How TrivWorks Assigns Emcees to Host Corporate Trivia Events

One of the main selling points of TrivWorks, which distinguishes my brand from pub quiz vendors or jack-of-all-trades team building companies, is that I work with professional emcees. My events are led by seasoned, highly-experienced professionals, with years and years of not just corporate experience, but specifically corporate trivia experience. Why do I do this? Because when working exclusively with companies and private event audiences, it is crucial that I represent my clients in a way which reflects positively not just on me, but on them as well. In order to ensure this, I don’t take any chances; I only hire pros, to deliver the high-quality experience my clients expect.

It’s inevitable, then, that I will get the question: “who will be hosting my corporate trivia event?” This usually comes up after the gig is booked, closer to the event date during the customization process. Unless the client has opted to book one of the celebrity or special talent emcees I partner with, they will be assigned a host based on a number of factors. I go to great lengths to ensure I’m only working with people whom I trust to lead TrivWorks events, and have complete confidence in each of them. However, there may be reasons why I’d assign certain people over others to lead specific events.

Here are some of the things I consider when matching up corporate trivia hosts to event clients.

Availability

First things first: which of my emcees are available on the event date? Since I only work with professionals, they can book pretty far out. They’ve also got lives, meaning there’s parenting responsibilities, vacations, travel for other gigs, etc. I may also have already assigned people to other events on that day, however for one reason or another I may decide to switch who is hosting what. Bottom line, I need to know who is available before I can make any decisions on scheduling.

Geography

Now that I know who’s available, which one do I assign to the gig? My emcee talent is based primarily in New York City and Southern California, specifically Los Angeles and Orange County. I want to minimize travel expense to my clients, as well as make TrivWorks gigs as painless as possible for my talent. Given I produce events nationwide, I will generally just divide the country in half: the Eastern states get my NYC-based emcees, while the Western ones get my SoCal staff (which includes me). However, this isn’t always the case. For reasons which I describe below, the best person for the job may be on the opposite coast (I recently recommended an NYC-based emcee for a Los Angeles event – even though I could have hosted it myself, I felt this other host would be a better fit).

Fitness for the Audience & Occasion

I mentioned above that I am highly selective in who I work with, and as such have complete confidence putting any TrivWorks emcee in front of any audience. That said, each host also has their own unique background, experience and expertise which may make them particularly well-suited for certain events. As I write this, we’re just wrapping up Pride Month – meaning I’ve produced a number of LGBTQ-themed trivia events. I work with several gay hosts, so naturally I assign them to these events. Every now and then I get an inquiry for ladies nights, women’ events, etc. I’m fortunate to work with several fantastic women hosting my events, so I absolutely want to bring them in when these gigs come through.

Perhaps I’ve got an event with a client or cause which I know one of my emcees is passionate about. Of course I’ll want to assign them – that’s a given! If a client requests big/high energy, great audience interaction/crowd work, or something other type of specific request, I may lean more towards one emcee or another. Or maybe there’s just some gut feeling I have that one emcee in particular will be great for this event, either by quirk of personality, unique experience, or simply a feel from having done this for so long.

(For a related article, read my new blog post “What Makes a Great Corporate Trivia Host ‘Great?’”

Repeat Client = Repeat Host

My events always go well, which is something I’m extremely proud of. When a client re-books with me, either for an annual event, or perhaps if they’ve recommended me to another department or office, they often say, “we want the same host!” What they may not realize is that I’m thinking the same thing: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Clearly something here worked, the host connected with the audience, and there’s no reason to mess with that. It’s also nice when my emcee shows up to the event and people recognize him/her, since that familiarity will help make for a smooth event from the start.

Conclusion: Matching Trivia Hosts to Corporate Events

Ultimately my goal is to create positive, engaging and impactful audience experiences, and the best way I can do that is to match a host whom I think will best connect with the crowd. It’s not a buffet, if you will – I don’t let my clients open up my list of emcees and simply choose whom they want to lead their events. However, it’s not completely random, either. I take pains to pair the right emcee with the right gig, taking into account factors such as availability, location, client preference/request, and an instinctual feeling of who would work best for what. You’re going to get a professional emcee with me regardless, and I always guarantee a great time for everyone there – however, I want to make sure I give you the BEST person I can, for YOUR event!

For a related article, check out “Choosing a TrivWorks Emcee: Who’s Best for YOUR Event?”