Posts Tagged ‘pop culture’
Which Era is Your Corporate Culture From?
Thursday, July 7th, 2011
My wife and I just saw the new Woody Allen film “Midnight in Paris” at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Not to spoil it for those who haven’t already seen, but basically the premise is a guy goes to Paris, and finds himself inexplicably transported at the stroke of midnight to different eras of Parisian past, meeting historical characters along the way. The not-so-disguised theme of the film is that every generation yearns for bygone “golden eras” of the past, regardless of how impressive, interesting or compelling the present is. Relaxophobic that I am, I soon found my mind drifting about the theatre, eventually landing on the subject of workplace and office dynamics.
Building upon a previous post about matching corporate culture with employee entertainment, when it comes to team building activities, which era best matches your company’s culture? If you’re like me, the very first thing you think of when you hear the words “team building” is trust falls, ropes courses and obstacle challenges: time-tested fun! If your company is conservative and traditional, perhaps these Ronald Reagan-esque “good old days” activities of the 50s describe your corporate “era” best.
How about scavenger hunts? As a former scavenger hunt writer and producer, I think that these are terrific activities for companies which are young and competitive – just like the 80s corporate raiders of the movie “Wall Street.” Food events have also jumped into the team building mix, with companies throwing competitive cooking parties at custom-designed loft spaces. An introduction to food and cooking- makes me think of Julia Child, Emeril, Martha Stewart…definitely the TV eras of the 70s-00s.
When I think of my own live trivia activities, I tend to think that the era is both the present and near-distant past, since so many of the questions are about current events, yet also feature a certain “nostalgia” aspect relative to the attendee’s age. The companies who enjoy these events live at least part of the time in the past, but not too distant into the past that people don’t have a firsthand experiential recollection.
There are more, for sure – can you think of any? Share your thoughts, ideas and era recommendations below. Let’s make Woody Allen proud!
5 Fun Themes for Live Trivia Parties, and Why They Work
Wednesday, June 29th, 2011
Perhaps one of the first things I’m asked when holding an initial conversation with clients is, “what kind of trivia do you guys do?” The answer brings both good news and bad: the good news is, you can have a trivia event about any topic you like! The bad news, of course: where on earth do you begin?
Having produced so many live trivia events over the past 5 years, I’ve had the opportunity to experiment a lot with trivia topics, throwing an awful lot of trivia spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. While this kind of event entertainment can be customized to fit the needs of any group, I have found that the below broad themes for trivia questions consistently go over well, especially for intelligent, fun-loving & competitive groups:
1) Pop Culture – People love pop culture, and consume it voraciously. TV, movies, music, celebrity gossip, fads, commercials – you name it, people follow it, with passion. We recently held a night of pop culture trivia to benefit VH1 Save The Music, and had to close sales in advance because it received such an enthusiastic response. When it comes to selecting trivia questions, pop culture is definitely a winner.
2) Nostalgic History – It’s important to know the age of the group, so that appropriate history questions can be asked which evoke an emotional response. None of us were here to witness the Mayflower landing, but LOTS of us remember where we were when OJ took his fateful ride in a white Bronco; tugging at the nostalgic heartstrings goes over extremely well at trivia events, and I use this as often as I can.
3) Geography – People go nuts over geography – who knew? Whether asking about cities, states, countries or oceans, people have atlases tucked into the dark recesses of their brains, and feel ridiculously satisfied when they pull out the correct answers.
4) Local Trivia – I mainly produce live trivia parties in New York City, and find that any NYC-centric questions really go over well – especially those which only “real” New Yorkers will get (I’m talking famous subway performers, bus stop billboards, flyers of guys who teach guitar etc.). However, regardless of where the event is being held, natives will always respond well to questions about that place.
5) Other Media – People love it when you toss another form of questioning at them, in order to mix up the flow of the event and skills needed. Music rounds are popular, whereby you play songs over the sound system and attendees need to guess the title and artist. Picture rounds are also great, where teams need to identify 10 obscure celebrity photos for points, as well as figure out what all of them have in common. I’ve also seen video rounds at some trivia nights – I don’t do these, because I feel the results don’t justify the time & labor needed to assemble, but still they are enjoyable.
