How Much Do Corporate Trivia Events Cost?

By David | July 8, 2025 |

It’s happened an unusually high number of times recently.

I received inquiries from prestigious multinational corporations, seeking company trivia parties in New York City and elsewhere. As usual I responded right away, quickly getting on the phone with the people who made the inquiries – typically not the decision makers, rather folks who’ve been tasked with finding a vendor. I carefully listened to their event needs, then walked them through a brief overview of TrivWorks’ specialized services. When I finished my pitches, the question which always comes up, did: what are my rates?

I answered the way I always do, which is to explain that my rate is determined by a variety of factors, and that having an understanding of their budgets would allow me to put together some appropriate packages. In each of these recent cases, I received a dreaded reply:

“Umm, I don’t really l know what our budget is…”

“We’ve never done anything like this, so I don’t know how much it costs…”

“We’re just exploring options right now…”

Ugh. Not much I can do with that. And after 15+ years in the business, I unfortunately know where this is inevitably heading…

I put together my detailed, custom-tailored written proposals to each client and sent them out, attaching some basic pricing based on the services discussed. After receiving no replies I followed up, only to receive a perfunctory note saying they’re going in another, cheaper direction. I asked (as I always do) what the other vendors are charging, and offered to be as accommodating as I can. Alas, I received no replies – again, as I almost never do in these situations.

Making Inquiries Without a Budget Isn’t Helpful

It’s frustrating for me, as you can probably imagine. I stop everything when an inquiry comes in, and it takes a lot of my time to respond, craft a tailored proposal, etc. Clearly these prospective clients illustrated above had no idea what services like mine cost, and were making a vendor decision primarily, if not solely, on price. You get what you pay for, and no one has the experience, expertise or reputation I do when it comes to this niche area of corporate event entertainment and employee team building. However, if my rates aren’t in line with a clients’ spend, then contacting me and requesting a customized quote is ultimately a waste of time – for me and for them.

How Much Do Corporate Trivia Companies Cost?

That’s the question people seem to want to know. I’ve addressed this several times over the years here on my blog, using my favorite analogy: cars.

TrivWorks is a premium brand, and I liken my shop to a high-end car dealership. Typically the people who come into a luxury dealership have an idea in mind of what the product they’re looking at costs – if not the exact figure, then at least somewhere in the ballpark. While these types of cars aren’t cheap, there’s also not much “sticker shock” when people come into the store, since these customers know the product is high-quality, and the service high-end. The pricing is also likely commensurate with other car brands/models in a similar category.

Now, imagine you’re NOT specifically in the market for a luxury car. Your boss simply told you to find a way to get from point A to point B, and “see what’s out there.” Additionally, imagine you’ve never been asked to do this before, and really have no idea what cars cost. Then you find yourself in a luxury car showroom. You’re impressed by the wares, by the professionalism of the salespeople, by the reviews & testimonials from satisfied customers, and by the positive media coverage hanging on the walls.

Then you see the price tags, and your eyes bug out.

TrivWorks Might Not Be the Right Fit for You

If you’re the person above in this scenario, chances are you are NOT going to be buying a car from this dealership. Somehow or another you’ve got an idea in mind of how much a car “should” cost, and while you’re impressed with the offerings and the service of the high-end spot, it only takes a visit to the budget or used car lot down the street to find something you think is a better fit. Better yet, you can save even more money by taking the bus…!

The same holds true with TrivWorks. If you come to me with little to no idea in mind of what professional, first-class corporate entertainment costs, then this is going to be an uphill battle from the start. If you think producing and hosting a company trivia party is easy, that a first-rate experience can be done cheaply, then odds are I won’t be able to “upsell” you to go with me. After all, there are many other vendors out there with far less experience or credibility, offering their services at a far lower price point – click here for some examples.

What Affects the Price of Corporate Trivia Events?

