From the Stevens Point Journal April 18, 2004:

Trivia a boon to business

By Susan Kampmeier
Central Wisconsin Sunday

What's Trivia's impact on central Wisconsin's economy?
The answer is so unknown it could be part of the Trivia 35 lineup. Except, of course, that it's anything but trivial for the region's hotels and businesses that sell gas, groceries or a good night's sleep to the players who came to Stevens Point and surrounding areas for the world's largest trivia contest this weekend.

Officials know about 10,000 players take part each year, but figuring out what that means for the economy is a different story, said Tom Barrett, executive director of the Stevens Point Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"We really don't have a formula to gauge the economic impact, because it's so unique in the activities that they do and the amount of time they spend in the trivia contest, not partaking in what a normal tourist would do," Barrett said. "But it's very safe to say there's a significant economic impact."

Many participants are residents, and many team members who travel in to play stay with family and friends rather than booking hotels, Barrett said. The 54-hour continuous contest started at 6 p.m. Friday and wraps up at midnight tonight.

"Because they go at it straight, they're not out in the community spending money," Barrett said. "Conversely, they do spend money in the form of ordering in fast food, pizzas, going places where snacks can be purchased. The Kwik Trip next to us will be nutso busy."
Wayne Semmerling's Trivia preparation involved more than a half-dozen trips for groceries. Semmerling will feed about 35 people over the course of the weekend at the Cakers team headquarters in Stevens Point, and they'll dine in style. The lengthy menu contains about 18 dishes.

"I get some funny looks when I buy 15 cans of tomatoes and six bags of celery stalks," Semmerling said.

All those groceries add up fast. Semmerling estimates he spends about $1,500 on food and supplies each year. Cakers members chip in about $40 apiece to cover the cost of the weekend's meals, he said.

"Easily, I'd say we bring an impact of about $5,000, when you start adding it up," Semmerling said. "Everyone is coming through, grabbing a case of beer, a case of pop, chips, running around during the weekend when someone has a feeling to buy something."

While the contest is based in Stevens Point, several dozen teams set up shop out of town, including in the Amherst, Marshfield, Wisconsin Rapids and Wausau areas, contest co-writer Jim "Oz" Oliva said.

Brody Knutson plays for Hey Martha, What's Your Cell Number? The team of family and friends, which is about 35 strong at its peak, gathers at his Wood County town of Saratoga home for Trivia weekend.
"I'd imagine we drop a couple to three hundred dollars," Knutson said. "Definitely, we notice the jump in the electric bill."
And then there's the much-needed fuel for hungry players: groceries.

"People that come over usually bring something to pass, but we usually cook up a main meal every day," Knutson said.
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point alumnus Gary La Vake, Wisconsin Rapids, plays on the team Underwear With Special Powers. The team played out of Wisconsin Rapids for its first year, but now has its home base in the town of Linwood.

A recent Trivia-related shopping trip he made to Dairy State Cheese raised the checker's eyebrows when it came time to pack and tally his purchases.

"I went to the Rudolph cheese factory and loaded up on the hot pepper cheese," La Vake said. "We kind of go all out."

Fewer than a third of Semmerling's team live in Stevens Point. The rest buy gas to drive here, or buy tickets to fly in for the weekend, coming this year from as far away as Florida and France, Semmerling said. Many of those travelers also make hotel reservations, he said.

That's the case of Finding Neebins, which bases its operations out of Elizabeth Inn, Plover, said member Tom Mathias, Marshfield. The team rents a block of about eight guest rooms plus a huge conference room, which serves as trivia headquarters.

"We spend a lot of money, but Trivia is only once a year," Mathias said. The team's tab includes conference and guest room fees, as well as reference materials they purchase all year and food.