Confessions of a Professional NYC Trivia Host

I’ve been a professional trivia host in New York City for over 5 years, and have loved every second of it. NYC is arguably the world’s greatest trivia town, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have produced a wide variety of bar trivia nights, trivia fund raisers, private corporate events and public brand awareness events right here in the Big Apple.

I’ve gotten my system pretty well worked out, too, and to the outside observer, it’s a pretty smooth operation – which, in full disclosure actually blows my mind, considering I’m way more of a creative guy than a systems guy. In fact, come to think of it, there’s a lot of things about being a live trivia host in NYC or anywhere else that, by all rights, should make me a horrible quizmaster – yet somehow, I’ve managed to thrive.

How is that possible?

Let’s take a look at some of the things which every quizmaster needs to master, yet didn’t come at all naturally for me – until I figured out how:

Organization Skills – For me, this is probably one of the greatest professional and personal challenges I have (just ask my wife). What’s helped more than anything in the trivia arena has been using a laptop with MS Excel, to keep score and quickly sort during the game. Without Excel, I’d be toast.

Attention to Detail – Another glaring weak spot on my character, I’ve always been more of a “gister” than a nitpicker. I’ve found that forcing myself to slow down is the key, especially when fact checking trivia questions and grading answer sheet – both tend to get my blood pumping, and I just want to pound it out. But that’s where details are missed. Slow down, Dave – slow down.

Time Management – I don’t wear a watch – I find it constricting. The problem is, trivia events live and die by the clock: they need to start on time, end on time, and move at a fast pace throughout, otherwise they lose momentum, and people’s minds drift off.  My solution here: after having done so many events, I know EXACTLY at what time I need to start and end each round, in order to move it along at the proper pace. Experience is the greatest teacher, and when it comes to time management, it’s also my saving grace.

Not Being Annoyed by People – Perhaps the greatest challenge for anyone who loves working with people, is how to deal with the ones who annoy. And in Trivia Land, there’s all types of annoying people you meet: rude, loud, irritating, drunk, whiney, nasty and, sometimes, just plain evil. My coping mechanism here: patience. Lots and lots and lots of patience, more than I’ve ever used for anything else before. In the end, I realized that the good people at trivia events far outnumber the bad – so just be calm, exercise patience, and carry on.

I really believe that if someone like me can overcome my greatest weaknesses to do what I love – creating and hosting trivia events – than anybody can.

Are you a new or aspiring NYC trivia host, or a quizmaster in some other part of the country or world? What challenges have you overcome to be the best you can be?