Trivia Companies Near Me: Should I Hire Local, Or Bring Someone In from Out of Town?
I received an inquiry this week from someone in the middle of Ohio, looking for a trivia host for a corporate event. I gave my full sales pitch on the phone, followed by a detailed written proposal via Email. The following day I received a curt reply, stating that her manager wasn’t going to fly someone in for this (my emcee talent and I are based in NYC and Southern California, however we travel nationwide to host our events).
Was it a price issue, I asked? I can be accommodating.
“My manger said no,” she replied flat reply. “She won’t fly anyone in.”
I wasn’t surprised. It was a small event after all, and even though I have so much to offer, I could see how TrivWorks might not be the best fit. However, it did raise a good question: where exactly is the cutoff point between bringing in a highly experienced specialist, vs. simply hiring someone local? Here are some questions you can ask yourself, your planning committee, or your boss to help determine the answer.
How Important is My Event?
First off, what kind of function is this? Will it be a very casual/informal affair onsite at the office, attended by a few dozen colleagues? Or is it a major all-hands meeting, sales kick-off, town hall or other big event? Will the CEO, board members and other top brass be in attendance? How about highly valued long-term clients, or potential new clients? Is this an event to mark something significant, like a company milestone or achieved goal? The more important the event is, the more vital it is that you have an entertainment vendor who actually knows what they’re doing, and will deliver a high-quality product.
What Special Needs Does My Event Have?
It’s one thing if you are planning something simple and straight-forward, such as a team trivia night for the office. However, what if your situation is unique, and calls for skills you won’t likely find within a walkable radius? Does your event require someone who knows how to command a large crowd? Are you seeking programming that’s appropriate for a mixed-international crowd? How about a quirky venue, or a mix of in-person and virtual entertainment? There are so many different variables here. But the bottom line is, whomever you have locally may simply not be experienced or equipped to handle whatever your needs are.
Click here for an example of trivia requiring a combination of charisma and tech.
What is My Personal Comfort Level Flying Talent In?
This is a valid point, and one which I think the decision maker in the example I used at the start of this post was alluding to. How comfortable am I hiring someone to come in for this? So many things could potentially go wrong, after all: cancelled flights, flaky vendors…even straight-up con artists, who abscond with the deposit and leave you hanging! All of these things are of course possible – albeit highly unlikely. Any reputable vendor will have an online presence to easily verify authenticity. The travel concern is also valid, however it’s in the vendor’s best interests to fulfil their contractual obligations by actually getting to the gig. Unless there’s some force majeure event which makes getting there impossible for EVERYONE, the chances of the entertainer you hired from a trustworthy vendor not showing up are slim.
Do I Have Any Local Options to Begin With?
It’s one thing if you live in a large metropolitan area like New York City or Los Angeles, with lots of performance talent and professional corporate entertainers around. However, for most places this likely isn’t the case. Are you a trivia lover who’s been tasked with finding someone to host the post-dinner entertainment at the upcoming offsite retreat in Nowhere, USA? You might be out of luck – unless you hire the bar quizmaster down the street. As I’ve written about previously, you might not get the cream of the crop.
The Bottom Line
It’s fitting I keep this part at the bottom, however very often budget does play the deciding role here. I wouldn’t expect you to fly in someone from out of town for a small happy hour event, or an onsite activity for twelve people the office. However, if you’ve got an important event coming up and it needs to go well, you need to decide whether to commit to bringing in professionals who know what they’re doing, or taking a chance on whoever’s nearby.
It’s up to you. However, I think I know which way I’d go if it were MY name on the event!