Guilty Pleasures of a Trivia Event Host

Naturally, I love creating trivia events. There’s just so many things about them that provide me with an opportunity to smile, I have fun just thinking about it! I do enjoy playing pub quiz, for sure, but believe it or not I’m actually not all that good a trivia myself- nor am I very competitive by nature. For me, the real enjoyment comes in producing the event from scratch, with the express purpose of giving other people a great experience.

What do I love most about being a quizmaster? Here’s a brief list:

• Writing Trivia Questions – I love writing creative, humorous trivia questions which are custom-made for the audience in mind. Over the years I’ve become quite adapt at this, and it gives me a lot of enjoyment.

• Coming Up With Round Themes – Each round of questions has a theme, and I love coming up with new ones. Sure, all of my events have staple themes such as “General Knowledge,” “TV & Movies” etc. But how about “What Comes Next,” “Junk Food” and “High School English Class Books?” I feel like my own JEAPARDY! category generator, and it’s such a blast!

• Positive Attendee Reactions – For me, few things are better than watching people react exactly the way I want (or better) to the trivia I’ve written. Laughter is the best response, because it means I’ve struck a chord and done something right.

• Funny Team Names – One of the few areas of a trivia event outside my control, I always look forward to the funny, wacky and occasionally borderline inappropriate team names the participants come up with. It gives me an opportunity to laugh at other people’s sense of humor, and I usually am the one laughing the hardest at the best ones.

• iPod Round – Typically my events will include an “iPod round,” where the employee team building / corporate event organizer (or bartender, if it’s a pub quiz) will prepare a 10-song playlist for the crowd to identify the song title/artist. Whenever possible, I make a point not to review the playlist in advance; I’d rather experience the songs for the first time right along with everyone else, so that my reaction will be authentic- especially when there are some terrible clunkers included.

• Making People Happy – The ultimate driving force behind my passion for hosting trivia events, I love seeing people extremely happy as a direct result of something I’ve done. If I can create an experience for people which is enjoyable, memorable, and leaves a lasting positive impact, that’s all I really need.

There are of course a million other reasons why I love creating live trivia events, but these are the ones that most immediately spring to mind. Do you host a trivia night in New York City or elsewhere? Please share below what YOU love most about being a quizmaster!