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A Preston quiz entrepreneur is ‘buzzing’ to be hosting quiz nights in his hometown for the first time.
Simon Wilson runs Hashtag Quiz, which uses software he built during the Covid pandemic to bring the traditional pub quiz into the 21st century.
Speaking to Blog Preston, quiz aficionado Simon said: “I understand the British passion for quizzes, and for me it’s not just a day job but a lifelong interest.
“The business works in many ways, from subscription to the software, to providing materials to hosts to save them time – all the way to providing a fully-trained quiz host with the software, marketing, social media, SEO, audio equipment etc.
“We have over 70 differently themed quizzes and 800 fully formed general knowledge quizzes in the database system so we can provide anything.
“The clever bit is the coding of the software whereby the host can see who, when and what has been typed as an answer in up to a millisecond. It’s a simple system once you know how to use it, and then it’s down to the quiz host to entertain their guests in the best way possible.”
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The Hashtag Quiz style is energetic and dynamic, with questions answered on a team member’s mobile device. This, combined with a 10-second counter and points for speed, reduces the opportunity to cheat, making it fair across all abilities.
Simon’s first foray into quizzes in Preston started on Thursday 1 August, when he took on a weekly spot at Chew’s Yard.
Simon said: “I got in touch with Chew’s Yard because – not only do I go there with my wife and friends socially anyway – but the space is perfect.
“I’m buzzing due to the success of the launch night, as well as it being my first Preston quiz. I have quizzes all over the country but not in my hometown, so the night was a thrill for me.
“We’ve created a social media group to share event details and offer bonus points to teams. It’s part of our aim to build a community within the venue, so people feel part of something.”
To find out more, join the Chew’s Yard Hashtag Quiz Facebook group.
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This story was made possible by you, our readers, and a host of organisations in the city, through our Crowdfund Lancashire appeal, which unlocked support from the Lancashire Culture and Sport Fund provided by Lancashire County Council. You can see all our coverage and, if you know of an arts project or event in the city we should be covering, you can submit it for our event listings and/or send details to [email protected] for us to cover it as a story on the Blog.
