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Old 02-14-2013, 09:00 AM   #1
SV_smoker
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Join Date: 12-02-12
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Default Judge and Team Applications

I have not been a member of the KCBS for very long but I have notice how the application process for judges and team to contest is very inefficient. As a member of the KCBS we all have accounts. These accounts should be used to sign up for different roles at a given contest.

For example a judge should be able to log into there account and sign up for one or several contest. Because they have an account a profile will already be in the system. Once the people over the event logs into their account they should be able to see all those that applied for the judging position. They should be able to sort and choose their judges however they see fit. Once a person is selected or not the system will generate a generic email to let that person whether or not they are selected, wait-listed, or declined.The system could then print a list for the KCBS rep.

The system could serve 2 purposes. First tracking judges that sign up and don't show up to events. Second allow team to apply up to the day of contest closing date.
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Old 03-02-2013, 03:55 AM   #2
Mustanger
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Default Judge and Team Applications / Judges' Liaison Program

SV_smoker That is an absolutely outstanding idea.

The Rocky Mountain BBQ Association has had a similar program in effect just for judges for at least two or more years.

It is called the Judges' Liaison Program (JLP). It is absolutely outstanding!!!

A cut & paste appears below.

Any comments from the Board?

Any comments from the Brethren?
Judges' Liaison Program
"Manage Your Judging Experience"

Welcome BBQ Judges!

The Judges' Liaison Program is an online program that allows you to manage your judging experience by following four simple steps: Login to your account, sign up for the BBQ events you want to judge, monitor your list position, and Lock In events when the opportunity is presented.

Login or Create a Judge's Account
If you already have an account use the Login area to login. If you don't have an account click the 'Create Judge's Account' link on the right to get started! You will be required to enter your name, email address and your zip code; CBJs please complete the KCBS Judge's Certification Information as well. The additional contact information, while optional, should be entered to complete your Judge's Profile.

Sign Up for the BBQ Events You Want to Judge
When you sign up to judge an event your name is entered on a first-come-first-served weighted list for that event. Each judge is weighted and that weight determines the initial position on an event's list as well as later movement on that list. Your position on an event's list will change both up and down because of weight factors. Weight factors include things like the date you signed up, your judging preference, and if you are a CBJ or not.

Know Your List Position and Understand What it Means
Your list position is an indicator of your chances of getting to judge an event. For example if your list position is 10 and the event is expecting to need 66 judges your chances are real good. Good enough in fact to book airfare and make a hotel reservation. If on the other hand your list position is 64 you might want to hold off on making travel plans until you are able to Lock In.

"Lock In" Your Seat at a Judging Table
As an event draws near you may be given the opportunity to "Lock In" your position on their list thus ensuring your seat at one of their judging tables. Once you are "Locked In," pack your bags and get ready to taste some great BBQ.


Source URL:
http://rmbbqa.org/jlp/

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Old 03-02-2013, 03:39 PM   #3
arrowhead
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i agree, the rmbbqa jlp system is the best available for signing up judges. i know my list position for the 12 contests i've signed up to judge.

as a contest organizer, i also use the jlp to sign the judges up for our contest. i have 19 judges "locked in" and 27 on the waiting list.

excellent program.

if anyone is interested in using the jlp, go to the link mustanger provided and register. you do not have to be a rmbbqa member to use the program, but you need to be a kcbs judge.
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Old 03-04-2013, 03:48 PM   #4
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Sounds interesting, but it brings up questions. How do you deal with those what, for whatever reason, are not online? Suppose a promoter receives an application via postal mail and another via email the same day - which takes precedence(if need be)?

Thanks!

Lynn H.
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Old 03-04-2013, 07:33 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by gmholler View Post
Sounds interesting, but it brings up questions. How do you deal with those what, for whatever reason, are not online? Suppose a promoter receives an application via postal mail and another via email the same day - which takes precedence(if need be)?

Thanks!

