How to Maximize Slim Budgets When Entertaining Employees

The recession isn’t over like we thought. As reported last week, only 18,000 US jobs were created last month, and unemployment is still over 9%. In this type of economy, 2 realities emerge: 1) employees aren’t as likely to leave the security of their jobs, and 2) they are going to be working harder for…

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Does Retaining Good Talent Even Matter?

As a business owner, HR director or department head, it’s something you no doubt think about constantly: how do I find and retain the best talent possible? Even in an unstable economy, there is a premium on good talent and people who can get things done, and managers who care about the long-term health of…

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25 Awesomely Funny Trivia Team Names

Seeing how this is the first “Summer Friday” of the season, I thought it’d be fun to do something light and entertaining, and reach back into my archives and pull out the funniest trivia team names I’ve encountered over the years. Having produced nearly 350 public and private trivia parties in NYC and elsewhere, one…

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Which Era is Your Corporate Culture From?

My wife and I just saw the new Woody Allen film “Midnight in Paris” at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Not to spoil it for those who haven’t already seen, but basically the premise is a guy goes to Paris, and finds himself inexplicably transported at the stroke of midnight to different eras of Parisian…

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5 Companies Trivia Team Building Activities Won’t Work For

Team building trivia events are my passion. I love everything about them, from customizing trivia questions for specific groups to hosting events, to seeing the enjoyment people get out of them and the smiles they beam afterwards. However, as strongly as I feel about this unique form of corporate employee entertainment, I know that live…

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Bribing Employees is a Good Thing

HR managers, take note: employees are unhappy. They are unhappy with their workloads and unchallenging tasks, dissatisfied with their compensation packages, uncomfortable with co-workers and angry at The Man. In fairness, work is serious business, and isn’t supposed to be fun (although I’ve argued against this in a previous post). However, there is good news:…

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Trivia Themes Which Nobody Likes: A List of Failed Trivia Rounds

Following up on yesterday’s post highlighting 5 trivia themes proven to bring smiles to people’s faces, I thought today we would explore the flipside: live trivia party themes which are surefire flops. As discussed yesterday, I’ve been writing & hosting live trivia events for 5 years, and in that time have experimented an awful lot…

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5 Fun Themes for Live Trivia Parties, and Why They Work

Perhaps one of the first things I’m asked when holding an initial conversation with clients is, “what kind of trivia do you guys do?” The answer brings both good news and bad: the good news is, you can have a trivia event about any topic you like! The bad news, of course: where on earth…

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How to Maintain the Integrity of Live Trivia Events

Think about your favorite trivia-themed TV game show. What does it look like? Whether it’s a classic show like “JEOPORDY!” or a more contemporary one like VH1’s “The World Series of Pop Culture,” the basic structure is the same: a select number of contestants, an obedient studio audience, well-thought trivia questions, and a lot of…

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Why So Complicated? Less is More with Employee Entertainment Activities

I’ve worked with many companies and corporate groups over the years, with the goal of developing customized employee entertainment in NYC and the surrounding areas. I don’t have to tell you how hard New Yorkers are working every day – especially since the economy tanked in 2009, and many people are doing twice as much…

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Using Twitter for Trivia: A User’s Guide

Since launching our official TrivWorks Twitter feed in 2009, we’ve utilized it for a variety of purposes: marketing upcoming free trivia nights, highlighting news items & achievements of fellow event professionals and live trivia hosts in New York City and beyond, as well as to promote the daily blog you are reading now. However, as…

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7 Crucial Reads for Entertainment Event Professionals

I’ve been planning and producing events for ten years, most of which has been in the entertainment sector. While there is absolutely no substitute for experience, I still find it important to round out my knowledge of corporate event entertainment and employee team building activities by reading whatever I can get my hands on. Below…

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