THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!
by Carrie Powell-Davidson

Under the B, “Can’t Get No Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones. 
BINGO! 
Bingo? Yes, Bingo. Music Bingo. That’s what entertains guests at the Hop and Vine Pub in Burnaby. Manager Don Taylor explains how standard bingo cards are used but instead of numbers, hit songs and the bands that made them famous are under the letters. He says his guests love it, and he’s even looking into creating Canuck bingo. “Under the O, Canucks Win The Stanley Cup!”

Creating your own games or any activity to entertain guests is not so far fetched. Take a great idea and tweak it to fit your establishment. As a fun way to test my bartending students’ knowledge, I created a game called “Drink Trivia”. It was a lot more fun than the standard written exam. However, before spending any time or money filling up the activity calendar, there are a few factors to consider:

Entertaining Guests 101
1. Do the basics well first - “We sell good food and alcohol at a good price point with great service.” Don Taylor calls this his “simple formula” and if that isn’t right, he doesn’t waste money anywhere else until it is.
2. Understand why we entertain - The reasons to provide guests with entertainment may vary from pub to pub, but basically, people go to a pub to have fun. If they are not having fun, they go home or to another bar. Give them some fun and they stay. Make it really fun and they will come back, hopefully with more friends. Another bonus is that if people are involved in an interactive activity (dancing, for example) they are less likely to exhibit signs of intoxication. This impresses the inspectors and that’s fun too.

3. Research successful activities - Talk to your guests and find out what they like to do. Your staff is another great resource. This could be tied in with a staff incentive program if you pay for them to go out to other bars and report back their findings. Networking at hospitality conventions, trade shows, and even chamber meetings can net some ideas. The Internet is full of businesses that make it their business to research entertainment. Check out www.teclink.net/promonetwork, www.barmedia.com, and locally, www.extremebartending.com. The American Mixologist Newsletter may also have some ideas. Just like hiring bands, when you check out a few providers, the rest will find you. Of course, industry publications such as the one you’re reading are always full of the latest trends. Perhaps the most fun way to find fun is to get out there yourself and have some fun!

4. Be consistent and persistent - Giving up too soon is the #1 killer of entertaining ideas. Many operators try out a new activity and if it’s not successful right away they cancel it. Guests need to know they can rely on your program and that takes about 8 weeks minimum. For every 10 new ideas, there may be only 1 that works, and you just may be surprised what it is that clicks with your patrons.

A Few Ideas to Entertain
With a reputation as being leading edge when it comes to promotional ideas, the Hop and Vine has a few success stories up their beer sleeve. They recently married 50-inch TV screens with Wii games. Four people can golf, box or play tennis at one time and it’s free. Taylor says this has gone over really well. Another investment that has paid off is the installation of 16 LCD and plasma high definition TVs, making the Hop and Vine a great place to watch a sporting event.

The Flying Beaver Pub on Richmond’s riverfront gets its name from the seaplanes that fly in and out of its front yard all day. Seven years ago, they tried the game “Name That Tune” and it proved so popular that it now occupies the Saturday evening time slot. “It’s the most fun you’ll have in a bar,” says manager Paddy Gallagher, Teams compete for prizes by identifying the artists and their songs in a variety of ways. The Flying Beaver livens up its weekends by bringing in DJs for Friday and Sunday nights. While the pay-per-view Canucks games coupled with great food specials are popular too, Paddy says that it’s their scenery that is the main entertainment. “We’re located on the Fraser River and floatplanes are landing and taking off right in front of us.”
Television is a great generator of ideas. Watch the trendy programs and then brainstorm with your staff to determine how they might work in your pub.

So, You Think You Can Dance? - Contract with a local dance school to come in and offer lessons, do demos or judge. Pair up patrons with local celebrities.

America’s Got Talent - Substitute the name of your pub for the word “America” and invite folks to compete for the Talented Tippler Award. Partner up with local businesses and offer some great prize incentives. Maybe challenge other pubs in the community to hold their own talent competition and then have your winner go up against their winner. By having the patrons be a part of the judging process, your competitors will fill the bar. To ensure participation, it might be a good idea to have your talent sign up and pay a small fee. Offer these proceeds to charity and earn some free advertising.

Game shows - These have made a comeback and some of them might work in a pub atmosphere. The Dating Game, Family Feud, and Wheel of Fortune have formats that are entertaining and feasible. 

Karaoke and jam sessions - How about taking what you already do and twisting it around a bit? Karaoke can now become “Don’t Forget The Lyrics.” Saturday afternoon jams can be turned into “So, You Wanna be a Rock Star”. Invite musicians, the young and the established to share the stage and learn from each other. This has worked well in Nanaimo as the musicians spent the afternoon learning from another and then put on a performance in the evening. Some new bands were formed, giving the area more entertaining options. And speaking of live entertainment, opening up your stage as a performance venue for music students is an affordable option that supports your community image. Sure, students are poor, but they need a place to play and you need some entertainment. Besides you never know, you could be promoting the next Bryan Adams or Diana Krall.

Olympics, pub-style - With the Olympics just around the corner, why not offer up your own version? With such exciting events as “Sumo Wrestling”, “Dress Your Partner With Boxing Gloves On” or “Tricycle Races”, your guests become the entertainment.

Golf, anyone? - How about a progressive golf tourney? You set up the first seven holes at neighbouring pubs, and yours has the 8th and 9th. This way, after a tough day on the course, you get to be the final shot. 

Now, that’s entertainment!