Adrian Biddell

A principal auctioneer at Sotheby’s London for nearly 25 years, Adrian Biddell works with numerous organisations in the UK and abroad. These have included Marie Curie, Macmillan, Alzheimer’s Society, Human Rights Watch, The Royal Academy Schools, Central Saint Martins, English National Opera, the RNLI and the Royal College of Music. Adrian regularly exceeds charities’ expectations and for many organisations he has become their auctioneer of choice.

In the UK Adrian has presided over sales at diverse locations, from Kensington Palace and Hampton Court to the Royal Academy and the Shard. Further afield he has taken charity sales in the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid, as well as in Brussels, Istanbul and Cairo.

The presence and experience of the auctioneer has the power to transform an occasion, and add significantly to the amount raised, particularly in a charitable fund-raising context. Meticulous planning is critical to a successful outcome. Adrian Biddell offers advice to organisations on how to promote their auction and maximise the sum made. This means taking into account, for example, guests’ commitment to the cause, the number, diversity and order of the lots, the size of the venue, type of occasion, and where the auction best fits into the event schedule.

In addition Adrian is regularly asked to be pledgemaster. Live pledges at an event tend to generate a particularly strong and focussed response from all assembled guests and is increasingly a highly-effective method of raising significant funds.