The Big Bad Quiz
Event Name
The Big Bad Quiz
University
University of Liverpool
Type of Event
Fundraiser
Number of weeks preparation time needed?
4 weeks
Number of committee members needed?
2 to organise the event and the rest of the committee will be needed on the day of the event.
Any help from outside organisations needed?
We liaised with the Student Union to get a room for the event and a charity called 'The shoebox appeal' whom we were raising money for. This charity distributes vital supplies for the homeless.
Stepwise guide to preparation in the run up to the event
1. Find a venue - we found that the best venue was generally in our student union but that these rooms were booked up far in advance. As a result, for this event and many others we had to book the room out weeks in advance. It is important to make sure the room is the correct size and has different pieces of equipment that you may require such as a projector.
2. This was a fundraising event so think about which charity you want to sponsor. Ours was the shoebox appeal who provide vital supplies to those in need. We contacted this charity to let them know of our intention to sponsor them. They were helpful and provided a letter to say that we were working with them which was helpful when we went to gain sponsorship and prizes.
3. Create a quiz far in advance so you can run it by the rest of the committee - our quiz had lots of different sections from general knowledge to a musical round to challenges such as who can do the most kick ups with a football. These created a lot of fun on the night and made it a great event.
4. Find prizes - we went around different shops in the local area and managed to get loads of prizes from cinema tickets to food vouchers. To make this part successful you need to have a letter of support from the charity.
5. We also wanted to raise extra money so we bought very cheap food and drinks as well as Krispy Kreme donuts which you can get for a special charity price. We upsold this food and drink and made lots of extra money for the charity.
6. As with all events make sure that you prepare in advance. Also make sure you think about what you will need on the day and designate everyone roles in advance telling them exactly what is expected of them.
7. Make sure you publicise the event. This needs to be done a minimum of 2 weeks before the event so people can put it in their diaries. Put up social media posts. Let all your friends know and tell them to bring a team of their own friends. That way you are spreading the message via word of mouth and making sure lots of people come. This will help you raise money and introduce your society to people that may not usually come to your events.
Guide to running the event on the day
1. Arrive early to set up the room. We made sure that there were plenty of seats and that someone was at the entrance of the guild to greet people and direct them to the room where the quiz was being held.
2. Have someone on the door to collect a donation. We charged £3 per person which all went to the charity.
3. Make sure that you are running on time and start on time. It creates a bad impression if you are running late at your events.
4. Welcome everyone and let them know what you are raising money for.
5. Start the quiz. Make sure everyone has what they need whether it is pens and papers or pre-printed sheets. your committee need to know exactly what their roles are so the quiz runs smoothly. Ideally have someone presenting the quiz who has a great deal of passion and enthusiasm to create excitement.
6. Have a break halfway so people can buy some of the food and drink you've provided. We also sold tickets for our raffle.
7. Finish the quiz and complete the raffle.
8. After the event post up a thank you to everyone that came and let them know how much money you raised and where it is going. Make sure you have some good photos of the day as well to share on social media. For best results share on twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Did you face any issues when planning or carrying out this event? How did you overcome these?
It was initially difficult to get prizes but one we had the letter from the charity organisations and local businesses were much more willing to donate to us.
Getting a suitable room was also difficult initially so make sure you book this well in advance.
Also ensure that you plan exactly what you will need on the day. Things like pen and paper are obvious ones but also a HDMI cable if it is on a projector. Is there a spare laptop and charger as a back-up? Is the quiz well-rehearsed and thought out? These are things that could easily go wrong and bring down the event so PLAN, PLAN, PLAN. Don't leave anything to chance and don't go in half hearted. If you give it your all it will always be a success Maharaj Kirpaa.
What could you have improved upon and what would you do differently if you ran the event again?
This was one of our most successful events but there were inevitably things that could have gone better.
The room itself was a little bit too small as the turnout was better than expected. We also couldn't fit any tables in the room which would have been useful.
Initially the committee were unsure of their roles so I would clarify those more if I ran the event again.
What are your top tips and take-home messages?
"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail" - Benjamin Franklin
This is my biggest take home message not only from this event but for all events. I cannot stress enough how important it is. You need to keep on top of planning and make sure every detail is thought through. When people run into trouble it is usually because of a lack of planning. Even with the best planning things do go wrong so make sure you have someone on standby to deal with these when they arise.