Lynn H.
the jlp isn't an email registration. it's an online registration program.

for someone that doesn't have internet access, their name can be manually submitted and placed on the list.

as an organizer, the judge who gets his name on the list first gets the prize.
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Old 03-08-2013, 01:52 AM   #6
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I use such an online application system for judges at my events. I don't care for the "list position" method the RMBBQA tool uses however. I don't give any preference in judge selection based on order of sign up, so such a weighting would only confuse and disappoint prospective judges.

As an organizer, I want the freedom to pick the best pigs, and not have to take the first ones to the trough. :)
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Old 03-08-2013, 09:43 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by CivilWarBBQ View Post
As an organizer, I want the freedom to pick the best pigs, and not have to take the first ones to the trough. :)
Just curious, what criteria do you use to "pick the best pigs"? Are you striving for a balance of experience or just picking the judges with the most experience? Or some other criteria (names you've heard before, pretty handwriting, distance they live from the event, etc.)?
I'm curious, as I know that I was one of the first judges who signed up for a contest, but was on the "alternate judge" list until more than 40 teams signed up. At the time I had judged 12 contests.
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Old 03-08-2013, 12:05 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bbq.tom View Post
Just curious, what criteria do you use to "pick the best pigs"? Are you striving for a balance of experience or just picking the judges with the most experience? Or some other criteria (names you've heard before, pretty handwriting, distance they live from the event, etc.)?
I'm curious, as I know that I was one of the first judges who signed up for a contest, but was on the "alternate judge" list until more than 40 teams signed up. At the time I had judged 12 contests.
registration is basically first come, first serve. extra weight is given to master judges (move up the list). otherwise, the number of contests judged isn't a factor in your list position.

we are holding a cbj class wednesday night prior to our contest. say we get 30 people signed up for the class. if we get 42 registered teams, we would select 7 newly minted judges to judge on saturday, 1 per table.

the experienced judges would be divided amongst the tables based on contests judged to spread it out, not having 3 mcbj at the same table, for example.

i hope that makes sense. lol
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Old 03-08-2013, 01:31 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by arrowhead View Post
registration is basically first come, first serve. extra weight is given to master judges (move up the list). otherwise, the number of contests judged isn't a factor in your list position.

we are holding a cbj class wednesday night prior to our contest. say we get 30 people signed up for the class. if we get 42 registered teams, we would select 7 newly minted judges to judge on saturday, 1 per table.

the experienced judges would be divided amongst the tables based on contests judged to spread it out, not having 3 mcbj at the same table, for example.

i hope that makes sense. lol
THAT'S GREAT! That's what I normally see with most contests organizers.

Still hoping that CivilWarBBQ will answer with his criteria of how he would "pick the best pigs".
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Old 03-08-2013, 02:13 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CivilWarBBQ View Post
I use such an online application system for judges at my events. I don't care for the "list position" method the RMBBQA tool uses however. I don't give any preference in judge selection based on order of sign up, so such a weighting would only confuse and disappoint prospective judges.

As an organizer, I want the freedom to pick the best pigs, and not have to take the first ones to the trough. :)
i've used the rmbbqa system for 3 years, as a judge and organizer. never been confused or disappointed.

who are the best judges?

if i have an issue with a particular judge, i have the option of removing him from the list. otherwise, if a judge is willing to travel to support my competition, they have a seat.
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Old 03-08-2013, 02:17 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by bbq.tom View Post
THAT'S GREAT! That's what I normally see with most contests organizers.

Still hoping that CivilWarBBQ will answer with his criteria of how he would "pick the best pigs".
i have judges willing to travel almost 5 hours to support us, but regardless of how far they travel, that type of dedication makes them the best pigs.
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Old 03-08-2013, 02:39 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by arrowhead View Post
i have judges willing to travel almost 5 hours to support us, but regardless of how far they travel, that type of dedication makes them the best pigs.
Several of the competitions my wife and I judge each year are 5+ hours away, simply because there aren't that many close by. We also pick two events each year to fly to.
While willingness to travel distances doesn't necessarily make for "best" judges, it does speak to dedication and is an indicator that they (we) are not just in it for a free meal. IMHO.
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Old 03-21-2013, 10:12 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bbq.tom View Post
Still hoping that CivilWarBBQ will answer with his criteria of how he would "pick the best pigs".
Sorry for the delay - I've been caught up in the whirlpool lately.

