Philly Give & Get Charity Business "Date" Auction, April 25

As co-founder Lansie Sylvia quite accurately notes, “Standard ‘professional networking’ events are usually dull and awkward happenings filled with bad Chardonnay and even worse conversations.” Philly Give & Get aims to provide a new way to match business colleagues, clients and customers — by auctioning off local professionals to winning bidders during a fun, party-style evening.

A charity fundraiser for PCAT (the Philadelphia Center for Arts and Technology), admission to the April 25 party at National Mechanics is just $10 (or more, if you want to donate), and that comes with a free drink ticket, too (here). You can also spring for six pre-purchased tickets for $100, an even bigger donation to the nonprofit.

Once you’re in to the 7–10 PM event, you can bid on the auction items, which are quite unorthodox. A few sample auction lots:

• Bowling and beers at North Bowl with Indy Hall co-founder Alex Hillman
• Behind-the-scenes BalletX rehearsal with online branding expert Alexandra Golazewsa
• Spend a night at the Philadelphia Theatre Company followed by drinks at Vintage Wine Bar with sustainability guru Becky Collins
• Taking a private circus class with game designer and Cipher Prime Founder BJ Stallwood
• Enjoy a private mixology class with the world-renowned bartenders at the Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. with local product development consultant Eric Steele
• Explore the hallowed halls of Eastern State Penitentiary during a behind-the-scenes tour with user interface design/user experience expert Johnny Bilotta
• Enjoying the Arden Theatre’s “Scene” with Snack Like a Local founder Meg Widholm
• Tour the new Barnes Foundation with international SEO expert Nick Eubanks
• Mini-golf and ice cream at the Franklin Fountain with the Skout Media team
• Attending an 1812 Productions play with Philly Tech superstar Yasmine Mustafa

Essentially, when you win a bid, you get knowledge and networking, the business person gets exposure, and the charity gets the money. It’s a win, win, win situation, and it will be repeated throughout the year. Be a part of the inaugural event and reserve your spot now.