How to host fat bottom trivia presentations for quick and easy event entertainment (6 Steps)6/14/2019 Step 1Written By Dusty Ramsbottom, June 14, 2019 If you can get to it in time, contact hosting@fatcityentertainment.com for a complimentary copy of "The Wild West" Fat Bottom Trivia Presentation. This Promotion will Expire on July 31st. Fat Bottom Trivia games are available to use at your local trivia events, but not permitted to reproduce electronically. Feel free to brand your event however you choose.  Step 2: Download and Install Microsoft Powerpoint or EquivalentAll presentations are tested on Powerpoint, but you may find equal usability from a free alternative such as LibreOffice or Google Docs. For a detailed guide to installing Powerpoint from Microsoft click here. If you are ready, or already have an Office 365 subscription, download it here: https://office.microsoft.com/powerpoint/ Step 3: Download And Open Trivia Presentation In Presenter ModeChoose the Slide Show tab from the top, and depending on what version you are using, there will be an option to enable "Presenter Mode" Or "Presenter View". This will ensure you can see the answers on the next slide after choosing categories, as well as any notes for the hosts, if there are any. Fat Bottom Trivia games are only available at the Fat City Trivia Store. Step 4: After each question, click the "Home" button at the bottom of the game board.I typically permit the first player or team that arrived to choose the first category. This is a good way to ensure that guests are punctual in their arrival before the games. If the player chooses a "hidden side game" then the rules apply to them, and that team gets to decide on the choice, if there is one. Step 5: Keep Score and Encourage "Bonus Points"People come to trivia nights for interactions with other teams, to listen to a funny host, and to show off their trivia skills that would be otherwise useless in the real world... Encourage teams to dance, sing, or even play paddy-cake with the opposing teams next to them. You'd be surprised what people will do for a few make believe points. And they'll gloat about it the next day around the water-cooler. That's when you know you've got a great show.  Step 6: Allow teams to wager as much of their accumulated points as they desire, in the final "Dare You 2 Wager" challenge.After you've calculated the scores, you have yourself a winner, and a defending champion! There are many more ways to improve your shows, with prizes, tournaments, and returning champions, but if you decide to utilize our pre-made presentations, you can jump-to-front-of-the-line, as they say. Bonus: Free EbookYou know me, I can't do anything without giving something away...
So, if you made it this far, please enjoy a free download of my ebook "How to host a successful trivia night" by using the code HOST100 at the Fat City Trivia Store
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"Virtual reality is linking players from around the world" "Selfie" Photo of Buckerooni and Murderlirious in Bigscreen VR App for Occulus and Steam Written By: Kevin Cochrane, Published June 13, 2019 Lights illuminate the studio, and your eyes focus on the camera, hoping they’re not bulging like a cartoon character. Your flushed face signals what your soaked armpits already understand. You’re in it now. The camera swivels when your introduction sequence initiates. You hear your life distilled into a three-point package: occupation, hometown, and name. Hello, game show world, your skittish smile announces. My friends and family have told me I’m pretty good with trivia. I’m not so sure now, because I think I’m going to faint before we even make it out of the intro. But you’ve studied, logging the miles through topics from contemporary hip hop to ancient funeral rites. You consumed quality books from all kinds of genres, always with a notepad next to you, scrawled with insights and observations. You’ve traveled widely, and when you do, you’re not a tourist. You inhabit your travels, locating yourself in all the experiences and sights, glazing over nothing and accumulating knowledge with each footstep. So, of course, you’re terrified. But underneath those sweat glands, an elated confidence bubbles. No more practice tests. No more shouting answers from the couch. You’re competing in the moment and against other elite contestants. And you’re going to do more than just show up… Yet you haven’t expended a single frequent flyer mile or packed a suitcase. It’s a Thursday night, and a few friends have gathered in your apartment for this moment... Virtually reality accomplishes what physical game shows can’t—access for all. By their nature, game shows must retain the element of exclusivity because of limited slots. Screenshot of Unknown VR Dude from Bigscreen VR App for Occulus and Steam But virtual reality opens up a new front in your trivia night battles through digital technology. With a head-mounted display and either a gaming console or VR system, you can enter into an immersive world. Through the head-mounted display, VR generates a simulated environment like video games, except now, you’re the character. Sensors respond to your eye and hand movements, and the graphics shifts accordingly so you can operate as if you’re embedded in the environment. Your trivia night forecast has been altered forever. You and your friends can play trivia games through VR, whether it’s a game show format like Fat Bottom Trivia or Music Trivia Party. Life commitments can make it difficult to gather for trivia night at physical location on a consistent basis. VR provides a broader scope of options for gameplay, whether it’s meeting under the same roof or linking up online via different residences. We have officially gone global, and already hosted players from countries around the world. So far, only in English... but 2019 has been a great year so far, and it ain't over yet! The social gaming element of VR takes your trivia battles beyond physical boundaries, pitting individuals and teams with competitors across the globe.Hop online and match wits with like-minded challengers from Rio de Janeiro, Nairobi, Hong Kong, Brussels. Pick your continent, and you’ll find a clash of intellects waiting. Even in your home region, where proximity prevents a physical gathering, online VR connects you with those you otherwise wouldn’t have met. This has already been accomplished in console gaming, such as with Madden tournaments. But the immense potential concerning the combination of VR and trivia games has become increasingly apparent. Now, the competitors themselves can act as the hosts and producers of virtual game shows. Imagine them establishing connections, organizing tournaments, and matching competitors with the level of difficulty they’d like to participate in. Additionally, the fresh range of competitors can increase the palette of questions, where game creators receive contributions from reputable competitors. What better experience is there than to walk away from a game learning something new because you competed with those from other nations and cultures? So you can have your Bigscreen experience, whether you’re on a business trip in your hotel room, at home with your kids, or gathered together at a VR tournament. When you can’t go to the studio, the studio comes to your eyes and your home. With a mind packed full of trivia, it’s time for you to don the head-mounted display and deploy all that knowledge. Good games, good friends, and even better topics are waiting!  "Selfie" Photo of Buckerooni and Everyone in "Buckerooni's Trivia Room" Using Bigscreen VR App for Occulus and Steam To find out more about these possibilities, please find us on our discord server: https://discord.gg/6cWTYq6
Written by Dusty Ramsbottom, February 4th, 2019
Valentine’s Day can either be a night to remember, or a complete pain in the kaboose. Well, I am here to tell you now, that IT CAN BE BOTH! 
