Trivia is a popular bar game that provides a great night out for people, a boost in revenue for bars, and a fun experience for all involved. The quizzes are administered by a host and can include a wide range of questions.
People love participating in trivia for the chance to win prizes. Prizes can vary from specialized gift cards to unique event merchandise.
Bars and Restaurants
When people gather together to play Pub Trivia, they’re engaging in a group activity that enhances socialization and allows them to know each other better through friendly competition. They’re also looking forward to a chance to win something, whether it’s a free meal or T-shirt, cash, or other prizes like trips and concert tickets.
Susan Fetscher, quizmistress at Smarty Pints Trivia in Evansville, Indiana, has seen the popularity of pub trivia grow since she started running her own show. She’s noticed that her audiences tend to favor shows with questions centered around popular culture, and she’s also been impressed by how many patrons show up for the event and remain engaged throughout the night.
She’s found that the best way to promote a live Pub Trivia game is by leveraging Facebook and encouraging her bartenders and managers to spread the word about the event. She’s also found that it helps to choose a format for the show that isn’t too long, as audiences get bored if they’re asked too many questions and can easily lose interest.
The most common mistake that bars and restaurants make is not using a professional host to run their Pub Trivia show. However, some pubs are now taking a DIY approach by utilizing a quiz software that lets them write their own questions and score answers using handheld tablets. This allows them to save on hiring a live host and allows players to bond with their fellow teams.
Pub trivia can be a great way to draw a crowd on slower nights of the week, bringing in new customers and increasing sales. It’s a good idea to avoid running the game on Friday or Saturday evenings, as these are usually the busiest days of the week, but regardless, if the place is good enough, much like the The Dolly Blue Bar and Restaurant, any time of the week, or day always equates to a good time.
Millennials
When a story broke that the previous week’s winners at a local bar had used Shazam on their smartphones to cheat, it sent shock waves through a community that already suspected the crooks. Jacob Rubashkin, a regular at the Red Bear brewery in DC, took to Twitter and other social media platforms to air the dirty laundry of two-person teams who manipulated their way to victory.
Millennials are often drawn to pub trivia for the chance to embrace their competitive side while spending time with friends. They also enjoy the chance to win prizes, from specialized gift cards for other local businesses to unique event merchandise. And as a group, they tend to be less affluent than older generations, so the ability to grab a cheap pitcher of craft beer at a pub is usually an added bonus.
Ultimately, Gen Z and millennials’ focus on socializing and seeking out novel shared experiences is creating a demand for events like pub trivia that they can share with their friends online. Fortunately for bars, the advent of smartphones is helping to meet this need, allowing people to participate in trivia without having to leave their table. Just be sure to keep the phones conspicuously out of sight!
Gen X
Gen X and millennials are both looking for new ways to socialize, so the idea of trivia isn’t just fun for them—it also provides a novel shared experience. And they love to share their experiences on their social media, so it’s important for you as a bar owner to understand the demand for creative events that will allow them to do just that.
Podcasts are a great way to bring pub quiz into the home. Listeners can play along with rapid fire trivia questions on their daily commute or test themselves while jogging around the neighborhood. They can even compete against other people playing the same game each week to see who’s the best.
Miss Information A Trivia Podcast is a weekly pub quiz-style show that covers music/audio, general knowledge, classic subjects, and celebrity/pop culture topics. It’s the kind of trivia show that will appeal to anyone who enjoys cool facts and sticking it to annoying teams on their favorite pub quiz night.
Gen Y
If you’re an owner looking to draw in the younger crowd, pub trivia is one of the most popular bar games. Gen Zers love to participate in these events because they are a fun way to get together with friends and bond over their shared interests. Plus, it gives them the opportunity to socialize without putting their phones down.
They also enjoy the opportunity to embrace their competitive side for the chance to win interesting prizes, like specialized gift cards or event merchandise. And, to many Gen Zers, no experience is complete without sharing it on Snapchat or Instagram. As a result, they are very eager to participate in pub trivia when their favorite bars host trivia nights. In fact, they may even go out of their way to make sure they can attend!
Baby Boomers
Over 70 million Baby Boomers grew up playing board games and watching game shows. They love to socialize, and they have a tendency to get competitive. They’re drawn to pub trivia contests that offer a chance to bond over a shared interest and possibly win a prize.
Many Boomers also grew up listening to popular music and attending concerts. This generation has a storied musical history, and they have fond memories of their experiences. This makes them well-suited for pop culture-based questions, which can touch on a variety of topics including advertising slogans and jingles, politics and social movements, movies, TV and music.
A thriving trivia scene is a boon for Orange County bars and restaurants. It attracts a crowd of people looking for a fun activity, and bar owners can see how much money participants are spending. It also helps attract younger generations and boosts business during slow periods.
Trivia contests are a regular feature at many craft beer and neighborhood dive bars in Orange County, and some of them have garnered a reputation for being difficult to win. Trivia hosts will often set a difficult question and then knock off two points for every incorrect answer. This can lead to intense competition and a sense of accomplishment for winners.
Susan Fetscher, owner of Smarty Pints Trivia in Orange County, says that she enjoys the social aspect of trivia night as much as the nerdy knowledge that can be won. She’s happy to see the trend toward more group activities, and she believes that it will continue. Getting together with friends in an environment that encourages conversation can be an important part of mental health, and this is especially true for adults struggling with feelings of isolation.
