How do we recruit new cooks to the KCBS

Jorge said:

Whether you travel to a contest or not, the Comfort Inn discount should help you recover that investment.

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Huh? I am a KCBS member but what is this comfort inn discount you speak of. I know nothing of this.

NotleyQue said:

Huh? I am a KCBS member but what is this comfort inn discount you speak of. I know nothing of this.

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Log on to the KCBS site. There is a discount code available that is good for about $15 per night. Or shoot the office some email with your membership info and ask for the code.

Ford said:

Try thinking as one of those cooks that is not a member? What's the incentive for you to join? Many of these folks cook once a year at a local contest and they don't care about reading the bullsheet and there's no RD close, etc.

I like pushing it helps promoteBBQ and competition and that stuff but what's in it for them? I don't have the answer.

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Thats why I was saying that you need to charge a premium to non member teams. I really didn't care about the KCBS when I started. It was just something that was there and I question whether I would even be a member now if it weren't for the need to join to be a certified judge. I really don't think I would've no matter how much I appreciated BBQ or liked how KCBS promoted or ran contests. That stuff really would've been a non issue and i would have contined to participate in KCBS events and reaped the benefits FOR THE SAME COST as member teams.
Now once I joined the KCBS I became curious as to what it was all about. Heck if I am paying for a membership I might as well become familiar with it. So I did. Now I am very much involved in what goes on. I am going to the banquet as well and there I will attend the rules committee meeting and possibly others. I appreciate my membership and what it does for me. I also appreciate that my money goes to this organization and what my money helps it do.
KCBS doesn't save starving people in Africa so you aren't going to get people to just fork over money for the principle. KCBS membership doesn't afford you discounts at sanctioned events so you won't get thrifty competitors to jump on board. KCBS offers some perks but many of them aren't all encompassing for the membership nor do some of them even apply to membership in areas without the business i.e. Restaurant Depot. Any kind of perk related to membership would help if it applies to everyone. If KCBS provided meats the members could chose first or if meat was supplied then the KCBS members would get reduced rates. Money makes it all happen.

Hear is a question that I am not sure has been asked, But Why does it have to be the Kansas City BBQ Society. If growing the membership is important to you, couldnt you convert to a larger body of potential prospects like an American BBQ society or National BBQ Society. Different results are fed by different ways of thinking.

How about a good *smack* from Diva herself. THAT might do it.

Ford said:

KCBS branding is recognized nationally as the premier bbq organization in this country. It's made great strides in this area in the past few years. A large portion of membership is outside the KC area. Don't have stats but remember them being posted this year sometime.

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Ford, respectfully, I'm not certain about "recognized nationally as the
premier bbq organization". Around here, most new cookoff organizers
have never heard of KCBS, but they have heard of Memphis in May / MBN.
Not saying MBN is better. I personally like KCBS better, but that's my
personal take. F Y I. Perhaps we're just mutants in Georgia. Certainly
we know Myron IS (a mutant).

Lake Dogs said:

How about a good *smack* from Diva herself. THAT might do it.

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That's what I asked for from Santa. VQ says it comes with sprinkles!










cupcake

I'm not a member yet, but will be in January after I complete my judging class. I just started cooking contests in 2009, and the primary factor for me joining is the fact that there are almost 10 KCBS contests within a 3-4 hour driving radius of my home.

Ford said:

Skip - as most people cooking contests are not members and as contests are put on by independent organizers and not the KCBS charging an additional fee for non members isn't practical. It was tried and most organizers said no. Some threatend to drop KCBS sanctioning. Lots of teams said what's this? Is this contests put on by KCBS? Well no. Then if it's for a local charity I'll pay but not for KCBS.

We need to find another answer. Otherwise the answer is there is no benefit to them so they won't join.

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Ford said:

KCBS branding is recognized nationally as the premier bbq organization in this country. It's made great strides in this area in the past few years. A large portion of membership is outside the KC area. Don't have stats but remember them being posted this year sometime.

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You speak of people dropping KCBS then state how respected it is and its that respect that I think would allow the premium cost to fly. If KCBS had not caved to organizers protests they may have won out. I have done non sanctioned events and realize how much better off I am at a KCBS event. The first question I ask about a new event is if its a KCBS event. I think that if they stood strong and required it that it would stick. Even if the extra fee was just rolled into the prize money. If you don't hit them in the pocket they really won't budge.

Ford said:

KCBS branding is recognized nationally as the premier bbq organization in this country. It's made great strides in this area in the past few years. A large portion of membership is outside the KC area. Don't have stats but remember them being posted this year sometime.

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So you are sayin people should pay to join cause its the biggest and the best. HMMM Hows that working for them.

Other organizations that I either am currently a member or have been a member of
require membership to compete in the event. If you're not a member when you sign
up, there's an extra charge for membership (or a discount if you're already a member).
KCBS is inexpensive, relatively. Mind you, I'm not a member, and I have no need to
be a member as it's currently designed. However, if it were required, it wouldn't
be a big deal, to me anyway... The sports event sanctioning bodies that I work
with require membership (USA Swimming, USA Triathlon). For some reason, the
cooking sanctioning bodies (CASI, KCBS, MBN, etc) dont.

WineMaster said:

So you are sayin people should pay to join cause its the biggest and the best. HMMM Hows that working for them.

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You should re read the thread. I think that is the opposite of what Ford is trying to say. :lol:

Memphis in May also has the benefit of being the name of one of the country's largest contests. So that helps with name recognition.

I still say that if you define a society by a region. You are capping the potential.