Ok, so for those of you reading this who do not really know what we do here, we create game’s nights that kooky entertainers like myself can download and use at parties, weekly trivia nights, or even big event productions. Some are “Team” games like Fat Bottom Trivia, or there are games that are more fun as individuals, such as Music dobOFF or Triv81.
Many of the games were written by myself personally, but some have been written by some of the other experienced hosts within our community. If you ever have suggestions for new games, or special requests, just let me know! -> dustin@fatcityentertainment.com All the games have been tested in front of real audiences, and I know every game can be a great tool in your repertoire as an entertainer to create fun events, that people will remember and talk about for weeks after the fact. They are pretty much all family-friendly other than the slight innuendo here and there. In-yer-end-o.. Ha! 
We now have games prepared for pretty much all the big holidays, and here are my top picks for Valentine’s Day this year!
Game #1 - The Opening Act, “Girls Vs Boys” Music Bingo
Game #2 - Now Let’s Get Them On Their Feet, “Lust & Love” Game Show
Plug your computer into a big-screen, or even use Chromecast or Apple TV to mirror your screen, and you are ready for an interactive Jeopardy!-esque game show. Though these games are more interactive with extra side-games, and a final challenge. You’ll need Powerpoint or an equivalent to run the program.
(Check out Brian and Chris Jones from the Jones Zone Podcast host this game for their friends at Loom Coworking in Fort Mill, South Carolina) Game #3 - Music Trivia Party - “Turnt Up”
If you want to take it up a notch, finish off with an all-music trivia game. Give bonus points to the teams with high energy, dancing and participation. These games are based on old-school entertaining we used to do at the bars with only 2 cd players and a wireless microphone. We’ve since cleaned up the format and added the questions and side-games on the big-screen. But a good host knows how to work a room with any tools at their disposal.
Don’t forget to follow the music playlist for this game. Thanks for sticking through this read. If you want some more information on how to host your own kick-ass parties, here’s a secret code for a free download of the Host Handbook from the trivia store: host100 I like to give bonuses for those of us who focus and can see things through until the end. :)  Anybody who has been in the bar industry long enough knows it takes some tricks to maximizing bar tabs which will in turn maximize tips and overall revenue. Those can be easy (upselling, promoting shifts). The real trick is to maximize revenue while minimizing costs. One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that bar owners are spending WAY too much money on live entertainment. I was managing a beach bar in Southern California for years and day after day we are forking out hundreds if not thousands of dollars to bring in local bands. Add in the bands comp tabs, discounted food, is it really worth it? Is it paying off? I understand that maybe that's your shtick but for the rest of us where live music is a novelty or perhaps there just isn’t enough space in the venue, we need affordable alternatives.  There are lots of ways to cut costs around the bar but there’s no need to start seperating two ply into one ply just yet (for all you Dunder Mifflin fans out there). One of the quickest and cheapest ways of getting people in the door is trivia. It might sound simple but nowadays it's more popular than ever. Hosts are no longer that half-interested guy in the corner with a mic that sounds like an adult from Charlie Brown. People are teaming up all week long to find the best shows around, I have seen first hand the effects of a well put together trivia night and the volume of patrons it can attract. This, coupled with some drink specials and prize giveaways (you’d be surprised how many people will show up for free koozies) and you’re on your way to a full bar with an end of the night payout of less than 100 bucks. 4 Ways you can advertise and incentivise customers to come to your establishment, and be a part of your community.
