What Goes into Producing a Corporate Trivia Event?

So you (or the committee you’re on) have decided you want to have a company trivia event. Maybe it’s a fun social night onsite at the office, the “fun” part of the offsite retreat agenda, a high-energy wrap for an all-hands meeting, laugh-filled summer intern competition, or interactive holiday party entertainment. Perhaps your colleagues just need a morale boost. Whatever the occasion, you just need someone to come in and host it, no? Shouldn’t be too hard, just do a little Google search, pick a date, and that’s it…right?

Umm…not quite.

For as long as I’ve been producing and hosting corporate trivia professionally (sixteen years TODAY, actually!) a certain portion of my prospective clients have had a fixed idea. That idea is that this is somehow easy, that what I do is really not all that complicated—or shouldn’t be, anyway. On one level I get this; how hard can it be to read questions off of a piece of paper into a microphone, after all? Why would anyone pay somebody else to show up and do THAT?

However, the reality is actually something quite different. It takes a lot of work – I mean a LOT – to properly plan for and prepare a TrivWorks corporate trivia event. The professional trivia host’s job doesn’t begin when he or she arrives at the venue. Here’s a quick breakdown of just what goes into these events, to give you a sense of what’s involved, and what makes them special.

Administration

I don’t like having to include this here, since any admin I must do doesn’t really add value to my clients’ events. However, I do everything professionally and by the book, including all of the “backend” stuff required to keep TrivWorks humming. All of this DOES contribute to a high-quality attendee experience, however, and it still takes time and effort.

This includes:

• Drafting/sending contracts, invoices and other paperwork, such as my W9 & COI
• Email, phone and other client correspondence related to contracting, billing, etc.
• Assigning and scheduling event staff (emcees, producers/production assistants, etc.)
• Bookkeeping

Customization

This is the big one, what really takes the most time/effort, but what also helps differentiate TrivWorks from other trivia companies. We customize EVERY event, regardless of size, occasion, duration, or whether it’s in-person or virtual. There’s different levels of doing this, however even the most minimally-tailored event requires a significant investment of time to do properly.

Customizing corporate trivia events typically includes:

• Drafting/sending a customization Email questionnaire, OR
• A dedicated customization call with the client in advance of the gig
• Drawing appropriate questions from my database
• Researching/writing original questions about the client: company history, product info, employee fun facts, inside jokes, past shared experiences, etc.
• Sequencing the questions appropriately, to maximize impact/enjoyability

For more on this, check out “How Do You Customize a Corporate Trivia Event?”

Materials Prep

Once the content has been developed, we then have to prepare the materials to be used at the event itself. This is what we usually have to do in advance of a typical corporate program:

• Develop a slide deck to accompany the team trivia competition – this always has the client’s logo on it, as well as whatever language, key messages, etc. they are looking to reinforce
• Develop a custom answer packet for teams to write on, again including the client’s logo, event name, etc.
• Proofread/edit all materials
• Download any music to be used at the event, including “Name That Tune” trivia as well as background music for atmosphere
• Print everything out: answer packets (including extras), answer keys, photo ID sheets if using, etc.
• Source prizes & other materials – TrivWorks always brings novelty prizes to our gigs, to keep the laughs coming. However, these need to be selected, purchased and physically secured before each program. We also need minute-to-win-it supplies for our interstitial games

Venue Liaison

We want our events to go as smoothly as possible, and love working with/recommending venues we have relationships and positive experiences with. However, in reality the vast majority of the events we produce are in spaces we’ve never been to before. This may include hotel spaces, bar/restaurant private rooms, or onsite at your office – all places we are unfamiliar with!

As such, we’ll usually work in advance with the management, facilities, AV and/or IT staff of your venue, to make sure all is in order prior to Game Day. This often includes:

• Call(s) and/or Emails with the appropriate venue contact(s)
• Sending over PPT decks in advance to pre-load
• Troubleshooting any prospective issues related to technology, room setup, etc.
• Advance site visit/walk-through, if required

Ongoing Counsel & Client Service

Excellent client service is a value I strive bring to each and every TrivWorks customer. As such, I don’t simply book the event, and then show up. Rather, I’m here for my clients every step of the way. Especially if you’ve never hired a professional trivia vendor before, you most likely have questions, concerns, etc. – especially as the event date approaches. My clients know that my phone is always on, my Email is open, and I return messages quickly. All this is to help give peace of mind that the event is in good hands (click here for another article I wrote regarding my philosophy on client service).

Day of Event

On Game Day, we’ve got to be completely on-point to deliver the high-quality experience our clients expect of us. This usually includes the following prior to us showing up:

• Checking (and double-checking) the pre-event materials & equipment checklist
• Testing out our own portable audio projection equipment, if utilizing
• Plotting out timeline and route to the gig, taking into account the weather, time of day, possible hazards/causes for delay, available modes of transportation, etc.
• Setup and sound check at the venue – we always arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled event time

In Summary: Corporate Trivia Requires a LOT of Prep Work

Only after all of the above has taken place – the staff scheduling, the customizing, the printing, the communications with client & venue, all of the necessary administrative grunt work – can we then show up and have fun with your group for a couple of hours. How much time and effort does it take total? It varies from gig to gig, but you can see from what I’ve laid out here that it’s a LOT – at least twice as long as the event itself (and more often than not more).

For events involving more elevated customization, extensive travel, or just a more complicated/high-maintenance show, the amount of prep time can easily balloon into the tens of hours. This means less sleep for me, but a better event for you, since TrivWorks ALWAYS comes through for our clients!

For further reading, you might enjoy “The 3 Greatest Values TrivWorks Offers.”