As I’ve hinted at above, my rates aren’t cheap. While not the most expensive guy out there, I’m not a budget vendor, either. My rates might seem high compared with, say, a pub quiz company that primarily services bars and restaurants. However, they’re actually quite competitive with other professional corporate entertainers, which is the market I’m ACTUALLY in.

So, what are the factors I mentioned above which affect my rates?

First off, I only work with professional corporate emcees to host TrivWorks events. This guarantees that the experience will be clean, expertly led and smooth from start to finish, with a highly experienced pro at the helm. However, such skills and talent come with a cost. The people I work with who have the chops necessary to host corporate trivia aren’t easy to find, and as such I compensate them accordingly – which is to say, what they’re worth.

Time is Money

Then there’s the time involved in preparing the event, specifically MY time. In addition to what I’ve already put in with pitching, etc., there’s the contracting process, customization, scheduling staff, liaising with the venue, ongoing counsel regarding all aspects of the gig, and so much more. Should I be personally hosting the gig myself, then I must factor that time in as well. Each event I do requires a tremendous commitment of my time and effort, and I take an enormous amount of pride in what I do. Clients are getting my years and years of specialized experience doing exactly this, guaranteeing that it will ALWAYS go well. As such, there’s a cost involved which is commensurate with my service.

Finally, there’s other fixed event costs which I need to cover, such as support staffing/graders, materials (answer packets, pens, prizes, etc.), as well as transportation to/from the gig. That’s not to say anything about my overhead costs, such as office space, phone lines, general commercial liability insurance, Website maintenance, Internet service, and a zillion other things I need to spend money on in order to keep TrivWorks’ lights on.

What Else Affects the Price?

Beyond my fixed expenses above, there are other things I must take into consideration when providing a client with a quote. These include, but are not limited, to:

Number of event participants
Level of customization
Staffing / how many support staff are required
Hosting options, such as celebrity or “special talent” emcees
Additional time commitments, such as extended travel, prep time, tech rehearsals, etc.
Additional services / equipment, such as karaoke, stand-up comedy, minute-to-win-it games, etc.

All of this affects the price, since I again need to account primarily for my time/my colleagues’ time, as well as material & equipment costs.

Bottom Line: How Much Does a Corporate Trivia Event Cost?

If you’ve landed on my Website, if you’ve been referred to me through word of mouth, if you’ve attended one of my events previously, my hope is that you recognize TrivWorks as a premium brand. This isn’t a bar trivia company, this isn’t a cheap/budget vendor; rather, we provide an extremely high-quality service to discerning clients including Fortune 500 brands, top law firms, leading tech companies, multinational financial service institutions and more. As such, I wish to convey an understanding and expectation to prospects that my rates are commensurate with my offerings, and are competitive with other premium vendors catering to a similar market.

I know you’re waiting for a number reveal here, and don’t mean to evade the “big question” – however, I can’t provide a specific price without knowing a little bit more about you, your event and your budget. I’m of course aware that clients have limited funds allocated to their events, and I want to be as flexible and accommodating as I can to the economic realities. However, there are fixed and variable expenses that I can’t get around, which I must factor in before I can even begin discussing price. When you book with TrivWorks, you should expect the rate to be higher than your local bar trivia company; if you’ve booked other higher-end interactive corporate entertainment, you can expect my rates to be comparable.

So What Can I Do?

Perhaps the best thing I can advise prospective clients seeking my (or any) professional service is, know your budget BEFORE inquiring. This will undoubtedly save you time and aggravation as you research options, and help you understand what you can – and cannot – get for your allocated spend. You know without even stepping foot inside a high-end car dealership that it won’t be cheap; you know at first glance a fancy restaurant will be pricey. But you know both of these products/services will be exemplary. Likewise, you should know that a high-end corporate trivia company like TrivWorks won’t be charging the same as the pub quiz host down the street. But you can expect much, much more in return.

For further reading, visit “The 3 Greatest Values TrivWorks Offers.”

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