Trivia vs. Scavenger Hunts as a Team Building Activity

Prior to starting TrivWorks, I had the unique pleasure of working for two years as a freelancer for one of New York City’s most reputable – and busy – scavenger hunt companies (yes, there really is such a thing). Companies would hire out the scavenger company to create/host team building, client entertainment, branding and experiential marketing events, and my job was to both write customized scavenger hunts, as well as to produce/host them. It was a ton of fun for me and, more importantly, for the clients.

When I decided to launch my own team building company, I had a choice of either creating a scavenger hunt company- a proven market where I had a good degree of experience- or to branch out into the world of live trivia, a virtually untested area outside of pub quiz. I am of course thrilled to have done the latter, and believe strongly that I made the right choice; however, is there really a big difference between the two types of activities from a team building perspective?

Let’s take an honest look at both:

Scavenger Hunts

No doubt about it, scavenger hunts are a great way for a group to have fun. I’ve always loved them since I was a kid, and as an adult they still satisfy. There is unquestionably a value in creating a fun, memorable experience for your team by sending them off to find clues and take digital pictures, which may be enjoyed long after the event is over. It’s also a great bonding opportunity, as the group must compete as teams against each other.

I found, though, that the clues themselves could never be THAT challenging, as the goal was for all teams to finish the scavenger hunt route in a given period of time. It’s also hard to customize a scavenger hunt, when the goal is to find the next clue location; can you really change a clue to appeal to group of lawyers, vs. a groups of architects? Scavenger hunts also require a huge time commitment to be done right; 15-20 minutes for orientation, 2-3 hours for the hunt itself, then at least an hour for a wrap-up, photo display and awards ceremony. All told, it’s a long day/night, and can be quite exhausting for participants.

Live Trivia

Like scavenger hunts, live trivia offers a great opportunity for both strong impact and bonding for a group. That desire to “win” is powerful, yet good natured; in the end, everyone really wins, because they had a great time playing the game. With trivia, though, I find that there are many ways to creatively customize questions for a group, which leads to greater impact, thus delivering greater value to groups- especially if the goal is to reward and boost morale. I also like how everyone can participate, regardless of age or disability, which is not the case with scavenger hunts.

One advantage scavenger hunts will always have over trivia is changing scenery; let’s face it, for folks stuck in an office all day, it’s fun to run around the city! However, it’s also nice to stay warm and dry; I’ve seen my share of hunts run in the rain (AND snow), and am convinced indoor events such as trivia are more comfortable. Add in that the total time commitment is only 2 hours start to finish, and you’ve got an experience which will be more favorably remembered in the long run.

Ultimately, the choice of a scavenger hunt versus a trivia event will depend on the group, and both will likely be a fun time. From a corporate team building perspective, however, I feel that live trivia picks up the slack that scavenger hunts can’t make up in customization, comfort, convenience and lasting positive impact.

But that’s just my opinion, and I’m somewhat biased. What do YOU think?