How Do You Customize a Corporate Trivia Event?
My job is producing and hosting corporate trivia events, both as engaging entertainment and for team building activities. I’ve been doing this for a long time – over fifteen years! What I do is unique, not just because I specialize in trivia events, but because I work exclusively with corporate and private clients.
In addition to my experience, expertise and reputation, the two greatest value-adds I offer TrivWorks clients are A) professional emcees, and B) custom content. I’ve written extensively over the years about how bringing in real emcees versus local bar trivia hosts, etc. makes a difference. But I haven’t gone as much into customizing the content, specifically how it’s done. Let’s take a look at what goes into tailoring an event – what are the key components involved?
To put it even more simply, what do I as the content provider need to know about you, the client?
What is the Purpose of the Event?
First things first, I need to know what your event is. Are you rewarding, entertaining, or simply providing a socialization opportunity at a meeting/conference? Is this a team bonding activity? Are you trying to boost morale, improve collaboration and communication, or maybe even defuse some simmering tensions? All of this is really important for me to know before I write a single trivia question, since it will shape the direction I go with respect to the types of materials we use.
(Click here for another article on creating memorable & impactful experiences).
Who is the Audience?
Is your room going to be full of hard-working colleagues, loyal clients, or die-hard brand enthusiasts? Will spouses or significant others be there? Is this an intern event? If so, will mentoring full-time employees be there as well? I have to learn these things upfront, so that I can craft questions which are relevant and appropriate to the expected attendees. I want to make sure everyone is having fun, and that the material is the right fit for the group and occasion!
What is the Audience’s Age Range?
This is really, really important, particularly since I tend to rely heavily on pop culture trivia at my events (TV/movies, music, etc.). As mentioned above, I want to make sure I’m using the right trivia which the group will respond to. However, I also want to ensure that EVERYONE in the event has a great time, and feels engaged from start to finish. I can’t do that if I’m using material that only half of the crowd knows, because the other half wasn’t even born yet.
Here’s a good recent example of what I mean:
Are There Any International Folks in Attendance?
Expanding yet again on the topics of relevancy and appropriateness, if there are any people from oversees attending, I’m going to want to know about it. Why? Because if the room is full of people who are in town from India, and I’m here asking questions about 90s TV shows or whatnot, that’s not going to fly! I have to be very, very careful not to use too much American-centric pop culture trivia at my events, perhaps none at all. Another reason is that if the audience consists of non-native English speakers, I may need to speak extra slowly/clearly, as well as craft PPT slides with the questions and answers written out. No one should feel left out.
What Will Make This Event Feel Personalized?
I don’t ever want TrivWorks clients to feel that our events are generic. When you bring me onboard, I want your experience to feel personalized, custom-tailored to your group and goals. Doing so makes for a much more enjoyable and impactful program. Plus, it just feels good to know that the vendor took the time and effort to make the experience unique to you. This can be in the form of company-specific questions, or even questions about audience members. If there’s a theme we want to stick to, or types of trivia the group will like, or key messages to reinforce, I definitely want to know that as well. However, I don’t recommend making every single question client-specific (follow this link to learn why).
What Do We Want to Avoid?
Just as critical to the types of questions we want to incorporate is what we DON’T want. Right off the bat, my clients can rest assured there will be nothing inappropriate or political. Our events are all squeaky clean, PC, rated G (well, maybe PG) and my emcees are pros whom you don’t have to worry about. But is there anything else that I coming from outside wouldn’t know, that’s strictly off-limits? Do we want to avoid any mention of competitors, or a past failed product? How about anything happening in the news related to your company or industry? Are there any other hyper-specific areas of concern we should just steer clear of? I want to make sure we’re not inadvertently upsetting or offending anybody in that room, especially if it could have been avoided.
Conclusion
Customizing the content is critical to ensuring the success of a corporate trivia event. How it’s done is just as important, and after so many years of producing successful events for clients large and small, I’ve cracked the code if you will. The more I know about your goals for the event and who is going to be participating, the better I can tailor an experience which not only everyone enjoy, but will make a lasting impact.
For a related article, visit It’s 2024: Does Anyone Need Professional Trivia Anymore?