We’re often asked: ‘What makes a successful quiz night?’ We usually answer by saying: ‘Hire us, and we’ll show you!’ But besides great questions, great rounds, and a great Quiz Master, all of which we provide, here are five top tips to help you prepare for a fantastic evening of fun and entertainment.
Tip 1: Make sure you hire the right venue. A good venue will have an Events Manager who will talk you through all the options, including food, drink, table plans and any technical aspects. For example, in order to run some of our quizzes we’ll need access to a large screen. There should also be a senior member of staff from the venue in attendance on the night to deal with any queries. If you’d like to talk to us before you book, we’re more than happy to advise you on the basis of our experience with hundreds of venues across London and beyond.
Tip 2: Book early. During busy times of the year, such as the run-up to Christmas, we get booked up very quickly, as do venues. So plan in advance. If you get in touch in late November for a quiz the following week, we’re more than likely to have to turn you down (although we might have cancellation slots at short notice, so it’s still worth getting in touch). This is because at that time of year we’re frequently running multiple quizzes every day. So make sure to book early to avoid disappointment!
Tip 3: Customise your quiz. We customise all your quiz materials with your branding – handouts, answer sheets, slides and more. It’s all included in our price. We can even add some custom questions for you. Fancy a picture round with baby photos of the senior management team? We can do that! Want to include some personalised questions for a significant birthday quiz? We can do that! Want to play a rousing, fundraising video before the quiz starts? We can do that too! Just let us know a week or two before your quiz and we’ll take care of it.
Tip 4: Keep in touch. We love communicating, so the more you tell us about your quiz ahead of time the better. Let us know if you want any special touches or fun elements, like a Quiz Master in a cape and Dracula teeth for a Halloween quiz or sporting a Santa Claus beard and hat for a Christmas quiz. Our Quiz Masters are friendly and fun, and they love dressing up! If your quiz has a fundraising element, have a chat with one of our friendly and experienced Quiz Producers who’ll be able to tell you, based on more than a decade of experience, how you can maximise the cash with special rounds and sponsored questions.
Tip 5: Don’t forget the prizes! We always remind you to think about prizes ahead of the quiz, but you’d be surprised how often they’re the last thing on an organiser’s mind – when it’s the first thing on the mind of the teams! Of course, you don’t have to offer prizes, just the kudos of winning a Brain Men quiz is often enough for competitive types. But we frequently see inexpensive items such as small trophies and medals, which can be easily and cheaply sourced from e.g. eBay or Amazon, for the team that comes first, and the occasional, traditional wooden spoon for the team that comes last. Chocs, e-vouchers and fizz are also popular.
We’ve got loads more ideas based on 13 years’ experience of running great quizzes. So email or call us now, and let us take the strain off your brain!