SQ Host Interview: Owen Andrew

Name? (and company you operate for if you do)

Owen Andrew (thesmartphonequiz.co.uk)

Where do you live?

Stotfold, Bedfordshire

Are you a DJ and if so where do you DJ?

I am, and have been for 27 years! I work all over the home counties north of London. 90% of my work is weddings, but I love the challenge and variety of doing all kinds of events.

How did you find out about SpeedQuizzing?

A Facebook friend posted about his SpeedQuizzing gig on Facebook a couple of years ago, and I clicked the link. I’d never heard of it before and was blown away by the amazing concept!

Which venues do you host quizzes at?

I’ve hosted quizzes at a few pubs in London, but due to their companies’ restrictions on posters and every kind of advertising, they haven’t taken off as well as I’d have liked. No one will go to any event they don’t know about! That bit has been a learning curve for me, in terms of which venues NOT to target. The one venue that advertises very well has been extremely successful, and I still do SpeedQuizzing nights there now after two years!

How long have you been hosting quizzes?

About two and a half years

How long have you been using the SpeedQuizzing software?

The same amount of time; I never hosted quiz nights until I discovered SpeedQuizzing.

Favourite Quiz team name?

Any rude one that is a challenge to pronounce in a non-rude way! So far, the biggest challenge has been Hugh G Rection, and Mike Hunt.

Which of your venues is the most popular?

By far it has to be The Queens Arms in Barnet. It’s a great locals pub, and as well as the regulars we seem to get a few new teams each time we play.

Which of your venues is the rowdiest / best atmosphere?

Again, The Queens Arms. It’s a great atmosphere, considering Londoners are usually so reserved!

If you could host a quiz anywhere where would it be?

That’s a hard one, I couldn’t say at a major sports ground as I have absolutely zero interest in sports of any kind, but I’d be happy if I could host a quiz at one large pub in every town near me.

What’s your favourite thing about SpeedQuizzing?

The speed and tension of teams having to answer in such a short time, and the sheer variety of ways to play which you just can’t have in a pen and paper quiz.

Do you use any unique rounds / ideas / features of your own or do you just stick to the SpeedQuizzing format?

I post a picture on my Facebook and Twitter pages for teams to identify in order to get 10 bonus points for each before we start the quiz. This helps me to gain more “likes” and “follows” and get the word out there about SpeedQuizzing. I also have one themed music round per quiz, for example each song clip features a body part in its title, or a colour, etc. This makes it slightly harder than just identifying the artist, which I do in the other music round.

Any tips for people wanting to host quizzes?

Be lively! SpeedQuizzing requires, nay, DEMANDS that the teams whoop, holler and cheer for themselves and each other. If you’re not a lively host, you can’t expect them to be lively participants!