A while ago we wrote a tip based on a quiz master who didn’t show up because he thought there wouldn’t be enough quizzers to make it worth his while. But what about the opposite situation where the quiz is prepared, the quiz master is present and there are a very small number of teams.
This can happen to the best of us – a combination of a few teams on holiday, a few more with another commitment, an illness or two, and your normal team numbers in double figures have dwindled. A quiz in South Wales we know of always loses a couple of teams if one of the Welsh football teams is playing.
At this point a big decision is needed.
How the quiz master is paid will determine whether they have any input. (Incidentally, that will be the subject of a Quiz Tip in the near future). A flat fee and numbers don’t really matter; payment of the entry fees and the quiz master is very interested.
The owner of the pub or club will have a break-even point. They should know the average spend per head, and from this the number of quizzers needed to break even can be calculated.
However, consideration must be given to the effect that this will have on those quizzers who have turned up. If the quiz is cancelled, will they come to the next one? The quiz master and the owner should have a rapport with the teams, and perhaps they will judge that these teams are really keen and they will be back. But it’s a risk.
Our recommendation would be to always run the quiz if you can, even if there might be a small loss. Teams going elsewhere for their quiz because yours was cancelled is likely to be an even bigger loss in the long term.