World Quizzing Championships - June 7 - Denver, LA, NYC, etc

[TheConfessor]

I'm planning to take the World Quiz in Arvada, Colorado in two weeks. I invite everyone here to join me, if it's reasonably convenient for you to get there. Most of what you need to know is in the blurb below, but if you have any questions about it, just ask. The quiz is free. It will have an international perspective, trying to achieve balance for participants around the world. I expect it to be hard, but I don't think anyone on this board would be embarrassed by their score, as long as they have realistic expectations. Those British quizzers are hard core. In recent years, the maximum possible score has been 210, and the scores have ranged from maybe around 20 right to about 170 right, with an average maybe around 75, so you have to be very good just to get half the questions right.

Anyway, most people find it fun, or at least interesting. There are no prizes other than bragging rights and the chance to meet some good people.

I hear that Chicago and New York may also have quiz sites, but the only confirmed cities I've seen in North America are Denver and Ottawa.

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World Quizzing Championships
Saturday June 7th
0900 to 1200

ARVADA JAYCEES HALL
5640 YUKON ST
ARVADA, COLORADO 80002-2446
RSVP's REQUESTED TO WQC.Colorado@gmail.com
more info at www.wqc2008.com

What are the World Quizzing Championships?

A quiz tournament for individuals with a variety of material from across the globe in terms of difficulty, timeframe, and spatial/geographic distribution drawn from a number of academic and popular culture categories. The questions are translated to a variety of languages for use in the 25+ countries that are taking part at roughly the same time on Saturday June 7th, 2008.

How does it work?

Players have 120 minutes to attempt 240 written questions. These are printed in English for North America, some are accompanied by snippets of sound or pictures which will be printed and projected when facilities permit. The quiz is taken in two parts with a short break in between. No access to reference materials or any other assistance is permitted.

Each half of the quiz covers four of the eight 'Genres' (categories) used by the International Quizzing Assoc. ('IQA'). A genre comprises 30 questions and makes up a separate contest in its own right - a bit like the individual elements of the Olympic Gymnastic tournament.

A player's finishing place is decided by reference to the aggregate of their best 7 scores from the 8 genres. Players drop their lowest score, this only being referenced in order to settle a tie. The player with the best aggregate score will become the 2008 World Quizzing Champion on a national and/or international basis.

What are the questions about?

As the IQA's 8 genres encompass all areas of knowledge it follows that the quiz is very wide ranging - everything from Anchorage, Alaska to Michael Caine in 'Zulu'. The 8 genres are:-

Culture: including Architecture, Fine Arts, Philosophy, Museums, Religion, Mythology

Entertainment: including Music (Classical, Blues, Film Score, Jazz, Rock, World), Ballet, Musicals and Operas, Radio, Television

History: including Ancient and Modern, Current Affairs, Exploration, Famous People, Historic Civilizations

Lifestyle: including Costume, Design, Fashion, Food & Drink, Handicrafts, Health & Fitness, Human Body, New Age Beliefs, Products & Brands, Tourism

Media: including Movies (old & new), Literature, Poetry, Drama, Comic books, Language

Sciences: including Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Social Sciences, Fauna & Flora, Physical geography

Sport: Track and Field, Team Sports, Motor Sports, Winter Sports, Olympics, Equestrian Sports, Games, Hobbies & Passtimes, Sporting Records

World: Human Geography, Cities, Space travel, Technology, Transport, Inventions

Are there any house rules?

There are only points for correct answers, no penalty for wrong answers. It's not a spelling test, answers which are phonetically close are good enough. Answers required will be short and where a person's name is required, unless stated, a surname is good enough.

Players are allowed to take an impromptu break during the 60 minute duration of each half (though no 'time outs' are allowed - other than in exceptional circumstances, see below) during which they can visit the toilet, go for a smoke etc., but during this time they must not consult with other players about answers, use telephones or computers, etc..

When you have finished all the questions you can answer, you may leave your seat. However, we ask you to respect the need for other players still quizzing to be free of distractions.

Papers will be swapped with another player for marking at the end of each 60 minute half. After marking you will get your paper back and you have 5 minutes to check you agree with the marking/score. Disputes must be referred to your proctor in this time. Please indicate which answer(s) you are querying with a large "?" question mark. The proctor will provide official adjudication on the matter, in some cases in consultation with national or international IQA representatives. The proctor's decision is final.

Your checker should then copy your scores into the table on the cover sheet. If you agree with their marking, sign next to the score(s) to show your approval. Your complete script should then be handed in. Once this has been done, no further discussions will be entered into about your score. The score signed for will be considered to be correct. Scripts will be returned once the officials have logged your scores etc..

Your score will be determined from your best 7 out of 8 categories. In the event of a tie, the score you dropped from your lowest scoring genre will be taken into consideration. If there is still a tie, the person with the highest score in any single genre will win. If there is still a tie the player whose next best genre score is highest (and so on) will be deemed the winner.

In the event of any unprecedented occurrence or unforeseen circumstances arising in the course of the quiz, the proctor may give a ruling on the matter and their decision shall be final.

[Bob Juch]

Well that would be a good reason to also go see my daughter, granddaughters and great-grandchildren, but it would be enough trouble just to get into New York City. Let us know if there's going to be a site there, please.

[ulysses5019]

Have they ever had a venue in LA?

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

It sounds like fun, except for its the day after Emma's 6th Grade Class' Gala Promotion Party, which I am in charge of with one of my friends. I suspect that I will be tired and not feel like traveling.

