How to Run a Team Building Trivia Event

May 2, 2024

Close-up image of people in a meeting at a wooden table

With pub quizzes gaining in popularity over the last decade, it’s becoming clear that America’s love affair with trivia is only increasing and spreading its roots to other venues and situations. From parties to fundraisers, it’s no surprise that trivia is in high demand with companies large and small, helping to bring teams together and foster an environment of fun and camaraderie. Here are a few tips on running your own team building trivia night.

Why is trivia good for team building?

It’s collaborative. Team trivia uses questions as an avenue for problem solving. Because everyone has their own set of skills and interests, when you run a quiz with varying question categories and difficulty levels, every team member has something to offer.
It’s fun! Who doesn’t like a little competition? Whether they’re competing for bragging rights or prizes, team members will enjoy working together to vie for the top spot.
It gets team members talking. Nowadays, it seems that water cooler talk has taken a back seat to Zoom calls. People are comfortable working on their own, but it’s important to bring team members out of their offices to collaborate with others. Even if it actually is over Zoom!

Trivia Questions for Team Building

People working at a table together looking through files

Crafting the right trivia questions for team building is really important. They should challenge the participants while promoting collaboration and teamwork. Consider a variety of topics, such as general knowledge, pop culture, and history or science. We at The Quizmasters offer trivia packs with structured questions that test a range of skills. Our packs typically include multiple rounds, with different formats like multiple-choice (if needed,) picture rounds, and some fun word rounds. We even sell a “Perfect for Work” trivia package that gives you varied, fun, and of course safe for work questions. You can also explore our complete product offerings to tailor your trivia night to your team's interests and goals.

Organizing Virtual Team Building Trivia

Close-up image of a laptop open to a virtual meeting

For remote teams, virtual team building trivia events are an excellent way to maintain connections. The Quizmasters' trivia packs are designed for both in-person and virtual settings, making it easy to adapt the format. For virtual events, check out our how-to guide and webinar on how to host a virtual trivia night. It gives you all the details including how to set up breakout rooms for team collaboration. We can even give you access to our web-based trivia app Triv.it which will make submitting answers and tallying scores a breeze. (Note: Triv.it is typically only available to subscribers of our service, but reach out to us to see what we can do for you depending on your company’s needs.)

Planning the Event

Co-workers in a planning meeting with a board of post-it notes in the background

To ensure a successful trivia event, plan ahead. Set a date and time that works for everyone and send out invitations early. Communicate the trivia night rules and structure in advance, including information on rounds, scoring, and any prizes. This is important because it will save time on the day of the event. Arrange for prizes or incentives to motivate participation, and decide how you would like to divide up teams. This may be a great opportunity to encourage department cohesion and competitiveness, but is also a chance to match up team members that would not normally work together.

During the Event

group of co-workers in a meeting, event, party

On the day of the event, set up the venue or virtual platform. Hopefully all team members did their homework, but it would be a good idea to review the rules. Start with a brief introduction to the trivia event, outlining the rounds and the overall schedule. Keep the event interactive, allowing participants to ask questions or seek clarification on the trivia questions. Regular breaks can help keep energy levels up and provide a chance for participants to mingle or discuss answers with their teams.

Concluding the Event

Digital "game over message" from Pac-Man

At the end of the trivia event, announce the winning teams and distribute prizes. Acknowledge everyone for their participation and encourage feedback for future events. If you plan to have a recurring trivia event, consider granting the winning team (or even better, the last place team!) the advantage of choosing a category for the next quiz. You can either give them some options to choose from or let their imaginations run wild. Either way, this will build excitement for the next team building trivia event. You can even simplify the process by letting them choose one of our Themed Quiz packets that you can then use for the next quiz.

If you have any questions or would like more information on The Quizmasters and our products, please feel free to contact us or check out some of our products below:

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