 (photo of Ryan Henderson, Fat City Host) In every bar there is someone that is looking for a bit of fun & fast cash, start with offering $25 cash and a $25 bar tab for a few hours of work. That cook in the kitchen who is always singing and dancing or the barback that is overly friendly would be the perfect candidate to host. All you would have to do is buy some ready to go trivia games and a mic and start promoting. There are tons of trivia groups for you to join on FB and reddit. Look up trivia groups in the area and start pushing your “Tricky Tuesday Trivia”. Everybody loves a good band but let’s remind people of how fun it is to get drunk and play games with your friends! Thanks, This is Aly! if you have any additional tips and tricks feel free to leave them in the comments! :)  The Casual Pint, Rivergate, Charlotte NC  Hey trivia fans, music fans, fellow entrepreneurs, and entertainers! I’ve spoken quite a bit in this blog about how to use music bingo cards and game show presentations easily by downloading and presenting in front of live audiences wherever and whenever you choose. Now I’d like to speak more about the strategy behind such and event, and some reasons why you might find that a games night might be right for your group. Music Bingo & Game Show Trivia For Bars & Restaurant  My background is most prominently as a Restaurant Manager for a variety of different venues. One was a corporate franchise restaurant with over 70 locations across Canada. One a local’s type pool bar complete with foosball, darts, games, wing night, and the whole enchilada. Another was a tiki-bar in Costa Rica straight out of the Tom Cruise movie “Cocktail”, with not-so-coincidental similarities. I fact, I spent 20 years in the Food & Beverage industry before I really separated and focuses mainly on the Entertainment aspects, which I have grown to love so dear. The business strategies for each of these places were vastly different, but the one constant that travelled with me from location to location was a need for community, and a hole that could only be fed with Live Entertainment. My greatest moments at each of these venues was no doubt on nights when the ambiance was set perfectly, the kitchen staff were on their A-game, and the entertainment was running point. These nights were the whole motivation behind creating an easy-to-use line of Music dobOFF bingo cards, and Fat Bottom Trivia download-and-present game shows. There is more to successful entertainment than just having the right games on hand. People like playing pool and darts. This doesn’t mean that buy purchasing and installing a dart board or pool table means you will undoubtedly become a success. You must create an flow for your customers to know about your new additions, know about it ahead of time, plan for it, and then enjoy it fully. Then you want to ensure the nest event is already planned out, so they can continue the flow right into the next night. You don’t want to fatigue your guests either. Too many events of too much intensity will not be received as well with your loyal regulars, so spacing nights out appropriately can be important too.  Pillaring Your Week Of Entertainment And Food & Drink Specials One of my favorite new projects when consulting a new entertainment venue is appropriately “pillaring” the week’s events. This may be a new concept for you, so if I don’t explain it well enough here, please leave a comment below, or even shoot me an email, and we can discuss it further, and use direct examples from your business. I’m always available for our readers at dustin@fatcityentertainment.com.
Example 1: (Low entertainment budget)
This is a pretty basic style of entertainment pillaring with a budget that permits 3 nights of entertainment. You’ll notice that instead of going heavy on Thursday through Saturday, I have split the events up, and I’ll now explain a few of the reasons why… First, customer fatigue. Give your regulars some time to decompress, and discuss the next event at the water cooler before shoving another event at them. Loyal customers want to be a part of all the major events, and there is no reason they would have to stay away on nights that nothing is happening in between. On the contrary, I believe you will find heightened sales on nights such as Wednesdays and Fridays between events as well, when guests come back to reminisce about past events, pick up leftover vehicles (don’t drink and drive, people), and come back for the food and drink specials they noticed when they were at your last show. Example 2 Here, I’d like to actually use fun game examples to your weekly calendar that would work in almost any bar, restaurant, or other live entertainment venue. I’ll also add up the full expenses afterwards, but I will work with the assumption you are going to host the games yourself, or have one of your staff members host the games, that are already on paid salary. This will save you up to $300 per night in paying a local trivia company to host your games instead.
Game 1: “Body Parts” ($9.99) Game 2: “TV Theme Songs” ($9.99) These games are both classics. They can probably be used once a month and people will still love them!
Game: Fat Bottom Trivia “Wild Wild West” ($24.99)
This is a consistently overlooked error for many up-and-coming restaurants… They think “oh it’s Friday, people want to go out anyways, so let’s make the maximum amount per customer. Unfortunately, this is a short-lived philosophy. People will get fatigued quickly by over-paying on Fridays. My motto is: “Give the people what they want!” They will respect you for it, and become loyal on other days of the week. There is plenty of competition in town. Give your #1 on Fridays when you have maximum exposure to clients.
Game: Music Trivia Party - “Boy Bands & Divas” ($24.99)
Ok, so considering you were already running these food & drink specials, the games themselves only add up to less than $70 for the week. This gives you plenty of room to buy prizes for the top teams at 5 Below. And remember, when you buy these games, you can definitely use them more than once! Come back to them in a few months, and your entertainment budget will be even less. Of course, we’ll have some new games out by then, that we’ve tested in front of real audiences, as we do for all our games :) And I’m sure you’ll love them too. Thanks for listening! Please reach out and let me know what’s new in your area for entertainment, and how it’s working out with Music dobOFF bingo cards, and Fat Bottom Trivia! Dusty Ramsbottom Fat City Entertainment |
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