added the same day as your banquet. Most councils choose three to five experiences to start, and the number can grow as you see what works.

Browse the catalog of more than 140 experiences and choose a few that fit your crowd. Giveback XP can help you decide how many to include based on your audience size. Reserve them for free and get ready-to-use display sheets and a marketing email. On event night, put them in the auction. Afterward, send the winners' details to the travel team, and they handle the rest. Winners have up to two years to take their trip.

Your banquet ends with a higher auction total and no leftover items to store. Donors walk away looking forward to a trip, not another gift basket. The process is simple enough to hand off to a volunteer, and you have a repeatable way to raise more each year, with zero risk on the packages.

Common questions about banquets & award dinners for scouting & youth development