HOW to RUN a PUB Quiz

HOW TO RUN A PUB QUIZ

PERMISSION

Don’t go to the time and trouble of preparing a pub quiz until you know you have an opportunity to run it. A pub you have in mind may well already have a regular quiz and a regular quizmaster. The landlord may not have enough money to pay for prizes or cover expenses. They may not want the quiz run by someone who doesn’t go to the pub at least once a week anyway.

Go to the pubs you have in mind. Drink with the customers. Talk to people. If there is a rough, loutish atmosphere ask you if these people would appreciate or pay attention during a quiz.

Find out which nights the pub is busy and /or quiet. Most pubs are busy on Fridays and Saturdays as customers get paid and less have to be up early for work the next day. Quiz nights tend to be mid-week, Wednesdays or Thursdays, to attract customers who might not go on an ordinary quiet night. Be sure you are not competing with a darts tournament, karaoke night or a live televised football match on the night you wish to run your quiz.

Ask the landlord if you can run a quiz. Offer to do it for free or for a few beers at first. If it is to become a regular event, negotiate payment later. Do it as a one off event first.

Be sure of what the prizes are going to be and who will provide them. Most commonly, the Landlord should offer a modest cash prize or a gallon of ale to the winning team – for four players that’s about two pints each. The quiz should end with them having time to drink their beer. If a player doesn’t drink the beer, they should be entitled to a soft drink to the same value as the beer. A cash prize should not be ruled out, though it’s the discretion of the prize providers as to how much. Don’t pay for prizes yourself.

PREPERATION

Permission granted, set a date and prepare some flyers and posters for the pub, weeks in advance, announcing the quiz. Give out your e-mail address (but not your home address or phone number in the case of players you don’t know personally) set a few basic rules, i.e., a maximum number of players in a team. I have seen players on their own struggling to compete against teams of 12 in some quizzes. The odds then become ridiculous. Tell players if they are expected to pay a fee for permission to take part, though if possible, make it free for all. Find out if the pub can provide a PA system and microphone for you. If not, can you get one somewhere else? Don’t wait until the last minute to find out.