B2 Excited About Bingo

My daughter went to a private elementary school. Part of our obligation as parents was to serve on a Sunday at the local VFW for Bingo Night as a way to raise funds for our PTO (parent-teacher organization). Have you experienced one of these events? These ladies are cut-throat! There were a few men there too, but by and large, elderly, Catholic ladies gathered for hard-core games. I thought I was going to hand out bingo cards and blotters to cute, little, old ladies for the night. Boy was I wrong!

The players clearly come to Bingo on a regular basis. They had their seat where they set up shrines around themselves; stuffed animals from friends or family members, trinkets they’ve won, and photos of loved ones all designed to bring them luck. Different colored blotters were lined up with precision so they could be snatched at a moment’s notice. And before the first ball rolled down the chute, players were purchasing six, seven, and eight game boards from the volunteers hand-over-fist.

Between the bingo calling, we also walked around selling $1.00 scratch-off instant game tickets. I couldn’t believe how popular these were. Players would fling their hands up in the air and holler “here” and expected the closest parent to run over with a string of game tickets at the ready. As soon as someone won a little cash, you could expect to quickly be summoned to provide these fun-and-yet-mostly-disappointing cards.

During the breaks there were hotdogs, granola bars, bags of chips, and other random snacks available at a snack bar. I can’t imagine who planned something like this every week. They clearly had dialed in what the players wanted and how much because all of the food was gone by the end of the night and everyone was happy. There were the right number of old wooden folding tables, metal folding chairs, and volunteers to hand out game boards and instant tickets. It had become a well-oiled machine.

I got to reminiscing about this crazy volunteer requirement from yesteryear because I recently ran into another unusual bingo experience. My sister and I were sitting in one of our favorite lunch spots overlooking her city. It’s a very eclectic place with what looks like a garden terrace but indoors. The restaurant is on the top floor with a glass ceiling so you feel like you’re outside. The tables and chairs are wooden like old patio furniture and there’s a huge tree in the center behind the big round bar.

As we were having lunch, a couple started to set up what looked like an acoustic show. We were having a late lunch and had been talking so long we didn’t realize it was getting to be happy hour. The gentleman was setting up a couple of free-standing microphones and speakers. The woman was getting a guitar and keyboard ready. They were peculiarly dressed as if they were going to break into a Cabaret show instead of an acoustic music set at a bar.

Once settled, they started handing out bingo cards to everyone in the bar and adjacent rooms. These folks were colorful and engaging and full of energy. We were enjoying ourselves just watching them get set up for what could only be a fun song and drink bingo game. Other colorful characters soon arrived and the event ensued. Sadly, we had to go or we’d have stayed to participate, if even just as spectators. I can only imagine what went on there that night. I won’t elaborate but it makes me smile every time I think about it.

I think bingo is a lost art. In the event world, at least in my experience, we’ve relegated it to a networking, ice-breaking exercise to get people mingling. Guests have to interact with each other to find out who has what type of experience or where they’re from, all the while attempting to gather their names and occupations in an effort to win a prize. I’ve also used it to encourage attendance and participation on a trade show floor. Event attendees win various prizes from vendors or the host organization based on the number of interactions they have and the patterns on their bingo cards. Both are effective but both lack the fun of hearing the ball tumbler spin, a ball roll down the shoot, and someone yell out the familiar bingo numbers, eventually followed by an attendee yelling “bingo!”

Wouldn’t it be fun just to plan an actual bingo game night? One with numbers and a ball tumbler, and blotters, and stuffed animals, and snacks? And of course prizes. Hmmmm….

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