Marc Summers corporate events

Earlier this month, TrivWorks made one of the greatest announcements since we were founded in 2009: that legendary game show host Marc Summers has partnered with us as a “Special Host” available for corporate entertainment and team building activities in NYC and beyond!

TV viewers today of course know Mr. Summers as host of the Food Network’s “Unwrapped” – he is also the executive producer of that channel’s popular show “Restaurant: Impossible.” However, for people of a certain age (like me), the words “Marc Summers” are reflexively associate with another television program: “Double Dare.”

I can remember when “Double Dare” first aired back in 1986. I was nine years old, and Nickelodeon was just starting to make it’s inevitably central way into the lives of kids everywhere. There were a few things which made this wacky new show stand out:

1. A Game Show for Kids – Perhaps the most obvious and awesome thing about this show: it was for kids like me! At that time, TV game shows typically aired at two different times of the day: in the mid-late morning, and prime time at night. This meant that you only got to watch them if you were home sick from school, or viewing with an adult who happened to be watching after dinner. What’s more, it was always adults who were contestants – hardly something kids could relate to. “Double Dare” was radically different – it was on in the late afternoon, so we could tune in immediately after school. And what’s more – all the contestants were kids!

1. Physical Challenges – I, like every other nine year old in America, was insanely jealous of every “Double Dare” contestant. Not just because they got to be on TV and win cash prizes, but because they got to do awesome stuff like get drenched, ride crazy contraptions, and best of all, complete the world’s greatest obstacle course full of wacky objects like giant mouths and pools full of oatmeal and stuff.

1. Marc Summers – But the one element which made “Double Dare” truly special, the glue that held it all together, was host Marc Summers. I still remember my reaction when I saw him for the first time: look at what he’s wearing! Whereas all of the other “grownup” men in my life and hosting TV game shows at that time wore suits, Marc Summers was wearing a blazer and tie – with jeans and sneakers! How AWESOME was that! I’d never seen that before, and it really made an impression on me – as well as set the tone that this guy was COOL, and knew how to work with kids. Throw in his high energy and obvious enthusiasm for the game, and you’ve got the makings of a truly memorable game show host.

Now, nearly 30 years later, I can’t begin to express what an honor and privilege it is to be able to partner with this legend, to help other “Double Dare” lovers like me relive their pasts while getting to know their colleagues better through fun, high-energy live trivia contests. It truly is a dream come true to work with Marc Summers, and I’m looking forward to creating some incredible experiences for corporate groups in 2014 and beyond!