Skip to main content

Outside interest: quiz nights

Written by: Jez Abbott
Published on: 13 Jun 2014
Category:

Quiz night

GVA graduate planner and member of the South West Young Planners, Tristan Dewhurst, talks about his interest in organising quiz nights.

How did you get into quiz nights?

I got together with other members of the South West Young Planners because I was keen to find a social outlet for young planners that was friendly and informal. It took off; we get between 20 and 30 people from consultancies, local authorities, students and academics for each quiz night. Key to success are my allies: Charlotte Taylor, associate planner at Turley and Veronica Barbaro at Atkins.

What does it involve?

Running quizzes calls for a fair amount organisation. We take it in turns to be quiz master and make up our own questions, which include a planning round. After lots of emailing and publishing of details, things start to come together, especially as we are now beginning to enjoy a strong word-of-mouth reputation.

Why do you do it?

I enjoy participating with young planners and am a bit of a know-it-all. It's fun to organise and, just occasionally, fun to call the shots. There's a serious side too: we raise money for charities including Planning Aid and Shelter. 

What’s the toughest thing about it?

From time to time someone challenges an answer, which can be awkward, especially if it's a question from a planning round.

What’s the most rewarding thing about it?

The camaraderie, seeing people come together from a wide range of backgrounds within planning just to have fun without it being about CPD, networking or making business connections is very refreshing.

Are there any similarities between your day job as a planner and hosting quizzes?

Planning involves a wide knowledge base and the need to make informed decisions; there's some kind of connection here with setting and doing quizzes. But it's more the fact that you need hobbies and interests away from the workplace, and this gets a top score on that front.

Pic shows quiz host Barbaro (centre) and Dewhurst (right)

Do you have any unusual interests or hobbies that you would like to tell us about? If so, please email planning@haymarket.com