Why Does TrivWorks Cost More than Other Trivia Companies?

“You charge HOW much??”

Oh, the number of times I’ve heard some variation of this over the past seventeen years. An expression of shock mixed with confusion, bewilderment and, at times, even offense. I suppose I should be used to it by this point, but even now after all this time it still surprises me. Ever since starting TrivWorks in 2009, and especially since the pandemic, it’s become increasingly obvious to me.

People just don’t know how much professional trivia team building costs.

When I hear a prospective client stammer in disbelief about my rates, I ask what the “other guy” is charging. I in turn then have trouble getting my coffee down, since I can’t believe how little clients are willing to pay to trust a vendor in front of a corporate audience.

I wrote about this recently, however ever since Covid there’s been a huge explosion in “trivia companies” throughout every part of this country. Unlike TrivWorks, these vendors weren’t started to expressly cater to corporate audiences. Rather, they aim to provide bars and restaurants with a turnkey “pub quiz” night, to entice patrons to come in and stay for a while. These companies are for the most part mass producing their content, providing essentially zero customization for local markets, and providing hosting talent with little to no prior experience, let alone corporate experience.

You Get What You Pay For

I’ve addressed this before on the blog as well, and not to harp on it further, but it truly does bear repeating: you get what you pay for. I get inquiries every day from every corner of America, and often the first (or only) question is, “how much does this cost?” When I see this as the topline query, I know almost immediately that I’m not the right vendor for this prospect. Why? Because A) They’re primarily looking for a cheap solution; B) I’m NOT a cheap vendor; and C) there are SO many vendors out there who are! Charging basically nothing by comparison, purportedly to do what I do, I can’t possibly compete if the decision is made on price.

But what is it I do, exactly? And how does it differ from what these competitors do? Let’s examine this more closely.

Bar Trivia Hosts vs. Professional Emcees

The ranks of the new Nationwide Quizmaster Army are made up not of professional emcees and seasoned corporate entertainers, but everyday folks from the local community who want to earn extra cash. Often they are plucked from the patronage of these establishments, just like I was 20 years ago. But just as often, they’re found randomly via online job listings (“Seeking outgoing individuals who like trivia, can work a crowd and do math. Pays cash!”). People with little to no experience hosting trivia – or hosting anything, for that matter – run your local bar quiz night.

Trivia is increasingly popular as an event activity. As such, I can guarantee that every single one of these freshly-minted hosts is absolutely, positively, 100% available and willing to host YOUR corporate trivia night – often for cheap.

What sets TrivWorks apart is that I only work with professional corporate emcees to lead my events. This means my clients can expect whomever I send to be highly skilled and deeply experienced in front of corporate audiences, and who can be trusted to be completely clean on the microphone. Professional emcees represent an investment in an event’s success, however as with anything (all together now), you get what you pay for. I only hire the best emcees I can find to lead TrivWorks events, meaning I pay them what they’re worth – which is to say, a lot.

Generic Vs. Customized Content

Besides the emcee, the most expensive requirement to produce high-quality corporate trivia events is the customization. Every TrivWorks event is customized – every single one. Some are tailored more than others, but I still deliver a custom experience to each client, regardless of the occasion, audience size or budget.

When I say the customization process is expensive, I mean both in terms of money and time. Most of the trivia content TrivWorks uses I’ve written myself; I’ve got a database of questions I’ve developed over the past 20 years, plus I generate new content for each client. However, I do often hire writers to help me out with this, especially for events with niche content areas I’m not strong in (Economics? Star Wars? Help!). My time is valuable, as is the time of my writers. All of this needs to be accounted for when pricing an event out. (For more on this, visit “What Goes into Producing a Corporate Trivia Event?”).

For budget trivia hosts working with mass-produced trivia content they probably didn’t even write themselves, customizing often means little more than updating an answer sheet with the client’s name. This is a good way to save money for sure, but are you really getting the custom experience you want for your group? One that will make a positive impact, and which they’ll be talking about long after? I honestly don’t think so.

Ongoing Professional Counsel

As stated, I’ve been doing this for a long time – I’d dare say more than just about anyone. I’ve personally hosted over 2,500 trivia events, and produced at least twice that many. All of this experience is highly specialized and unique, and makes me a leading expert in the (admittedly) niche area of team building trivia.

But it also means I know what I’m talking about, and that I can make sure my clients’ events are successful. This experience comes with a cost, that being my focused expertise which I’ve accumulated over the course of two decades. TrivWorks clients benefit from this, and not just at the event itself. I provide ongoing counsel throughout the ENTIRE event process, from the moment you book with me till the event is over. This includes customization, breaking down trivia teams according to goals, working with the venue, developing a run-of-show for event flow, selecting prizes, and a thousand other details. I’m also readily available for any questions, concerns or to put out fires as they pop up.

All of this is part of the professional service I provide – however, it doesn’t come for free. I can all but guarantee you that the local pub quizmaster can’t – or won’t – provide the high level of expertise and ongoing client service that I do.

So Why Does TrivWorks Cost More Than Other Vendors?

To answer the title of this post, I come back to my original premise, which is if you want something high quality, you should expect to pay a premium. This holds true for anything, not just team building trivia events.

The opposite is also true: low price generally means low quality. Yes, I am more expensive than most of the other “trivia companies” out there. However, I’m not running bar quiz nights; I’m producing professional corporate entertainment, backed by two decades of relevant experience. As such, you can expect that I’ll be quoting you a higher fee than the “other guy.” But it’s not the same experience, not by a longshot. You can – and should – expect more from a premium vendor, which is what I strive to be.

For further reading, check out “What Do You Get When You Hire TrivWorks?”