Non-member fees
 

I thought the KCBS was dropping the idea of charging additional entry fees for non-members at contests?

I'm currently not a member, but I am joining this month, so it wont affect me. But I had thought this idea was kicked around last year and then decided against. I got a flier for a contest today that I really wanted to do last year but didnt because they charging the extra fee, and I see they are doing it again this year.

So what does the contest organizer gain by charging this fee?

I don't think they charge an extra fee but are giving a discount on the entry fee if you are a member. Sort of saying thanks for being a member of the organization that sanctions this event.

But wasnt that idea dismissed by the KCBS?

Oh, I don't know if they dismissed it or not but I can tell you they do it cause my May comp gave me a $25 break.

Probably poking the dragon here, but it sounds good to me.:twisted:

I don't know that that is a KCBS thing (but don't know that it isn't...) because only a very few comps that I know of do it. You would think it would be across the board if was a KCBS organization thing.

Is it KCBS or is it the Comp that is giving the discount. I do not see many discounts offered

Certain comps. give the discount. If your're a member and log into the KCBS site you'll find a list of discounts from hotel stays to comps. that offer them. Here's a list of the comps. that are doing the discount.

Yes, membership should have its privileges! So here are a few of them for our KCBS members. Check back often, as we will be adding more benefits in the coming months.
Choice Hotels - all KCBS members will receive a 15% discount off of published rates at any Choice Hotel, which includes Comfort, Clarion, Quality, Sleep, Econo Lodge, Rodeway, Mainstay and Suburban.
Event Entries - some events provide an entry fee discount to cook teams with a KCBS member. Here is the most up to date list of those events:

• Apple Blossom BBQ - May 2-3, St. Joseph MO
• South Dakota State Championship - June 6-7, Huron SD
• Elk Grove Rotary Ribfest - June 13-14, Elk Grove IL
• Kiwanis Club of Durango's Smokin' 4th BBQ Shootout - July 3-4, Durango CO
• New Jersey State Barbecue Championship - July 11-13, North Wildwood NJ
• Cass County BBQ Square Off - August 22-23, Harrisonville MO
• Smokin' Behind the Barn - August 29-30, Winfield KS
• Bikes, Boogie & BBQ - September 5-6, Gastonia NC
• Atchison Elks KS State Championship "Smokin' Good Time" BBQ Cookoff - September 12-13, Atchison KS
• Diamond State BBQ - October 18, Dover DE

CBJ Classes - as a KCBS member, you get a discount off of the cost of a CBJ class. So if you've thought about becoming a Certified Barbeque Judge, check our CBJ Class schedule and sign up!

Seriously?! Thanks for sharin'! Are there any other completely unexpected discounts you get for being a KCBS member?

for what s it worth.. my 35$ membership paid for itself twice over in hotel discounts on my week long roadtrip to chicago. Clarion hotels are all over, and comfort inns for $60 bucks was the going orger..... warm room, clean sheets,a shower and full breakfast each morning.... and it was a lifesaver pulling off i80 in a white out and finding a comfort inn sign 100 yards off the exit.

Phil, if was a white out, then you couldn't see the sign and it didn't happen!

You do not truely get a discount for the CBJ class if you are a member of KCBS already. They charge you more if you are not a member fwith the extra going to membership. You are going to pay the $35 anyway you look at it. But I agree you should be a member of an organization if you are to judge and uphold the ideals of said organization.

KCBS did abandon the idea of asking organizers to give discounts for members competiting. It was a major discussion at the Organizers round table last year at the banquet. The concept not totally understood by everyone but certainly objected to by many

Ummm KCBS didn't ask organizers to give discounts to KCBS members they asked them to charge an extra $25 for non KCBS members. There is a very distinct difference between those two concepts

Letter from KCBS

Now that a new BBQ year is drawing near, we would like to update you on a very important recommendation we are making for 2008 team entry fees
For numerous reasons (quality and knowledge of competition being the primary ones), we believe it is to everyone’s benefit for competing teams at your event to be a member of KCBS

This doesn’t mean that you can’t have a team that is not a KCBS member. In fact, you can and probably will. However, as we continue to help promote your event throughout our network with our many properties, we want to encourage you to for teams that do NOT belong to KCBS.

Our recommendation is to charge an additional $25 for a non-KCBS team to enter your contest. To avoid this fee, all they have to prove is that one of their head cooks is a KCBS member in good standing by providing to you their KCBS member number. While this is a recommended action at this time, please note that we anticipate this program to be fully implemented at all contests in 2009.

How strongly do we feel about this? So much so that we are not even asking for the extra fees ourselves. We want and expect YOU to keep them. And furthermore, we will be promoting you in the bullsheet and on our web site as an event that offers a to KCBS teams (essentially, a discount on entry fees as opposed to non-KCBS teams).

So that we can get this additional publicity underway, we need to know if you will plan on following this pricing structure at your event. By clicking here, you will be given the chance to sign up at our web site and be included in our publicity efforts to the membership.

If you would like to discuss this further, please click here, and one of our staff members or board members will follow up with you.

In closing, let us thank you for choosing KCBS as your sanctioning body. We are committed to making your experience the best possible, supporting you every way we can, and maintaining the high standards that we all have come to appreciate. We look forward to working with you in the year ahead. We expect that 2008 will be one of the best BBQ seasons ever!


Sincerely,
Carolyn Wells
KCBS Executive Director[/font]

Thanks for posting that letter. So why are competitions still doing this if the KCBS ultimately decided against it?