When organizing a trivia night, there are so many things you can take care of by yourself. You can find the venue, create invitations or run a marketing campaign to encourage people to attend, and even write your own questions! However, one thing you can’t always do yourself is host.
Being an entertainer is a difficult job. Very few people have the natural charisma and charm of a born entertainer. If you’ve ever planned a trivia night, you know that the host can make or break your event. They need to have chemistry with the audience, present the trivia in an interesting way, and, in some cases, keep track of the score.
If you’re willing to spend some extra money, you’ll find that there are many trivia hosts in your state that would love to work with you. There’s nothing wrong with hosting your trivia event by yourself (and if you decide to go this route, maybe try hosting virtual trivia first as a test run!). However, if you want to take that extra step and plan an outstanding event or party with a professional host or even a DJ, then keep on reading! We have prepared a comprehensive guide of some of the best places to find a trivia night host.
Craigslist
What’s the place where our parents and older siblings would go to find something? Craigslist, of course! Though Craigslist is not in its heyday anymore, it is still a useful source for connecting people. Your first instinct might be to select your state and type “trivia host” in the search bar. You can try that, but you probably won’t find many trivia hosts looking for jobs. Instead, post a job ad looking for a trivia host. You are more likely to get responses that way.
Though Craigslist is an awesome authentic way to find a host for your event, it is a bit outdated. Give it a go, but don’t rely on it completely. Keep your options open and check out other ways to find a trivia host in this article
Facebook Groups
People often underestimate the power of Facebook. It’s not only for stay-at-home moms and people who want to argue with strangers online. In fact, it is an excellent source for finding businesses and freelancers in your area. Search for trivia hosts on Facebook and you might just be surprised by the outcome!
The truth is, any self-respecting business has a Facebook page. At the very least, you are bound to come across trivia night companies in your state. Freelancers also like to create Facebook pages to advertise their services. Whether you find a company or an individual, you can reach out to them directly via Facebook. You can also read reviews from previous clients and figure out whether the service is worth your money.
Trivia Nights
One of the best ways to know whether or not you like a trivia host is seeing them in action. If you have some time to spare, attend a few trivia nights and watch the hosts do their job. You might come across someone you really like. As a general rule of thumb, the more popular the trivia night is, the better the host will be. Though that’s not always the case, going with a popular event is a safe bet.
If you find a host you like, you can speak to them directly and ask them if they would be able to perform at your event. If they don’t have time or their price is too high for you, you can ask them to recommend another trivia host that would be just as good. Word of mouth has always been one of the most powerful marketing tactics around. The reason for that is because it actually works. You are bound to find an experienced trivia host this way.
People in creative professions often overlook LinkedIn, even though it is a platform quite literally made for establishing professional connections. If you’re looking for a freelance trivia host, there is no better way to do that than through LinkedIn. Type in “trivia host” and you should be able to find a myriad of qualified candidates. The best part about LinkedIn is that it’s international. It doesn’t matter where you live; you will find someone!
On LinkedIn, you can also have a look at the person’s qualifications without directly asking them any questions. This should help weed out the unsuitable candidates. LinkedIn profiles also often include links to external websites and work examples, which can help you reach a final decision regarding your trivia night host.
Social Media
LinkedIn and Facebook are not the only places for finding a trivia host on social media. Don’t forget about Twitter, Instagram, and even TikTok! Professionals from all fields like to share their work and communicate with their audiences through social media platforms. Why not take advantage of that?
Go to the social media app of your choice and type in “trivia host” in the search bar. You’ll find that many hosts actually have that title in their bio. In addition to that, their social media accounts often offer examples of their work. You can find a few different options and compare them. Don’t hesitate to reach out to the hosts you found via social media and ask about their availability or prices. Rest assured that they will be happy to hear from you!
Freelancer Services
If you prefer a more professional approach to your trivia host search, there are some freelancer services on the internet where you can post an ad for your job. Alternatively, you can browse these websites and reach out to individual freelancers that you find are most suitable for the job. Websites that offer work with freelancers include UpWork, Fiverr, and Freelancer.
One benefit of these websites is that you can usually negotiate the price. Each freelancer has a price they won’t go under, but you can bargain. If you’re on a tight budget, just include the asking price in your proposal. That way you’ll only get applications from freelancers that agree with the price. You can communicate with several candidates at the same time and directly compare them based on the price, previous work, availability, and so on. Another excellent feature of websites like these is that each freelancer has a rating and reviews from previous clients.
Once you choose your trivia host, you can agree to work with them through the website, in which case your money will go through the website and it will take a percentage of the price. In the opposite case, you can work directly with the freelancer outside of the website. They can invoice you for their services directly, which will ultimately create a better deal for both of you. At the same time, you will not get the website’s protection this way.
Trivia Night Company
One of the easiest and probably safest ways to find a trivia night host is through a trivia night company. As a general rule, trivia night companies offer the whole package. They organize the venue, take care of the marketing, provide the questions, equipment, and host. If you’re interested in taking all of these responsibilities off your own shoulders, you should have a look at these lists of trivia night companies in the US, Canada, and the UK.
Many companies will be willing to offer you the professional services of one of their trivia hosts. Though finding a trivia host through a trivia night company might be the most expensive way to find a host out of all the ways mentioned in this article, it is also one of the safest. With a trivia night company, you get a quality guarantee. This option is best suitable for large corporate events and bar trivia.
Here are some well-known trivia night companies you can reach out to in North America:
- The Trivia Factory – Atlanta
- Pub Trivia USA – California, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin
- King Trivia – California, Denver, Dalles, NYC, Boston
- America’s Pub Quiz – California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin
If you didn’t see your state on this list of trivia night companies, Google it! There is probably at least one trivia night company in your state.
Final Words
With such an abundance of choices, how do you pick the right one? Well, it all depends on the type of event you’re organizing and your requirements for the trivia host. Right off the bat, if you don’t want to risk anything going wrong, go with the last option and hire a professional trivia host from a trivia night company in your state. You’ve got some excellent options here! Hiring a trivia company is also the easiest way to go about finding a host.
Surfing through social media is more suitable for smaller events. If you’re willing to employ someone who might not be very experienced, then go for it! You might also save some money and help a new trivia host kick start their career. Facebook might surprise you though! You may come across some newbies, as well as established trivia night hosts.
Finding your perfect host through attending an actual trivia night might be the best way to go about it! However, it is the most time-consuming, provided you want to visit a couple of events before you settle on the right host for your event. At the same time, when you do find the right host, you’ll be absolutely sure of it, because you will have seen them in action. A tricky element in this approach is the price. You never know if the host is going to ask for a price you cannot afford.
LinkedIn and freelancer websites are the middle ground between full-time trivia hosts and amateurs. Going with one of these options might provide the best value for money for both individuals and organizations/bars. The work samples and reviews confirm the quality of the freelancer before you begin to work with them and the price is almost always negotiable. Plus, if it doesn’t work out with one trivia host, there are always plenty more just a click away. With LinkedIn or freelancer services, you can eliminate the risk of failure and find the friendliest price on the market.
Are you a trivia night host? Which platforms do you use to find clients and advertise your services?
Are you an individual or organization seeking the services of a trivia night host? Where do you go to find the perfect candidate?
Sound off in the comments!
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