Equipment Required

COVID-19 UPDATE

In the absence of traditional trivia nights our lives do not have to be completely trivia-less. Check out QuizNightHQ’s guide to Isolation Trivia + Games. It contains plenty of ideas to get your friends, family and workplaces engaged in an online quiz night or online video fun.

Contents

    1. Summary of Required Equipment
    2. Computer
    3. Software
    4.  Audio
      • Speakers
      • Microphone
    5. Video
    6. Additional Equipment Suggestions

Equipment Required to Run a Successful Quiz Night

The equipment you need for a Quiz Night can vary. The suggestions below are a great start to organising your trivia event.

  • Computer
  • Presentation Software: PowerPoint / Keynote / Google Slides
  • Sound system
    • Microphone input
    • Audio (aux) input for computer (alternatively Bluetooth may work well too)
    • Speakers that output to venue space
  • Visual Presentation
    • TV / Projector with screen (or blank wall)

Equipment Breakdown

Computer

Having a laptop that runs your presentation software (PowerPoint/Keynote/Slides) and can play music is your basic benchmark.

Ensure that your computer (laptop) has the ability to connect to the visual component at the venue. Do you have VGA or HMDI video output?Carrying VGA and HDMI adapter for your Mac or PC in case you need both is important. Even an adapter from one to the other (like HDMI to VGA or VGA to HDMI) would be useful if your device doesn’t match the output. An adapter like this which connects Mini-DV to HDMI, DVI and VGA is pretty handy too.

Software

Make sure your have appropriate software to be able to download the Quiz Night HQ Trivia Question Rounds through the comprehensive Marketplace.

  • Keynote – Apple Mac presentation software – FREE in the App Store
  • PowerPoint – Microsoft presentation software for both Mac and PC. Office 365 is where you can acquire this software.
  • Google Slides – online based – free with Google account.

All of these software options can have files converted between them.

Audio

Most venues will already have some kind of sound system. It will most likely have audio input, a microphone and speakers. I always recommend checking on the sound prior to the event so you know what you’re going to be up against and what equipment you may need to hire/access/buy for the Quiz Night.

Speakers

Throughout the Quiz Night you want to play music and create an exciting atmosphere. Any audio questions found in your Trivia Rounds will also need to played clearly for the teams.

Ensure the speakers are adequate for the size of the space. You want to make sure that sounds can reach all areas and every table that is in attendance can hear the questions and answers. If you have an unusually-shaped room you may need to run an additional speaker to another area of the venue.

May be worth bringing a backup system in case anything goes wrong with the system. As stated previously – check the space and venue ahead of time so you know what you’re up against prior to the event.

Microphone

Microphones are a must in order to capture the crowd’s attention and clearly state the questions. There’s nothing more frustrating than having to repeat yourself many, many times.

Keep in mind whether you will be required to roam around the room or stay static at the front. This will guide you as to the type of microphone you wear.

Types include:

May be useful to have a microphone stand (this one is desktop mounted and this one is floor mounted).

Video

For a truly engaging event you want audio and video. Having a screen to display the questions and share team scores is a must. It’s a focal point for the crowd. You won’t have to ask for quiet you can just display the next question and read it out – the crowd will quieten down and continue the competition. Repeating the questions is unnecessary as it’s all there for everyone to see.

Questions you need to think about when checking the venue for video equipment:

Does the venue have a projector or TV screen or possibly nothing – meaning you’ll have to provide video for your event? In the event of the venue having video output make sure you check the status of the connection from the screen/s to your computer prior to the night. These are some of the video options you will find:

  • TV Screen – is it big enough for the crowd to read the text of the question from everywhere in the room?
  • Multiple TV Screens – do they all work from the one output point? Does it cover the entire space in the venue?
  • Projector – what is the resolution? Is it widescreen or 4:3? What is the connection to the computer – HDMI/VGA?

In the case of the venue not having anything then you will need access to a projector and screen. Often a large blank white wall to project on in the venue will suffice. Ask around your club/organisation for someone that has a projector or one they can borrow from work. With enough notice it’s more than likely you’ll be able to access one easily enough.

Otherwise go out and buy one. Projectors and projector screens often come up for reasonable cheap prices on eBay, Gumtree and the Facebook Marketplace.

Additional Equipment Suggestions

These added extras can really enhance the feeling of the space and enhance the atmosphere at your Quiz Night.

Let us know in the comments below if there’s another piece of equipment that you find to be a must.