2026 Retreat Highlights The Auctioneer Renaissance

Letter from our CEO

Two weeks ago, we got together for the second annual Bidsquare Auctioneer Retreat in Blue Bell, PA. Auctioneers showed up and delivered. We talked about what matters most right now, the role of the online auction marketplace, and how it should serve auctioneers. The conversations were candid and thoughtful, and I am so grateful to everyone who took the time from running their businesses to step away and talk about it.

The auction industry is entering a new chapter, the Auctioneer Renaissance. Bidsquare is a software company, and our role is clear: to support independent auction houses with the tools, technology, and partnership they need to lead what comes next.

The Consortium, the Retreat, Bidsquare—none of it works without the right people in the room.

For those of you who missed the event this year, we missed you and we will see you next year in Austin, Texas. In the meantime, we hope you’ll stay part of the conversation as the work continues. My biggest takeaway from last year and this year, is that this group really does “care a whole awful lot.”

Showing up and bringing your honest opinions to the conversation validated Bidsquare’s direction and our mission. Built by auctioneers, for auctioneers.

We will continue to run our own race, listen to what's important to you, and come to you when we don't have the answers. I am so very grateful for your partnership, your time, and your trust. Stay tuned... more soon!!!

All my best,

Traci


Traci Lombardo at the Bidsquare Retreat 2026

Anthony Keegan, Traci Lombardo, Magnus Resch, David Gursky, Eli Penzias — Bidsquare Retreat 2026

Themes That Came Through Clearly

Across every session, during meals, and in the hallways, these topics defined the conversation:

1 — Ownership Matters: Auction houses need to own their buyer relationships, data, and brand experience.

2 — Trust Is Becoming Infrastructure: Verification, transparency, bidder integrity, and standards are critical. Bidsquare plans to leverage technology to provide credibility and verification throughout the industry.

3 — AI Must Support Reality, Not Distract: The opportunity to use AI for practical work to support cataloging, discovery, marketing, fraud prevention, and workflow efficiency.

4 — Operational Excellence Drives Growth: The details: shipping, reporting, onboarding, throughput, and process directly impact margin, scalability, and buyer experience.

5 — Community Creates Leverage: The Bidsquare Consortium connects auctioneers and provides the space to come together and share knowledge, influence standards, and build collective strength.

WELCOME RECEPTION

Place & Place

We opened the Bidsquare retreat with a welcome reception at Pook & Pook — a very fitting place to begin. The building dates back to 1761. The Pook family business began in 1984, and in 2015, Pook & Pook pioneered a radical, industry-changing idea that auctioneers could control their destiny. Pook & Pook helped launch the original Bidsquare and this was a meaningful reminder of where Bidsquare started, auction houses choosing to build something together for the greater good.

Ron Pook, Welcome reception at Pook & Pook

SESSION

Eddie Kim: AI Adoption, Data Ownership & Workflow Optimization

In our first session on Tuesday, Eddie Kim spoke practically about how auction houses can move from AI curiosity to practical use.

Eddie Kim, Amazon

Key Takeaways

Most auction houses are still early in hands-on AI adoption.

AI should support real auction workflows — cataloging, listing optimization, bidder intelligence, fraud detection, and marketing.

Buyer and data ownership remain major strategic priorities.

The houses that build AI fluency now will be better positioned to shape industry standards.

FEATURED KEYNOTE

Magnus Resch: From Authority to Intelligence

In our keynote, Magnus Resch took an academic approach and explored how data, networks, transparency, and buyer behavior are reshaping value in the art and auction markets.

Magnus Resch, Yale University

Key Themes

Market value is increasingly shaped by data, visibility, and networks.

Transparency builds trust and attracts participation. Technology can solve this layer.

Younger collectors discover differently: Content, education, social proof, and accessible market intelligence matter.

Auction houses that position themselves as credible and verified sources of insight will win the next generation of buyers.

Sean Blanchet, Serena Harragin, Deba Gray

PANEL DISCUSSION

Facilitated by Jonathan Elkaim (Doyle). Panelists: Chris Featherston, Austin Auction Gallery and Karen Walker Beecher, DuMouchelles.

Key Takeaways

Bidder integrity is a shared industry concern. There are a variety of ways to verify information but it is manual and time consuming.

Fraud prevention requires both technology and human judgment.

Auction houses need stronger visibility into bidder history, payment behavior, and risk indicators.

Trust is no longer just a policy — it is becoming a product category.

DEEP DIVE

Inside the Software: What We've Built and How Auction Houses Are Using It

Anthony Keegan led a dynamic auctioneer panel discussing how superusers tap into the softwares full potential — a candid, practical session where real users shared the workflows, features, and shortcuts that make the biggest difference day to day.

Facilitated by Anthony Keegan (Bidsquare). Panelists: Tracie Gedra, Iron Gate Wine and Allison Schuster, Brunk Auctions.

Key Topics

Customizable emails and registration messaging

Templates and bidder communication

Bidsquare IQ and analytics

Saved searches and bidder behavior

Audit logs and bid history

Software education and adoption

Education equals adoption. The more teams understand what is available, the more value they can unlock from the software. Bidsquare’s team is here to work with you to optimize your workflow and achieve your goals.

WORKING SESSION

Consortium Working Session: Building the Network Beyond the Retreat

The Bidsquare Consortium is a trusted peer network for independent auction houses to share knowledge, raise standards, and create collective leverage. We are creating opportunities to auctioneers to connect all year long. Participation is structured and confirmed in person, creating space for dialogue with current members and a clear understanding of the commitment involved.

Chis Featherston, Austin Auction Gallery

MARKETPLACE DISCUSSION

Rethinking Discovery, Data & Collector Growth

Led by Roumena Kratchunova, we shared Bidsquare's collector market research and guided a thoughtful conversation around the future of the marketplace and what auction houses need from buyer discovery today. Here is a link to the presentation.

Marketplace evolution to a collector discovery engine

Buyer behavior, conversion, and qualified traffic

Data ownership and performance visibility

Trust and transparency prioritized in the buyer journey

We learned collectors want:

More recommendations, curation, alerts, and personalization

Fewer, better-vetted items, not more inventory

Supporting smaller auction houses matters, it's a values thing, not just a feature

Only 5% of today's active collectors are under 55 — hidden fees are the #1 reason younger buyers don't convert.

Roumena Kratchunova, Founder & CMO Trueffle

Collectors and buyers don’t want the Platform.

They want YOU.

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Bidsquare Roadmap: Building What Comes Next

We shared a clear look at where Bidsquare is headed and how our roadmap is being shaped by the conversations we are having with you.

Continued investment in Bidsquare Cloud, Vault, and the tools that support day-to-day auction operations

A stronger marketplace strategy focused on discovery and qualified bidder traffic

A more modern, API-first platform built for more data, better integrations, reporting, and scalability

White-label improvements that help auction houses strengthen their own brand experience

More focus on trust, bidder ownership, discovery, and operational efficiency

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What’s Next

Mighty Network Bidsquare Consortium Community — A private space for ongoing discussion, resources, questions, and peer exchange.

Quarterly Roadmap Roundtables — Structured conversations to review priorities, share feedback, and keep momentum moving.

Collector + Auction House Research — Surveys and insights to inform product direction, marketplace strategy, and Consortium priorities.

On-site Consortium Visit — You told us that you wanted more in-person, on-site, working time together. We put a survey in the Consortium app and we are planning our first auction house on-site visit, stay tuned.

Austin 2027 — Get ready for the next Bidsquare retreat in Austin, Texas in May 2027.

   

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See you in Austin, 2027

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