Catch all with national pub quiz
A lot of pub-goers have opinions about their local pub. Few of them actually get up and try and change them.
And the number who come up with an idea that has the potential to benefit the industry as a whole can surely be counted on the fingers of one hand.
Step forward Dave Hogarth, managing director of the National Quiz, the man who believes he has an idea which all pubs, large and small, can make the most of - and use to their advantage to prompt customers to spend more, and stay longer, in their local.
A pub quiz with a twist - a national twist - National Quiz offers an easy way for pub teams up and down the country to take on each other, in real time, with big cash prizes on offer to customers.
Put simply, pubs signed up to the scheme can join quizzes taking place on Sunday and Tuesday evenings every week. Using a phone line and a laptop or computer, plugged into a pub TV, multiple-choice questions are posed in real time to participating customers.
Players are asked to raise colour-coded paddles according to the colour which they believe corresponds with the correct answer. The pub question master then decides which colour is most predominant in the pub, before inputting the answer into the computer.
At the end of the game, the pub waits with baited breath while the National Quiz servers in Canary Wharf, London work out the top-performing pubs in the country.
And there is big money on offer to the top-performing pubs, with all players who register for a game sharing in the prize pot if their pub is the overall national winner, biggest improver - or one of 13 regional winners
Free trials
"We think it's a great thing for pubs to get involved with as it's a low-cost entry, there's no division between small pubs and large pubs and no outlay on equipment needed," says Dave.
"So far our system shows that an average 22 people are playing each game per pub. Licensees can recoup their costs by charging participants just £1 to take part.
"But it's up to the licensee whether he wants to charge for the game or look at it purely as an investment in keeping people in the pub."
Until December 9 pubs can try the game for free, with Dave claiming that as many as 85 per cent of those who do give the game a try go on to sign up for a six-month commitment.
National Quiz has lined up a couple of events in the next month to highlight the game and raise some money for charity to boot, ahead of a formal launch in early January.
A charity quiz supporting the Licensed Trade Charity, National Deaf Children and Help the Aged is taking place on November 25, with the £2 entry fee paid by pub customers going straight into the pot for the good causes, and the £25 pub entry fee making up the prize pot.
Meanwhile National Quiz is guaranteeing a £10,000 prize fund for a Grand Christmas Quiz due to take place on December 9.
There are also 'landlord days' taking place around the country, which see licensees encouraged to try out the game with other local publicans for free.
Dave is now talking to a number of managed chains in a bid to give the game the national momentum it demands.
With all the many ideas for taking your pub forward following the smoking ban, the National Quiz could just be a winner.
Q&A
What equipment do pubs need?
A computer, internet access via broadband or dial-up, and a TV screen. Full technical support is available from National Quiz.
How much does it cost?
The cost is £25 a game if the pub plays weekly, £30 for a fortnightly game and £35 for a monthly game, with pubs asked to commit to the quiz for six months.
How much can people win?
The prize pot depends on how many pubs are playing the game - if 2,000 pubs play for example, the pot would amount to £36,000.
Eighty per cent of the funds go to the national winner, while the biggest improver gets a £500 pay-out. The remaining funds are split 13 ways across the regional winners.
Winning players leave their address details and funds are sent directly to the winners.
For more details, visit www.nationalquiz.co.uk or call 08700 605494