Even though I’ve created so many events, I certainly don’t claim to be the final answer when it comes to ideas for trivia themes. Do you produce, host or attend trivia events? What themes do you find are consistent crowd pleasers? What new themes do you think would go over well? Please share your ideas below!
Finding Trivia Gold in Pop Culture Garbage: Great Questions from 6 Terrible Movies
Monday, June 27th, 2011
I read a very interesting article this weekend in the New York Times movie section, entitled “Catch That Reference? There’ll Be a Quiz.” The gist here was that many movies contain veiled references to other works, directors and eras, and that viewers who catch these subtle hat tips will enjoy the films better. This got me thinking about something which, as a professional trivia host, I already spend an awful lot of time on anyway, which is how to find great trivia tidbits in movies. However, as I thought about it more, I realized that I actually spend WAY more time on something else: sifting through the unbelievably huge pile of pop culture garbage out there, in order to find the juicy trivia morsels people will know and enjoy.
Trust me, this is not as easy as you think. Take a look at some of the high-budget Hollywood movies which have come out in the first half of 2011:
1) Just Go With It
2) Kung Fu Panda 2
3) No Strings Attached
4) Gnomeo & Juliet
5) Hall Pass
6) The Green Hornet
Now, all of these movies had high promotional budgets, star actors and/or box office success. However, did you or anybody you know actually SEE any of these movies? If you did, were they THAT memorable that you are able to answer trivia about them, either subtle or overt? I’m going to venture that the answer is no, because these movies were terrible; I will also take it a step further, and assume that none of these films will have much cultural staying power. However, there are still good trivia questions to be mined here, if you embrace the awesomely bad aspects of each movie.
For example, basic plot summaries:
1) “Which terrible 2011 romantic comedy pairs Adam Sandler with Jennifer Aniston?”
2) “Name the only animated sequel to have a voice provided by Jack Black?”
3) “What was the Natalie Portman/Ashton Kutcher hookup flick?”
4) “What was that animated movie about lawn gnomes?”
5) “What was that awful movie were Owen Wilson is given a week off of his marriage?”
6) “What was the first 3-D comic book superhero movie to be released in 2011?”
Or how about the official movie taglines, which we were bombarded with relentlessly upon each film’s release:
1) “Sometimes a guy’s best wingman… is a wingwoman.”
2) “Prepare for the return of awesomeness.”
3) “Friendship has its benefits.”
4) “A little adventure goes a lawn way.”
5) “Good for one week off marriage.”
6) “Breaking the law to protect it.”
Chances are, given the amount of promotion each of these movies received, the average pop culture trivia enthusiast would have a reasonable expectation of figuring out the answers to the above questions – even without having seen the films. So long as they’re “getable,” trivia questions about terrible movies – new or old – are always an option.
Can you think of any other terrible movies which would actually make for some great trivia questions?
Hitting the Right Note: Using Trivia for Fund Raising
Thursday, May 5th, 2011
Since becoming a blogger, I have used this space to explore the many aspects of using live trivia as a means of corporate event entertainment, employee team building or brand awareness. Today, I would like to discuss another important use for trivia events, and that is to raise funds for a good cause.
Trivia events are perfect for fund raisers. They are entertaining, challenging and compelling enough to drive a crowd, even in attention-overloaded New York City. Additionally, the questions may be customized so that they serve as an awareness vehicle for the cause- a natural pairing with the raising of dollars, which every fund raiser organizer strives for. A trivia party which captures the passion and enthusiasm of the attendees and hosts alike truly is a recipe for success.
Next month, trivia will once again be used as a means for raising dollars and awareness for an exceptionally good cause as TrivWorks teams up with The Bell House to support VH1 Save The Music foundation. Hosted by our “Special Host” Pat Kiernan, a veteran TV game show host who’s roster includes two seasons with VH1’s “The World Series of Pop Culture,” we will be tapping into people’s love for pop culture and music to raise money and awareness for an organization dedicated to keeping music education in local schools. Attendees will love the “live game show” experience, including a special “showdown” finale, as well as prizes including tickets to off-Broadway musicals graciously donated by numerous theater companies.
