Looking to bring in more business on the slower nights at your bar? Why not plan a trivia night? Many bars and restaurants have reported revenue gains of up to 30% on nights they host trivia game events! But you can’t just ask a few questions over a PA system and expect more patrons to come in. You need to do it right. Here are five tips to help you plan a trivia game night at your bar.
Choose the format
It all starts with the format. How do you want to organize your trivia night? There are a few popular ways bars typically organize their trivia game nights:
- Pen and paper – Contestants fill out slips of paper and turn them in at the end of the night or section.
- Tablets – Hand out tablets to each team/participant that automatically logs and tracks answers.
- Smartphone – Contestants download an app and select their answers right from the palm of their hand that get logged and recorded by the host.
Naturally, digital solutions like tablets and smartphones are the fastest and easiest way to host a trivia night at your bar, but they’re also more expensive and require more equipment. Pen and paper trivia nights might be more cost-effective, but they also take more effort to track and record the answers.
At the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide which option is best for your bar. But it’s important to decide the format of your trivia night before taking any further steps.
Pick a theme
It’s all about the theme! The theme is what attracts participants. And you can attract a specific clientele by choosing a particular theme.
For example, you could choose a 90s-themed trivia to trigger a nostalgic feeling for anyone who lived during that generation. A trivia night centered around a TV show would obviously attract fans of that show. The right theme is a great way to bring in a certain clientele to your bar.
Think about the demographic you’d like to bring into your bar and plan a trivia night to attract that demographic. Not only can you increase revenue, but you can expand your regular customer base. It’s all the power of trivia!
Find the perfect prize
Yes, trivia nights are fun. But the real draw to a trivia night is the prize. Everyone wants to win! And the better the prize, the more people who will show up.
Typically, trivia night prizes come in the form of cash. However, you can get creative with your prizes and offer things other than money. For example, you can give out gift cards to your bar, discounts on the nightly tab, or anything else your participants might find valuable.
Put posters and flyers everywhere
Once you have the format, theme, and prize, it’s time to promote your trivia night. And since plenty of people already visit your bar, it’s the perfect place to start! Design eye-catching posters to hang around your bar to promote your trivia game night.
Of course, you’re busy running a bar and planning a trivia night. You don’t have time to design posters from scratch. Luckily, there are thousands of game night poster templates available on websites like PosterMyWall. Simply choose the template that best fits your bar’s brand, customize the design in the easy drag-and-drop editor, and you’re ready to print.
Hang posters in all high-traffic areas of your bar, like around the bathrooms, on the tables, and behind the bar itself. You can also hand posters around town and in other businesses and buildings — as long as you have the owner’s permission.
Plan special drink and meal options
Trivia isn’t a standalone activity. It should be a full-on event! Come up with other ways to make your bar’s trivia night special for participants, like drink or food specials.
You can do simple promotions like discounts on drinks or food, or you can go all-out and create specials based on the trivia’s theme. For example, if you’re hosting a trivia night based on a popular TV series, name some of your food or drink concoctions after characters from the show. It adds another level of fun for participants, encouraging more people to attend.
Plus, even if someone doesn’t want to play trivia, they might stop in just to take advantage of the specials. There’s no downside!
Make trivia night the best night at your bar
Who doesn’t like answering fun questions!? If you want to boost revenue at your bar, especially on historically slower nights, there’s nothing better than a trivia night. When you’re ready to host the next trivia game night at your bar, start with a good format, choose a popular theme, pick the perfect prize, plaster posters all over the place, and create lots of drink and food specials.
Trivia nights are a fun way to bring more business into your bar. And with a little planning and effort, your trivia night just might become the most popular night of the week at your bar.
