Click the links below to jump to the rules for a particular contest.

Auctioneer Bid Calling Contest

Ring Person Contest

Team Bid Calling Contest

Rookie Contest

Advertising Contest

Entry Fee - $50 | Must be an IAA member to participate

Registration deadline is Noon on Saturday, February 1, 2025.

NOTE: Top Ten (10) will be announced at the evening banquet. Participants must attend banquet to compete in the finals.

1. Contestants shall be current, active (paid) members of the Iowa Auctioneers Association and registered (paid) for the Iowa Auctioneers Convention. (IAA Dues can be paid at the time of entry into the contest.)
2. Entry Fee is $50.00 for members .If you are not a member, you may become a member at the time of entry into the contest, and the fee must be paid at noon the day of the competition.  
3. Contestant must be at least 18 years of age at the time of the preliminary convention round.
4. Contest will be conducted within the time frame set by the Convention Planning Committee and those in charge of the contest. 
5. ALL contestants are required to attend a “rules” meeting on Saturday before the contest begins.
6. Contestants are required to bring three (3) items to sell during the preliminary round of the contest. IAA will retain 100% of proceeds. If more than 30 contestants register for the contest, contestants will only sell two items. 
7. IAA will provide three (3) items for each of the five finalists to sell during the finals at the Iowa State Fair on Tuesday, August 12, 2025. (Items are not to be identical, but similar in value, scope, and style.) 
8. Board members not involved with the contest committee, and excluding the President and Vice President are eligible to participate in the contest. Any board member participating is prohibited from mentioning their board affiliation. 
9. Preliminary and Finals contest are held under actual auction conditions.  
10. The top ten (10) contestants receiving the highest scores during the qualifying contest will be eligible to compete in the preliminary round and have the chance to be in the top five to compete in the Finals at the Iowa State Fair on August 12, 2025.  
    NOTE: Top ten will be announced at the evening banquet. Participants must attend banquet to compete in the finals. 
11. If a tie occurs for tenth place, all tied contestants will advance to the semifinals.  
12. If a tie occurred in the top 10 of the semifinals, or the top five of the Finals, the tie breaker will go back to the contestants with the highest score from the preliminary round of the contest.  
13. The finalists during the contest will have three (3) interview questions to answer and three (3) items to sell. 
14. Five judges, selected by the President and Vice President will judge the preliminary round at the annual convention. (Convention speakers, NAA/IAC speaker, seminar presenters, and past IAA Auctioneer Champions are considered.) 
15. Judging categories will be: speed, bid calling ability, salesmanship and appearance. Professional dress is recommended. The standard “Auctioneer Contest Score Sheet” will be used in the qualifying, preliminary, and final rounds.  
16. Top five place winners will receive trophies at the Iowa State Fair. 
17. Top five place winners will receive trophies at the Iowa State Fair, Tuesday, August 13, 2024.
18. Prize money will be: 
        $1,000     Champion  
        $250    Reserve Champion         
        $150    First Runner Up         
        $100    Second Runner Up 
        $100    Third Runner Up 
19. Past Champions are NOT eligible to enter the Auctioneer Contest.
20. Rookie Auctioneer contestants are not eligible to participate in Auctioneer Contest.
21. The winner of the bid calling contest will be the emcee of next year's convention qualifying round, as well as the state fair contest the following year.  

Entry Fee - $25 | Must be an IAA member to participate

Registration deadline is 5:00 PM on Friday, January 31, 2025.

1. Contestants shall be current, active (paid) members of the Iowa Auctioneers Association and registered (paid) for the Iowa Auctioneers Convention. (IAA Dues can be paid at the time of entry into the contest.)   
2. Entry fee is $25 for members.
3. Contestant must be at least 12 years of age at the time contest.
4. Contestants will draw for order prior to contest.  Contest will consist of one round.  No Finals.
5. Each contestant will be asked one question prior to contest.  Other contestants will be sequestered in secure location.
6. The winner will be required to host the ring person contest the following year and provide an interview question for contestants unless they are a contestant. 
7. The winner will be required to participate and ring during the Iowa State Fair Auction held in August. 
8. Each contestant must bring two (2) items to be sold during the ring person contest. Proceeds will go to IAA.
9. Ring person shall bring/select auctioneer that they will be selling with. If a ring person does not have an auctioneer to sell with during the contest, the ring person can select from the auctioneers present during the convention. 
10. Contestants participating in the Ring Person Contest may also participate in selling items during Fun Auction, but MAY NOT be the auctioneer for another ring person contestant. 
11. IAA Board members are eligible to participate in the contest. Any board member participating is prohibited from mentioning their board affiliation. 
12. The contest will be held under actual auction conditions. 
13. The Dress Code requirement is no less than business casual.  
14. Past Champions of the IAA Ring Person Contest are not eligible to enter. 
15. Judges will consist of at least three people that may or may not be members of IAA. One judge can be a past champion of the Auctioneers Contest or Ring Person Contest. Contestants are judged on poise, interview, communication with auctioneer and crowd/bidders, and overall appearance. 
16. Scoring will be based on scale of 1 - 10 for each category. Additional category of “Would You Hire This Ring Person?” will be used in the event of tie breaker. The standard “Ring Person Contest” score sheet is used.  
17. The winner will receive a trophy during the Grand Banquet on Saturday. 

