Fun for the Whole Team? Pub Quiz!

Quizzes as a Pub Phenomenon

The Pub Quiz originated in Great Britain, but it soon became popular around the world. Here, quizzes caught on fairly recently, but they're quickly gaining fans. Bars and pubs use team trivia contests to attract regular customers. And plenty of people are happy to take them up on the offer of a night out with friends and a game.

It's only a game, but everyone still wants to win. Knowledge and quick thinking are the foundation, of course, but there are a few more tips to boost your chances of victory.

1) Build a Diverse Team

One person knows this, another knows that, and that's exactly how it should be. In a Pub Quiz you'll face a whole range of completely different topics, and nobody can know them all.

The key to success is picking teammates with different interests and educational backgrounds so that your knowledge covers topics in science, the humanities and technology, as well as showbiz and culture.

Before your first game, write down a list of topic areas and add the name of the teammate who'll cover each one. The gaps in the list will show you who else to invite.

A good leader should know their colleagues well and know which areas they can rely on them for. Only one team can win, and it's usually the one with the broadest range of knowledge. During the game, send each question straight to the person responsible for that topic.

2) Pick the Right Boss

Every team needs a leader, someone who isn't afraid to take a risk, confidently decides on the answer when team members disagree, and doesn't lose their head easily. They have to stay calm, know how to listen and, of course, do their bit with their own knowledge.

Agree before the game starts that the captain has the final say in a dispute and is the one who writes the answers on the answer sheet.

Just like in any other game, a Pub Quiz brings out the traits of every team member. If you want to win, you'll need the right boss who can hold the team together even when the right answer just won't come.

3) Get in Sync

Competitions clearly show how well you know each other and how used you are to relying on one another. The first quiz you play as a team may not go as planned, but once you're better in sync, your results will go up.

A Pub Quiz is a great option for team building. You'll discover your colleagues' strengths and weaknesses, learn to involve them where they contribute the most, and thanks to playing together you'll quickly become a well-functioning group that works great not only in competitions but in everyday work too.

A Quiz as a Corporate Event

A company Pub Quiz works differently from a regular night at the pub. Only colleagues play against each other, so your opponent is sitting at the next table and you'll see them at a meeting the next day.

It pays to mix teams across departments. When setting up the tables, split people from the same department into different teams. An accountant, a salesperson and a technician at one table cover far more areas, and it also brings together people who otherwise just pass each other in the hallway.

You can play the quiz with a small group or with a whole department. As the number of players grows, you add more teams, but the rules stay just as simple.

Pub Quiz Formats

A Pub Quiz comes in several forms, and each suits a different situation. Before you start planning, get clear on who will play and where. Write down how many people will take part, what language they speak and whether they'll sit in one room, then choose the best format accordingly.

• Pub night: a public quiz at a bar where your team plays against strangers and doesn't have to prepare anything.
• Company quiz on site: a private game just for colleagues, with a host, which we organize at a restaurant, in the office or as part of a party.
• Quiz in English: for international teams, we can run the hosting and the whole program in English.
• Online quiz: for colleagues spread across different cities or working from home, played on a computer.

4) Have Fun

More than anything else, a Pub Quiz should be fun. Play with enthusiasm and joy, and you'll see the competing goes smoothly. Winning isn't the most important thing, after all, and if the quiz gives you a few enjoyable moments, any win is just a nice bonus.

A Quiz Without the Hassle

Writing questions, preparing answer sheets, keeping score and maintaining the pace of the evening takes far more work than it seems at first glance. If you want to play rather than organize, you can leave all the preparation to us.

For in-person gatherings we organize Brain Party, and for remote teams our Virtual Pub Quiz is ideal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a Pub Quiz good team building for a company? Yes. The game reveals colleagues' strengths and weaknesses, and the whole team learns to rely on one another, which then has a positive effect on everyday work too.

How do you build a Pub Quiz team that has a chance of winning? Choose teammates with different interests and backgrounds so that together you cover science, technology, the humanities and culture. A captain who calmly makes the call when the others disagree also helps.

Can a company Pub Quiz be played in English for an international team? Yes, we run the hosting and the whole program in English, so colleagues who don't speak Czech can easily join in.

How do you organize a Pub Quiz when colleagues work from different cities? For geographically dispersed teams we organize an online quiz played on a computer. From our lineup, the Virtual Pub Quiz serves exactly this purpose.