ONTARIO AUCTIONEERS GATHER IN LONDON
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FEBRUARY 11, 2008 CONTACT:
Ken A. Scott, AAO, CPPA
Auctioneers Association Convention Co-Chair
ONTARIO AUCTIONEERS GATHER IN LONDON
FOR 25th ANNUAL CONVENTION, CONFERENCE & COMPETITION
LONDON, ON. – There will be some fast-talking in the Forest City during the weekend of February 19-22 when members of the Auctioneers Association of Ontario will gather in London for the 25th Annual Convention. Most of the events will take place at the Delta London Armouries, but the feature event of the weekend, the Ontario Auctioneers Championship Competition will be conducted at the Gardner Galleries.
Krista Richards, President of the Auctioneers Association of Ontario, and her husband Shawn Gannaw, are hosts for the convention. Grant Gardner and his wife Liz are the hosts for the auctioneers competition at their Hamilton Road auction facility.
The theme of the convention, “Changing with the Times” was chosen to introduce
a variety of educational and professional development seminars, an auction trade fair and exhibition, a provincial auctioneer championship competition, and a variety of social and networking opportunities. Nearly 100 auctioneers and their spouses are expected to attend the weekend program. Three guest speakers will present seminars on various aspects of change in the auction industry. Barb Richards from A Touch of Class Auctions, Barrie will speak on “Charity and Fundraising Auctions”. Barb is co-founder of the Canadian Auction College in Barrie, is a past president of the AAO. Nan Hayes from Illinois is founder of MoveSeniors.com which is a resource website for seniors in transition. Her topic is “Certified Relocation Transition Specialist”. She provides training, workshops, small business development and education to senior living communities, realtors, moving companies and aging services providers nationwide. Nicole Smallwood of Manitoba will speak on “Primer to Global Auction Guide”. She has 10 years experience in internet marketing and will provide information on putting the auction bill on several sites from a single point and tips to help you get the most of your marketing on the internet.
The pinnacle of the weekend for many will be the Ontario Auctioneers Championship Competition that will take place on Saturday February 21st at the Gardner Galleries, commencing at 11:00 am. As host of the competition, Gardner wants to make certain that conditions are just right for the 20 or more auctioneers who will sign up to compete in the experienced or novice divisions. Gardner says, “The competitors take this event very seriously and it is important that they compete in front of a real auction audience and at a real auction event. We will be having an estate and household consignment auction that day and the competitors will be able to demonstrate their skills by selling actual consignment items to actual buyers. It will be a level playing field for the auctioneer competitors, and the audience will get to hear a variety of auction chants and selling styles. The public, including all our regular auction goers, are welcome to attend this auction and competition.”
The auctioneers convention will conclude with a banquet on Saturday evening at which awards and honours are to be presented, and at which Krista Richards will hand over the President’s Gavel to incoming-President Len Metcalfe, of Metcalfe Auctions in Mildmay.
The Auctioneers Association of Ontario was founded in 1984. It is the voice of all Auction professionals in the Province of Ontario and pursues excellence in the Auction industry through a combination of legislative programs, uniform standards of professional practice, professional development and a Code of Ethics, designed to ensure the highest quality of service to the public.
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