Corporate quiz and music quiz: the guide to a great game

Why does a quiz work so well at work?

A quiz puts everyone on an equal footing. The intern who knows every hit from 2020 and the finance director who is unbeatable on the 80s become equally essential to the same team. It is an activity that naturally mixes ages and departments, without requiring physical effort or any particular talent.

It also fits almost any format: afterwork drinks for 30 people, the end of a seminar day, a gala dinner between courses, or even a remote meeting. And it costs little compared with the atmosphere it creates.

Quiz, blind test or both?

The mixed format is often the safest choice: it gives less musical teams a chance and revives attention at every change of round.

How to prepare the rounds?

1. Set the length: around 1 hour 30 minutes for a full game, 30 to 45 minutes for an interlude during a dinner.
2. Plan 4 to 6 rounds of 8 to 10 questions or clips each, with one theme per round: the 80s, cartoon theme tunes, French songs, film soundtracks, summer hits.
3. Pace the difficulty: start easy so everyone scores, build up gradually, and keep a “bonus” round to shake up the scores at the end.
4. Add a home-made round: the teams’ favourite songs, the managers’ childhood photos, the year’s key figures. It is often the funniest moment.
5. Test everything: a clip that is too long, distorted sound or an ambiguous question is enough to break the rhythm.

Buzzers or smartphones: which answering system?

Buzzers create a TV game show feel: teams face each other, the first to buzz answers, and the tension rises. They work with up to four teams at a time; beyond that, you organise qualifying rounds. Smartphones let a whole room answer at once, with rankings shown on screen after each question. They are the logical choice for more than 50 players, or when guests are spread across several tables.

For equipment, plan a sound system suited to the room, a wireless microphone for the host, and a screen or video projector if you display the questions and rankings. The hosted formats we organise take up to 100 players for 1 hour 30 minutes of play.

Where should the quiz fit in your event?

The timing changes the nature of the game. To open a seminar, a twenty-minute quiz about the company works as an icebreaker and gets a few key messages across in a fun way: the year’s figures, new products, new sites. At the end of a working day, a blind test relaxes everyone before dinner. During an evening party, it fits between the main course and dessert, or just before the dance floor opens, when the energy in the room needs a lift.

A quiz also works remotely, for teams spread across several sites or working from home: participants answer on their phones, the host is filmed, and the rankings appear live for everyone. It is one of the few activities that works as well by video call as in the room.

How to make the quiz more team-building?

• Involve the teams in the preparation: ask each department for a question about its job or a song that represents it.
• Give each team a name, chosen by its members: it is their first moment of bonding.
• Include jokers (double points, help from the host) so that teams lagging behind can catch up.
• Show the rankings after each round to keep the suspense going until the end.

What mistakes should you avoid?

• Teams by department: you simply recreate office cliques. Draw lots or build mixed teams.
• Questions that are too specialist: if a team scores nothing in the first round, it switches off.
• A game that runs too long: beyond 1 hour 30 minutes, attention drops. Better to finish with people wanting a rematch.
• Forgetting the prizes: even symbolic ones (a bottle, a trophy, the right to choose the next playlist) motivate people.
• Overlooking music rights: playing music in public at an event falls under SACEM (the French music royalties body). A supplier who already has a contract makes this simpler.

How much does a hosted quiz or blind test cost?

A home-made quiz only costs preparation time, which is often underestimated: allow several hours to build balanced rounds and test the sound. A blind test hosted by a professional includes the preparation, the equipment and the hosting on the microphone. With us, the DJ-hosted blind test starts at €150 with 4 buzzers and set-up, and it flows naturally into the dance party if the same DJ stays on the decks. For a smartphone game, we use BlindZi, our quiz and blind test app: each player answers from their phone, with nothing complicated to install.