York-based pub quiz technology firm SpeedQuizzing, which was founded by the Shed Seven drummer, sees revenues rise

The York-based firm, which creates and sells software used by publicans and entertainment professionals to host interactive, fast-paced in-venue and online pub quizzes, has seen demand for its quiz activations and digital question packs soar in the first half of 2022.

Phil Qua, operations manager at SpeedQuizzing, said: “We’re finding that pubs and bars are increasingly turning to quizzes rather than live sport to drive footfall and sales on traditionally quieter nights of the week.

“This, coupled with more pubs embracing tech to deliver new entertainment and experiences, has meant we’ve seen a real surge in demand for our software, with SpeedQuizzing events more popular than ever after the Covid-enforced hiatus.”

SpeedQuizzing recorded record revenues of £430,000 over the first six months of this year - a 120 per cent increase on the same period last year and just 25 per cent less than the revenue the company achieved over the whole of 2021.

Its online platform and app are now used in pubs and bars to host approximately 1,200 quizzes every week – with a further 300 weekly quizzes running in over 40 countries, including the USA, Australia and South Africa.

SpeedQuizzing is on track to become a million-pound business by the end of this year – with the second half of the year, buoyed by student entertainment programmes, expected to be even stronger than the first.

The firm cites the fightback in the hospitality and entertainment sectors following a challenging two years as being the main trigger behind the surge in demand it has seen - with publicans increasingly looking at how tech can revolutionise their entertainment programmes to offer new experiences and attract more customers.

Mark Pinckney, landlord of The Deramore Arms in York, said: “From taking the faff out of preparing for and hosting quizzes, through to driving some of our biggest crowds of the week, SpeedQuizzing has transformed our pub quiz night.

“Since we started hosting SpeedQuizzing nights in 2018, we’ve seen a huge swell in the number of people coming down to take part and we’re now at the point where we’re averaging about 16 teams and close to 100 people every time.”

SpeedQuizzing, which has a team of question writers creating hundreds of new questions every week across 61 different topic areas, was founded by brothers Alan and John Leach in 2011.

The business recently launched its first-ever national advertising campaign, in partnership with TV’s Paul Sinha, aimed at helping more people to find their nearest smartphone pub quiz.

Drumming out cheating

Alan Leach is best known as the drummer with British indie band Shed Seven.

Mr Leach was inspired to create the business after growing disenchanted with the amount of cheating that mobile phones brought into the traditional pub quiz.

“People have always cheated at pub quizzes, even before mobile phones,” he said.

Mr Leach added: “You even heard stories of people who had encyclopedias in the boot of the car.”

The firm began more as a hobby in 2004 during a period in which Shed Seven had effectively ceased as a band.