OR54 - the pub quiz

It is a tradition of O.R. Society conferences that there is a pub quiz one evening.  This happened in Edinburgh on the first day of the conference and nearly a hundred people took part.  It is a pleasant way to spend the evening with friends.  At the end of the evening (when our team didn't win, but didn't come last either) I listened to several serious or semi-serious suggestions for the quiz night in OR55.  So:

• Try and make the questions accessible to an international gathering; there were at least 20 nationalities at OR54, and asking questions about literature meant that they were left out.
• Make sure that the bar has plenty of draught beer - the bar ran out part way through the evening!
• Have separate tables for each team - two teams to a table may lead to competition, but it is distracting.
• Don't take the competition too seriously.
• Have prizes which can be shared with the losers - boxes of chocolates and sweets are ideal

At OR33 we ran an alternative event to the pub quiz when I booked a harpsichord maker and performer to give a recital and talk about his craft.