How to organise a great Quiz Night

Quiz Night Tips

Don't let your quiz night run on too long! There's nothing worse than spending three quarters of your night on half the rounds, then having to rush through the other half of the rounds in a quarter of the time. The rounds will always take longer than you think they will, plus you will probably start at least 20 minutes later than expected! A good quiz night has about six rounds, plus a couple of games and 'table rounds'.

If possible, get your hands on a laptop computer, a projector, and projector screen. Be prepared and have all of your questions in a Power Point (or similar) presentation, and display the questions on the screen, as they a read out by the Quizmaster. This will reduce people yelling out and constantly asking the Quizmaster to read out questions again, because they did not hear them in time.

Do a practice run before the guests arrive and make sure the Quizmaster can be heard from all parts of the room VERY clearly. The Quizmaster will sound louder in an empty room than what they will sound in a room full of people. If you don't make sure the audio is sufficient, people will yell out from the back all night that they can't hear.

Spread your questions out so that they will cater for a cross section of ages, sexes and interests. This will keep all of the guests interested and enthused. Make it too easy and you will frustrate the better and more enthusiastic tables; make it too hard and you will lose the others - a compromise is best.

Allow one of your Quiz Night rounds to be a 'bonus' round - where a table can nominate one of their rounds, before it has been judged, to count for double points. For this, it is best to make sure all of the Quiz Night rounds add up to the same amount of points. However make sure that if all your rounds do not add up to the same amount of points, you exclude those higher point rounds from the 'bonus' system.

Establish your rules on mobile phones, cell phones or Blackberries and announce these before the first question is read - will tables lose points if they are caught using one? Will the phone be confiscated?

Checklist

  • Quizmaster's questions and answer sheet
  • Quizmaster's microphone and lectern (if required)
  • Refreshments for Quizmaster
  • Blank answer sheets for all tables
  • Judges answer sheets
  • Appropriate seating and refreshments for judges
  • Small empty bowls / cups on each table for coins if you are playing games that require participant donation, such as 'two up'
  • Laptop, projector, projector screen and someone to operate it - if you're putting your questions up for display

Suggested Quiz Night Plan

  • Round One
  • Round Two
  • Round One answers
  • Short game
  • Round Two answers
  • Round Three
  • Round Four
  • Round Three Answers
  • Round Five
  • Break (15 - 20 minutes)
  • Round Five answers
  • Round Six
  • Short game
  • Round six answers
  • Answers for 'table rounds'
  • Results
  • Mention of sponsors/donors
  • Prize presentation