Corporate events with brains

WW: For two years now, you have been racing the remote-controlled Helldriver cars to liven up corporate events. Now there is a new game show called "Supergrips". Is this a development program for the gifted?
Manuel Angelini: No, Supergrips is a kind of quiz show. It works as follows: Various questions are projected onto a screen, which the participants can answer using a voting device. Around six to eight people are given such a device together. They have to put their heads together and discuss in order to select a solution together. This immediately leads to a lively exchange. There is a different constellation of people at each table, all of whom have different levels of knowledge. They complement each other. The questions are colorful, funny and always asked with a wink, for example: "What do women in northern Siberia throw at men to flirt? Popcorn, chicken droppings, slugs, icicles." One of the answers is actually correct. The show is hosted by comedy presenter Antonio Caradonna, who welcomes the guests, instructs them on how to use the voting machines and performs show interludes between the voting rounds. Our pianist Mr. Simonetti also accompanies the questions with appropriate melodies, and from time to time the songs themselves become the subject of riddles. And at the end, of course, there is an award ceremony for the cleverest minds.

What is the idea behind the quiz show?
We try to activate the guests at events. Because events often have the same routine: Overlong speeches, cloned aperitifs and artists that you've usually seen somewhere before. At some tables, a conversation gets going at some point, at others there are extreme communication barriers, people talk about the weather and the daily press. We want to break that down. The quiz questions can also spark a conversation after the show - even if it's about flirting habits. In any case, the ice has already been broken between the people at the table. If the guests get an introduction like this, if they have laughed and marveled together, it gives the evening a completely different feel.

The whole thing sounds like Trivial Pursuit interactive. So the idea is not entirely brand new ...
That's right, the concept of the show is nothing earth-shattering. We are actually just combining voting software with a game show. Nevertheless, there is no show that can compare with Supergrips - and above all, there is no show that was designed to liven up corporate events, presentations or trade fairs and get people talking to each other.

Where did you get all the questions - and above all the answers to them?
My business partner Caradonna and I spent three quarters of a year putting them together ourselves, and in some cases we even invented them. We did an incredible amount of research to compile the stock of questions for various categories. We now have around 300 questions. If a company books us, they can also customize the questions and we are happy to supplement ours with questions of their choice. For an anniversary, for example, we could weave in questions about the company's history, or collect information about employees at an employee event and develop questions from this, such as: "Which of our employees has ever been to the Himalayas?" If we know which target group the event is aimed at, we compile the questions accordingly. At very serious events, you may not be able to come across as too funny, but people always appreciate it when something unexpected happens and an event has a little more spice than usual. Such events are remembered.

So Supergrips is intended for customer and employee events ...
First and foremost, yes. But you can also use Supergrips for product presentations, advertising campaigns, marketing events, award ceremonies, to attract people to your trade fair stand or as a substitute for boring speeches in which information is to be presented. Why not combine a speech with a game? Knowledge can be conveyed with Supergrips in the same way as with a speech, but it will probably be remembered better. We have already considered offering Supergrips as a public game show, for example at the Casinotheater Winterthur. People pay admission and can then play along, individually or as a team, an evening of games en masse. That could be exciting.

What about events in a more critical context? Would Supergrips also be suitable for lightening up the already tense atmosphere at an event to mark a company takeover?
Absolutely, I can imagine that. However, the strong comedy aspect of the show and the overly jokey questions would have to be toned down so that employees don't get the feeling that the company is trying to make something unpleasant funny. It's a balancing act that requires a sure instinct. But Supergrips is perfect for gauging moods, finding out where the company stands and where there are problems - because you can of course also simply ask factual questions, even individual surveys are possible. Questions such as: "Is what was announced before the merger congruent with the situation six months on?" are conceivable. As the survey is anonymous, people will certainly answer very honestly. You could also split the show into two parts. In the first, you ask the more serious questions that serve to paint a picture of the mood. In the second, funny questions are asked and it's all about fun and entertainment. It would be extremely appealing to tackle such critical topics with Supergrips.

How many people can take part in Supergrips?
20 to 2,000 people of all ages. At the moment we own 100 voting machines, but we can hire more if required.

How did you come up with the idea for the brain quiz?
We have been offering the "Helldriver" game show for two years now, where you can race with remote-controlled cars. Like Supergrips, Helldriver is perfect for employee or customer events, but is also suitable for promotions. For example, we accompanied the launch of the new Audi A 1 with our vehicles. Now we also wanted to offer a game show for the brain that is just as much fun as Helldriver and that can be integrated into the setting of a gala dinner or a small employee event without a great deal of technical and organizational effort. This is how the idea for Supergrips came about. Of course, the two game shows can also be perfectly combined.

How far in advance do I have to book Supergrips?
As we only need a small amount of technical equipment, we are ready for action very quickly. A lead time of two weeks is sufficient if it's just about pure entertainment. However, if we are also to develop individualized questions for our client, a little more time would not be a bad thing. It also makes sense for us to find out what goal our client is pursuing with the event and what they want to communicate. Then we can tailor Supergrips to these concerns.

Have you already been able to liven up events with the game?
Yes, after a test with 30 friends and acquaintances, which went very well, we have already organized an event for a St. Gallen law firm, but without music and moderation. But even this lean version was very well received by the 200 or so employees and customers. We have already received inquiries from Coop and Siemens, who were very interested in using Supergrips for employee training. And two other companies have already announced that they want to do something with Supergrips. We are very excited to see how things develop.

And what does it cost to test the Supergrips of your customers or employees?
Of course, this depends on how much company-specific text work is required. The basic version costs around CHF 7,000 per event. For this, our client receives between 20 and 90 minutes of entertainment, in several blocks if desired. This depends on the organization of the rest of the evening. If Supergrips is combined with a classic dinner, I would recommend two blocks before and after the main course. The show should not be too long, short and crisp is better.

Interview: Anne-Friederike Heinrich

Contact
Manuel Angelini
Agency for Emotion
Martinsbruggstrasse 35
9016 St. Gallen
Phone: +41 71 280 20 92
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.supergrips.ch, www.helldriver.ch