Posts by David
Conducting Virtual Team Building Events – MTV Case Study
It’s a classic problem for office managers, corporate event planners and human resources professionals in the 21st Century. You have been tasked with creating a team building activity to help boost morale & foster goodwill amongst the disparate groups which make up your office or department. The only problem is, while you and the majority…
Read MoreHow to Make Corporate Entertainment Events Memorable
This being Memorial Day, I thought it would be a good opportunity to discuss one of the most sought-after aspects of corporate event entertainment, which is how to make it memorable. Whether we’re talking about corporate parties for clients & senior staff, employee team building activities or experiential marketing events to raise brand awareness, the…
Read More10 Clean Comebacks to Trivia Night Hecklers
It’s probably one of the most understated guilty pleasures of the bar trivia experience, for both the host and the audience: watching a heckler get slapped down. Trivia nights are fun and informal, and when done right there is a free and open engagement between the participants and the quizmaster. At my events, I actually…
Read More5 Features of a Perfect Corporate Team Building Activity
Whether held in Peoria, Toledo or New York City, corporate team building and employee entertainment events should have a lot in common. Sure, there is a lot of variety out there, and plenty of activities to choose from (although “trust falls” may be a bit past their prime). However, when it comes right down to…
Read MoreEvent Planner’s Guide to Surviving Cancellations
I hold a rather unique position in the word of event professionals, being both a planner and a supplier. As such, I can attest to two things regarding event cancellations: 1) they are inevitable, and 2) they are no fun. Neither the planner nor the talent enjoys being told that, for one reason or another,…
Read MoreHow to Identify Cheaters at Trivia Night
Cheating and trivia night are thought to go hand in hand, especially in today’s smartphone world. Go to any pub quiz, and you’re bound to find it: people Googling the answers, using music recognition apps like Shazam on ipod rounds, texting friends not in the bar, and likely a host of other ways to beat…
Read MoreExperience Trumps Content Any Day
It’s the mantra of the entertainment industry: “Content is King.” Whether talking about movies, television shows, Broadway musicals, video games or books, the guiding principle has always been that compelling content is what will drive interest and, ultimately, sales. You could have the slickest marketing campaign, the coolest packaging or the most credible spokesperson, but…
Read MoreHumor Tricks for Struggling Quizmasters
So you’ve begun your gig as a quizmaster, hosting live trivia events at the local pub. You’re diligently armed with good public speaking skills, a happy demeanor, pens and an armload of fun, challenging trivia questions, and are ready to conquer the world. The only problem is, you’re not funny. As I’ve argued many times…
Read MoreNobody Likes Hard Trivia Questions
Most trivia enthusiasts pride themselves on their ability to tackle challenging questions. If you or someone you know is a diehard buff, than you know that the buzz received from puzzling, pondering and ultimately retrieving the correct answer to a query is highly rewarding and satisfying. Perhaps, though, what is even more fulfilling when correctly…
Read MoreWhy New York City Team Building Events Are Tops
New York City corporate team building events are awesome. That may seem like a rather broad, stereotypical NYC-centric statement, but it’s true. Our city is really like no other in terms of diversity, density and sheer variety of options for truly everything imaginable, and team building activities are no exception. Prior to starting a professional…
Read MoreMaking Trivia Questions Bulletproof
As a trivia theme party planner and team building event producer, I am responsible for researching and writing trivia questions which are appropriate for a wide variety of audiences: bankers, lawyers, teachers, IT professionals, nonprofits, government workers- you name it, it’s up to me to customize it. One aspect of my job, however, which remains…
Read MoreTrivia Questions Which Will Get You Fired
One of the most useful books I’ve read in recent years is Send: Why People Email so Badly and How to Do It Better by David Shipley & Will Schwalbe, which I referenced in a previous post on recommended reading. Within these pages, the authors have devoted an entire chapter to cautionary tales of Email…
Read MoreExcellent Client Relation Skills for Event Professionals
Though it doesn’t feel like it, I’ve been involved in the client service industry in some form or another for over 10 years. In a nutshell, if you’re providing a service to others- be it in-house, outsourced or freelance- you’re in client service. This applies to all of us in the events industry, including both…
Read MoreIn Defense of Fun in the Workplace
When my father-in-law met my younger brother for the first time, he asked him what he did professionally. My brother, in between jobs at the time, replied – half-jokingly – “I have fun.” If only life could be so simple, right? Imagine, going into work every day, and having that be your description of work:…
Read MoreTrivia Host Toolbox: A Primer for New Pub Quizmasters
So you want to be a trivia host? Awesome! The world needs more people like you. Chances are you are personable and witty, enjoy public speaking and aren’t afraid to make fun of yourself at a bar for 2 hours. Now that you’ve sold your local pub on the value of holding a regular pub…
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