VH1 Save The Music was founded in 1997, when then-president John Sykes visited Brooklyn’s P.S. 58 and realized that the band students had no instruments. He started the foundation shortly thereafter, providing P.S. 58 with Save The Music’s first grant.
It just so happens that P.S. 58 is located about 1,000 yards from The Bell House, Brooklyn’s premier live music venue. It is in this spirit of “brainpower” championed by Save The Music that we have all come together to support this extremely important cause; to further drive home the impact and importance of Save The Music, as well as celebrate the special role of P.S. 58, we have arranged for a very special appearance by the school’s band students, who will open the event with a piece performed on instruments provided by Save The Music!
As a lifelong saxophone player who got his start in public schools – as well as a Brooklynite married to a New York City public school music teacher - this cause is one which I am extremely passionate about, and which means a great deal to me personally. I am so very proud to be involved in this special trivia fund raiser, and am grateful to all of our partners who have come together to make this event happen.
Click here to see the official announcement of this event, or purchase tickets by clicking here.
Why Pop Culture is Great for Trivia Events
Friday, April 8th, 2011
When people find out that I own a trivia company, they immediately assume I am a trivia guru, and pepper me with all sorts of arcane queries. This may come as a surprise, but I am absolutely terrible at trivia- ESPECIALLY pop culture trivia; I may be good at writing trivia questions and hosting trivia events, but when it comes to playing Trivial Pursuit, watching Jeopardy! or answering trivia questions on the spot, I’m pretty much worthless.
A big reason for this is that I don’t have a passion for pop culture; I have zero interest in who’s dancing with the stars or the next apprentice, what Lady Gaga’s wearing or who’s hosting SNL. An even bigger reason – and this may shock you – is that I don’t even have a TV. How on Earth, you may wonder, can I possibly work in TRIVIA when I don’t like pop culture- let alone watch television?
Simple- I know that people who play trivia love pop culture. So that’s what I give them.
The ultimate goal of a trivia event – be it a simple pub quiz, team building activity or a major corporate branding event – is for the participants to have fun. And you know what? People LOVE pop culture, in all of its forms. They consume it both actively and passively, and with a voracious appetite. Websites like TMZ and Perez Hilton, reality TV, celebrity gossip- you name it, people are into it.
But why include it in trivia events? Aren’t trivia event enthusiasts primarily smart, educated professionals who have better things to do with their time than follow the Charlie Sheen saga? Well, yes- and no. As I said, people are rabid consumers of pop culture, and my assumption is that it provides an escape from the staid professional worlds in which many of us exist. Does a group of lawyers really want to file briefs for 12 hours, then go to a trivia team building event and be asked about torts? Do investment bankers who spend 16 hours a day trading want to go to a pub quiz and be asked about derivatives? No way- they want to be asked about Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and the Balloon Boy!
Pop culture is a guilty pleasure, which most people are happy to engage in- and even obsess over. In addition to being extremely timely, it’s also a terrific diversion from the predictable types of questions people expect to be asked at a trivia event- facts, figures and a whole lot of stuff from AP classes (there are, of course- but there’s tons of pop culture, too). It is for just this reason that the recent addition of Pat Kiernan, former host of VH1′s “World Series of Pop Culture” as TrivWorks’ “Special Host” is so exciting, and has been received so well – especially in the events industry.
I may not personally be interested in following pop culture, but for the sake of my audiences who are, I dive in regularly. Even without a TV, I’m all over the Internet news sites, Twitter, Facebook and anything else I can to see what’s hot right now. It’s a personal sacrifice I’m more than willing to make to ensure that our clients are happy.
What are your thoughts on the role of pop culture in trivia events?
TrivWorks founder David Jacobson blogs daily on a wide range of topics relevant to corporate event entertainment, team building and live trivia. 
