Punch Taverns have launched their annual pub quiz and darts competitions for 2015, both of which rank as the largest competitions of their kind in the world.
With the Punch Darts Classic now in its twelfth year and the Carling Great British Pub Quiz in its fifth, Punch is looking to make this Spring and Summer the most successful ever for the respective events.
Weekend festival of darts
Last year’s darts competition saw over 1200 pubs take part in local heats, regional and national finals with the Blue Lion from Chelmsford emerging victorious at the national final at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, otherwise known as the ‘home of darts’.
This year will see further developments as Punch lay on a ‘weekend festival of darts’ once again at the Winter Gardens venue. The popular singles and team competitions will be the main event, and a new feature – the ‘licensee challenge’ – will see the landlord or lady of the finalist pubs going head to head on the Winter Gardens stage for a prize of £1000 towards trade building activity at their pub.
Carling Great British Pub Quiz
The Carling Great British Pub Quiz will also see local heats and regional finals with the national final being hosted by Mark Labatt, better known as ‘The Beast’ from ITV’s The Chase, playing quiz master at the Molineux Stadium in September.
Last year’s winners the Unusual Suspects, representing the Royal Oak in Kenilworth, won the £2000 prize with the pub also winning a celebrity quiz night attended by Mark Labatt, Shaun ‘The Barrister’ Wallace, also of The Chase, and a host of other celebrity quizzers.
Promoting footfall
Punch Taverns have seen year on year growth in both events and see the quiz and darts as a great opportunity to promote footfall in pubs at times when trade may otherwise be slower.
Punch Marketing Manager Stephen Martin said: “As the competitions have developed, we have seen more and more of our pubs become engaged with what we have to offer, creating the world’s largest individual competitions – an accolade we are very proud of.
“Last year we had over 2,200 of our pubs register for the events, equating to 8,000 potential trade building evenings in pubs where customers will be drinking, eating and having an experience which will make them more likely to return.
“That kind of activity in pubs, the attractive nature of the prizes on offer, and the prestigious finals mean our Partners keep taking part in greater numbers.”
Registration for both the Darts and Quiz competition is now open via the Punch Taverns Buying Club or via the Punch Taverns Contact Centre. The 27th March is the final date for registering.