Entry Fee - $150 per team | Must be an IAA member to participate

Registration deadline is 5:00 PM on Friday, January 31, 2025.

1. Contestants shall be current, active (paid) members of the Iowa Auctioneers Association and registered for the Iowa Auctioneers Convention
2. Entry Fee is $150.00 per team. If you are not a member of the Iowa Auctioneers Association, you may become a member at the time of entry into the contest.
3. Persons CAN enter the contest multiple times with different Auctioneers / Ringmen with a maximum of two entries per person. Teams must consist of at least one member 18+ years of age. A maximum of two entries per person for now. If the maximum number of teams is not met by Friday afternoon at 4 PM, you may enter one more time.
4. Team contest is limited to the first 15 teams. First come, first registered basis.
5. Teams must provide three (3) items to be sold at time of mandatory meeting. IAA will retain 100% of proceeds.
   Competing order will be determined prior to the event by drawing conducted by the Contest Chairperson during the Mandatory Contestant Roll Call and Orientation Meeting. After this the Teams will have time to lot number and arrange their items to be sold.
6. ALL CONTESTANTS MUST attend the Contestant Roll Call and Orientation Meeting at 6:50 PM, Friday. Roll Call will be taken at the start of the meeting promptly at 6:50 PM.
7. The sound systems will be preset and will not be adjusted during the contest. All contestants will have the opportunity to test the sound system prior to the start of the competition.
8. There shall be three judges for this competition and will be the sole responsibility of the contest chairman to determine the qualification of the judges.
9. Each team sells three items consecutively in both the Preliminaries and in the Finals. In the Preliminaries, each team will sell items he / she provides for the contest. In the Finals, each team will sell three items provided by the Iowa Auctioneers Association with a value equal to other contestants’ items.
10. Top three scoring teams advance to finals round. If a tie would occur in the preliminary round for the 3rd place team contestant, all tied contestants will advance to the Finals.
11. The scores from the Preliminaries determine who qualifies for the Finals. The Preliminary scores will be thrown out and the scores will start anew for the Finals.
12. Finalist Teams will be announced after the conclusion and scoring of the Preliminary Competition and will advance to the FINALS.
13. If a tie would occur in the top three (3) of the Finals, the tie breaker will go back to the contestants with the highest score from the preliminary round of the contest. If a tie exists at this point it will go to “Would you hire this team”.
    The winning team will be announced at the Grands Banquet Ceremony on Saturday night.
14. The following prizes will be awarded:
         Champion Team - $800 Team Cash Prize, Belt Buckles and Banners
         Reserve Champion Team - $400 Team Cash Prize and Banners
         Third Place - $200 Team Cash Prize and Banners
15. Contestants will NOT be given the exact order of finish. Scorecards will be available after the evening’s auction events have and can be picked up from the Contest Chairperson.
16. All winners will be used in press releases, media referrals and videos for promotion of auctioneering and the Iowa Auctioneers Association.
17. Board members not involved with the contest committee, and excluding the President, Vice President are eligible to participate in the contest. Any board member participating is prohibited from mentioning their board affiliation.
    Preliminary and Finals contest are held under actual auction conditions.

Registration deadline is Noon on Saturday, February 1, 2025.

1. The Iowa Auctioneers will provide two (2) items for each participant to sell. 
2. To be considered a rookie, the participant must have three or less years of experience or work history in the auction industry. Determination of work history will be at the discretion of the Iowa Auctioneer Association board members.
3. Auctioneer bid calling contestants are not eligible to participate in the Rookie Contest. 
4. Rookie contestants are not eligible to participate in the Auctioneer bid calling contest. 
5. While not mandatory, it is strongly encouraged that the Champion Rookie Auctioneer takes part in the Iowa State Fair Auction held in August. 

6. This is contest is FREE to participants – NO COST 

7. The winner will be the emcee at next year's rookie contest at the convention.  

Entry Fee - $25 per category up to $100 max | Must be an IAA member to participate 

Ad/Brochure must be submitted by Noon on Saturday, February 1, 2025.

1. You must be a member of the Iowa Auctioneers Association.

2. Contestants must pay a $25 entry fee to compete in each category up to a maximum of $100 for all categories. (e.g. If you submit seven entries, the most you ever pay is $100.)

3. The IAA Logo must be present in the printed materials.

4. All printed Ads/Brochures must be dated and have been published between February 4, 2024 to January 22, 2025.

5. Entries must be submitted by the stated times with no exceptions.

6. A representative of the auction company must be present at the Grand Banquet on Saturday, February 1, 2025 to be awarded the prize for each category.

7. The entrant must identify which category each ad as to to be judged on.  The same ad can be entered in more than one category, but there must be a separate copy of the ad for each category.  Only one entry, per auctioneer, per category.

8. Ad/Brochure may be black and white, or color.

9. Photographs will be judged in two separate categories.

10. Board members and officers are allowed to enter this contest.

11. All entrants must ensure their name and business name are clearly displayed on all marketing materials submitted for the competition.  

JUDGING CATEGORIES