Question: Wherever you are in Edmonton, there’s likely a pub hosting a trivia night near you?
TRUE
FALSE
To readers who answered true: congratulations, you are correct. There’s a good chance that said quiz night will be hosted by Curtis Dominique’s company, Tipsy Trivia.
“It’s the only company in Canada to offer pen-and-paper, digital and hybrid events,” Dominique says. While Tipsy Trivia runs events from British Columbia to New Brunswick, it was started right here in Edmonton eight years ago. Dominique became the owner and director of operations in 2021. An event company specializing in hosting quiz nights, Tipsy Trivia covers nearly everything an establishment might need — from supplying the questions and handling how answers are submitted, to providing a host to run the quiz night.
The method by which the company delivers the quizzes — pen and paper or smartphone — changes the way the game is played. Pen and paper is friendlier for groups, getting in answers at a slower pace and allowing for more deliberation between players. The downside? A team of regulars is often the winner. When it comes to digital quizzes, they’re faster paced, sometimes having a time limit of 30 seconds for answering. It means the questions move along and anyone can win, but it’s less collaborative.
Dominique leaves it up to the venue to choose what style its patrons will like best. “You either love digital or hate it. You either love pen and paper or you hate it. And this is where we’re finding now that we cater to both crowds; we’re expanding to more locations,” he says.
Tipsy Trivia has around 1,000 general knowledge quizzes, about 500 themed quizzes and some name-that-tune music quizzes on top of both. Dominique says the team typically creates five new quizzes a month and tries to build in inclusivity, like a rock versus country music trivia game so that fans of either genre will be able to play.
Some themes, like anything Taylor Swift related, will sell out to the point that venues will have to start turning people away. “Now we’re actively telling our guests to make a reservation, even booking on Eventbrite doesn’t hold a seat,” Dominique says. “It has just started to get busier and busier and busier.”
The event business handles all the marketing for a trivia night too, creating posters and online event pages to get the word out. There have also been times when beer companies, Molson Canadian and Labatt Brewing Company, have partnered with Tipsy Trivia and the venue to create marketing materials and provide prizes for quiz winners.
Tipsy Trivia hosts events at Blowers and Grafton on Whyte Avenue; Boston Pizza locations on Whyte Ave, in Kingsway Mall and in St. Albert; EVO and The Druid near downtown; both Edmonton Rec Room locations; Mimi’s Pub on 40 Avenue; and Smitty’s in Leduc. Dominique says trivia events are coming soon to MKT Fresh Food & Beer Market.
“I love it. I get to do my absolute favourite thing,” he says of hosting the events. “Maybe it’s a performer’s attitude that I’ve had for a long time. Seeing people enjoying themselves means so much.”
