Organising a Trivia Night

We are delighted to introduce our series of articles on how to organise a Trivia Night. They are jam packed with everything you need to create a memorable and profitable night of fun! 

Part 1 - Organising a Trivia Night

Planning & Logistics for a Successful (and Fun!) Night Out

“Hold a trivia night,” they said… “It’ll be fun,” they said… And they were right — but only if you plan it well!

Trivia nights are one of the most popular school and club fundraising events, offering a great social vibe while also raising anywhere from $1,000 to upwards of $10,000. Whether you’re raising money for a playground, library books, or team uniforms, a well-organised trivia night brings the community together and puts the “fun” in fundraising.

This guide will walk you through the planning and logistics essentials so your trivia night is smooth, social, and successful.

🎯 STEP 1: SET A GOAL

Before anything else, be clear on what you’re fundraising for. Make it visible and motivating — a playground poster coloured in as donations roll in is a great example. A clear goal helps guide your decisions and inspires your community to get involved.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 STEP 2: BUILD YOUR TEAM

Don’t go it alone! Create a volunteer team and delegate jobs based on interests and strengths:

• MC & Question writer

• Scorekeeper & runner

• Bar or drinks

• Decorations & setup

• Ticketing & comms

• Prize procurement

Be clear on expectations, but let people run with their creativity.

📅 STEP 3: CHOOSE YOUR DATE WISELY

Timing is everything! Avoid:

• Sporting finals (especially local footy)

• End-of-year craziness (November onwards)

• Public holidays, school holidays and major community events

Check your school or club calendar for clashes, and when in doubt — ask around. Once your date is locked in, promote early with a “Save the Date” to start building interest.

🏟️ STEP 4: LOCK IN A VENUE

Things to consider:

• Accessibility and parking

• Space for tables of 8–10 people — if you don’t have your own space, will a local school or community hall loan or hire the space to you?

• A stage or raised area for the MC

• Power outlets and lighting

• Whether you can run your own bar or BYO

• Setup and pack-down time

School halls, sports clubs, or community centres work well. Just make sure there’s enough room and a good vibe!

🪑 STEP 5: FORMAT YOUR NIGHT

A classic format:

• 6–8 rounds of trivia

• 10 questions per round (with a mix of topics and difficulty)

• Small teams (up to 10), encourage smaller groups to join forces

• Interval games and fundraising activities between rounds

• Prizes for 1st, 2nd, and last (wooden spoon!)

• Optional theme to dress up and decorate tables

Use a PowerPoint and screen if available, or go old-school with a whiteboard. You’ll also need answer sheets, pens, scoring sheets, and volunteers to mark them.

🧠 STEP 6: CRAFT GREAT QUESTIONS

The key to a fun night is making people feel like they can contribute. Aim for:

• At least 80% of questions answered correctly

• Mix of general knowledge, pop culture, local trivia

• Visual and audio rounds (famous faces, theme songs)

• Conversation-starting questions (not just fact-recall)

You want people not to know the answer straight away but for it to come up in conversation. If writing your own questions is too much, consider hiring a quiz host or using a pre-made quiz pack.

🏆 STEP 7: PRIZES & SPONSORSHIP

Prizes don’t need to be expensive — hampers, vouchers, donated goodies, or even scratchie centrepieces can be fun. Ask local businesses for prize donations or sponsor a round for $100–200 (with shoutouts, logos on screens, etc). You can even get sponsors for individual tables.

TIP: Send thank-you certificates or a shoutout in your school newsletter — a little appreciation goes a long way!

🎟️ STEP 8: TICKETS & ADVERTISING

• Price per table (e.g., $150 for a table of 10) often works better than individual tickets

• Offer early bird specials or discounts for pre-booked tables

• Set up an event on Facebook and encourage sharing

• Use your school newsletter, flyers, local community boards, and word-of-mouth

• Consider creating a countdown or teaser posts to keep it front-of-mind

Make sure to advertise:

• Time, date and location

• Ticket price and booking link

• What’s included (BYO or catered? Drinks? Dress-ups?)

• Fundraising goal and contact details

🕹️ STEP 9: GAMES & EXTRAS

Between trivia rounds, keep the energy up and cash flowing. We have dedicated an entire article in our series to this topic! Here are some examples, but read on for more:

• Coin toss for a prize

• Spaghetti tower building

• Heads or Tails

• Alphabet raffle

• “Sell cheats” like extra answers or free passes

Award small prizes to keep it fun and low-cost — chocolates, wine, books, etc.

🎭 OPTIONAL: ADD A THEME!

Themes can boost excitement and loosen up the crowd:

• Disney

• Halloween

• 80s / 90s / Retro

• Aussie Icons

• “Pick Your Own” table themes

Offer prizes for best-dressed team or best-decorated table!

✅ YOUR TRIVIA NIGHT CHECKLIST

• Set your goal, budget and date

• Book venue and equipment

• Form a team and delegate roles

• Plan your trivia rounds and games

• Create a run sheet for the event (we have a great template for this in our free toolbox!)

• Source prizes and sponsors

• Promote with a “save the date” and flyers

• Sell tickets (online or via school office)

• Prepare MC notes and a run sheet

• Set up, enjoy, and thank your volunteers and sponsors

Trivia nights build community, spark conversations, and bring in vital funds — all in one entertaining evening. Just remember: it’s not about being the smartest person in the room, but having the most fun together.