[TheConfessor]

Have they ever had a venue in LA?

No, but if you know of a good place that can host it in LA, I'm sure Paul Bailey would be glad to talk to you about it. One of the potential problems is that they have to do it at approximately the same time around the world, so on the west coast, I think it would have to start by 8 a.m.

But if you'd like to participate and think you could arrange someone reliable to host, and round up at least a few people to take the test, let Paul know you're interested. If Bob Harris is around, he'd probably take the test. You probably know others in LA who would like to do it.

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

Ed, when you hosted, did know everyone who came to your house?

[TheConfessor]

Ed, when you hosted, did know everyone who came to your house?

I hosted the "Transatlantic Quiz" at my house in March for only five people. They were folks I knew from a local pub quiz, plus one guy who was a regular poster on the Ken Jennings message board. I did it at home because there were no suitable public venues available during the South By Southwest music/film festival.

The Transatlantic Quiz is like a less formal version of the World Quiz, started to introduce people to that type of quizzing. They were less hung up on the test administration, so they didn't mind if the test proctor also took the quiz, which is what I did. For the world quiz, they're more stringent about eliminating any appearance of impropriety, so the proctor is not allowed to also take the quiz.

So getting back to your question, for the TQ, it was publicly announced that I would be hosting a TQ quiz site in Austin, and I created a new gmail address for people to contact me, but the location was not publicly announced, so strangers couldn't just show up. If you thought you could round up several locals to participate, including a proctor, and an appropriate venue (library conference room, private room at a club or restaurant, maybe a private home, etc.) then there's still time to make that happen in the next few days.

[SportsFan68]

Good luck, all y'all.

[TheConfessor]

I'm bumping this thread in case anyone missed it the first time. I'll be headed to Denver on Friday and taking the World Quiz in Arvada on Saturday morning. Anyone who wants to join us, please do.

[TheConfessor]

I just got word that there will be 5 USA locations for the World Quiz this Saturday, though the details are still a little sketchy. I know some folks in Southern California were interested, and it appears that someone is taking the ball and hosting a site in LA, but all I have is a contact name, not the location. I'm heading to Denver on Friday, so if you live somewhere near Denver, D.C., L.A., New York, or Chicago and would like to participate, here's what you need to know. I guess they figure that if you're smart enough to take the quiz, you'll be smart enough to know where it's being held in these cities. I'll pass along any additional info when it becomes available.

By the way, the contact in L.A., Jim Newman, is the producer of "What's My Line Live," and a member of Network, the perennial champions of the 54 hour Stevens Point Trivia Marathon in Wisconsin.

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UPDATES - The quiz will take place in LA, NYC, and DC some way some how - the contact info for LA has been established even if a site has not

LOS ANGELES - EVENT ON - SITE PENDING
contact jimnewman@eartlhink.net
tel 818-841-7332 mobile 917-697-3557


NEW YORK - EVENT ON - SITE / CONTACT INFO PENDING

WASHINGTON DC - EVENT ON - SITE / CONTACT INFO PENDING

Still the same info

9am MDT - noon MDT
ARVADA JAYCEES HALL
5640 YUKON ST, ARVADA, COLORADO 80002-2446
contact: WQC.Colorado@gmail.com
mobile 303-520-0200

11am - 2pm CDT
SULZER REGIONAL LIBRARY
Main Conference Room
4455 N. LINCOLN AVENUE
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60625-2101
contact: mitchell@szcz.org

[Bob Juch]

Hey, we're triviots, not psychics!

[TheConfessor]

Hey, we're triviots, not psychics!

Bob, the New York City contact is Tony Hightower, who organized the event last year, in conjunction with Game Show Congress. So if you're interested, you can try to reach him at:
mistert@gmail.com

There is contact information available online for these cities:
New York
Los Angeles
Denver
Chicago
Washington, DC
Ottawa

Check out this site:
http://iqausa.googlepages.com/

[hermillion]

Have a great time, Ed!

[TheConfessor]

Have a great time, Ed!

Thanks, Nancy. I think I'll be doing "Trivia Face Off" with friends tonight (Friday) at Buffalo Wild Wings in Superior, CO. If that's convenient for any Denverites on the board, come on up. Denver seems to have more pub quizzes per capita than any other city I've heard about.

[Bob Juch]

Have a great time, Ed!

Thanks, Nancy. I think I'll be doing "Trivia Face Off" with friends tonight (Friday) at Buffalo Wild Wings in Superior, CO. If that's convenient for any Denverites on the board, come on up. Denver seems to have more pub quizzes per capita than any other city I've heard about.

Superior is in southern Boulder county so is more accessible than Boulder itself. I'm surprised to see Buffalo Wild Wings running pub trivia as they also have NTN. My daughter and I met the guy who owns all of the Buffalo Wild Wings in Colorado and other areas on the plane flight from Las Vegas to Denver last year.

[JBillyGirl]

Bob, the New York City contact is Tony Hightower, who organized the event last year, in conjunction with Game Show Congress. So if you're interested, you can try to reach him at:
mistert@gmail.com

I've e-mailed Tony already this week with no response. I then e-mailed Paul Bailey and asked him about it on Tuesday or Wednesday, and he said Tony was swamped with work and that the event would happen at about midday in NYC somewhere, but he didn't know where.

I just checked my e-mail, and nothing new has come in yet. Who knows? Maybe he'll have us over to his apartment or pitch a tent in Central Park...