Welcome to your favorite job!
Welcome to hosting for Trivia Mafia, the world's greatest bar trivia company.
Thank you for being a Trivia Mafia host! Nearly everyone who works here is, or has been, a host (including the founders, Chuck Terhark and Sean McPherson), and we want to make sure that you find as much enjoyment in the job as we have and do. This great Hosting Guide contains everything you need to know to host and run a trivia night for Trivia Mafia, plus a bunch of stuff that’s simply good to know. Your primary point of contact will be the Host Manager, but check this contact list if you need other support.
We depend on our hosts to be good ambassadors of our brand, professional partners for our customer sites, and joyful shepherds of trivial knowledge to the world at large. It’s a big deal.
Why doare wethey dopaying it? us?
Our customer is the bar, brewery, or restaurant that has contracted us to come into their space on a regular basis. Businesses may hire us for a few reasons, but the main one is getting butts in seats.
Our job is to help keep people at the business for about two hours, so they will order a few things off the menu - and enjoy themselves enough that that they come back again next week. Our business is in building habits through relationships - the bar or taproom is looking to create something that allows them to predict the crowd, support their staffing, and make sure that the receipts are coming in for what may otherwise be a slow night of the week.
You don't have to sell the whole menu, but they are paying for you to be there, so maybe shout-out a new beer on tap or a limited-time appetizer. Get chummy with the staff (they are your first line of defense if anything goes pear shaped!) and try to see the ways you can be an asset to their business.
Why do players play?
Much like a bowling league or a book club, half the fun of trivia is just hanging out with your friends. Trivia is an excuse to talk about the fun, random things we know and find out why other people know the weird, random things they know. All knowledge is valid in trivia!
The average event has about 10 teams - which means that every week, nine teams are not getting first place. The competitive element does drive some people, but for most participants, the game is the fun part, and winning is just icing on the cake.
This is why we focus on engagement - the questions are written to spark conversations, inviting people to debate and reason their way to the right answer. And if they don't get it right, they'll hopefully enjoy the process of learning something new! We work to be inclusive, respectful, honest, and factual.
Remember: The best part of getting people together to play trivia is getting people together. Good trivia isn't trivial.
Why do you do it?
For most hosts, this is a bonus-fun-extra-part-time job, and we want you to look forward to your nextevery shift with confidence and excitement.
Some of our hosts used to be players, and want to continue to be part of the events. Some of our hosts are professional performers and entertainers, and they like the regular gig as a way to keep their skills sharp. Some of our hosts have leveraged hosting trivia as a way to meet a new community when they're new in town. Some of our hosts just want an extra $200 a month, and that is also a legit reason! 
Our hosts have shown up to work and had baby showers thrown for them,them; hosts have found their best friends, babysitters and spouses among players,their supportedplayers. proposalsOur betweenevents players, boostedboost small businesses, and helped families and friends stay connected during a global pandemic. We take our job seriously, and we're serious about making it a good time.