I admit I do things a bit differently than most organizers. Unlike many, I'm out on the circuit cooking or judging every month from April to December, so I have the advantage of getting to know quite a few of the active judges in the AL/GA/TN area personally. There is no better experience than judging alongside someone to get a feel for their approach.

However, you can't know everybody, so I give judges the opportunity to sell themselves on the application. You can see the app to the current show in Euharlee here: http://www.euharlee.com/events_bbq.aspx Some write several paragraphs, some just a line or two. A few write nothing at all.

I select all the judges myself and distribute them to the tables. Judges are kept in the loop and know what their role and seating assignment will be before they show up at the contest. My goal is to create tables that are as balanced as possible so that scores are "table neutral", ensuring each entry will be scored consistently regardless of which table it lands on. To this end I strive to have equal distribution of the following across the tables:
New Judges (<5 events)/Master Judges, Women/Men, Locals/Long Distance, Youngsters/Seniors

Balancing tables is more of an art than a science, and you have to work with whatever applications you have that year. Luckily for me, here in Georgia we typically have 4-5 apps for every judging postition at our contests, so there is no shortage of CBJs.

In a perfect world, I like to see each table contain one Master, one newbie, and then a good spread of experience across the other four seats in the 5 -20 contests judged range. I don't like double-duty scenarios, so I put a Certified Table Captain at each table with six dedicated judges. In advance of notifying the judges of selections, I send the entire list to my Rep team and allow them to choose who they want to work the turn-in table, as experience and trust are crucial in this area.

Typically I configure for one table of judges for every six teams signed up, plus one. For a 36 team contest, this means seven tables. The judges on the last table are told they will be the standby pool and may or may not get to judge. On the day of the event, I make the call as to whether to use all of the tables or cut one, based on the number of teams that are there (last minute cancellations and additions are inevitable) and if I have any no shows in the main judging tables. If the situation demands it, I cannabalize the extra table to fill holes in the other tables and put any leftover judges to work on the grazing table, etc. Usually we run all of the tables however.

We state up front that NO FOOD LEAVES THE JUDGING TENT at all of the events I supervise. I firmly believe this is the best approach and putting out there up front gives those folks who want to bring a cooler to the judging tent to move on to another contest. We're looking for judges who take their job seriously, regardless of their experience level, and who are interested in interacting with teams and spending time enjoying the entire event. In return, I work hard to do everything I can to make the experience a pleasant one.

This is the approach I've gradually developed over the years of organizing events, and it seems to work so far. Many thanks to the late great Terrell Jones who taught me that the maintaining high quality of judging is one of the most important aspects of organizing a contest.

-GF
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Old 03-22-2013, 12:40 PM   #14
bbq.tom
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Originally Posted by CivilWarBBQ View Post
I give judges the opportunity to sell themselves on the application.
GREAT idea!!! This is the first application (of the 100+ that I've filled out) that actually has a place for either comments, or in this case the ability for the judge to provide information on his/her qualifications and interest!

I also like that you tell the judges up front about "NO COOLERS". That way there is NO question or mis-understanding on the day of the event.
I also like that you provide a suspense date for notification of the judges selected that is 5-weeks before the event! That gives judges notice of when to expect to hear something - MANY of the contests I apply for do NOT notify the confirmed judges more than a week or two in advance, making it difficult to make travel arrangements (without expecting higher costs).

THANK YOU for your explanation!
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Old 03-23-2013, 12:02 AM   #15
Gowan
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When the judge completes the app, a confirmation of receipt is automatically emailed back to them reminding them when judge selection will occur and giving contact info for me in case they discover later that they cannot judge and want to withdraw.

On the selection date, I email each judge notifying them that they have been chosen and that they must verify with me by return email or phone that they still wish to judge within a week. During that week I repeat the process as needed with other judges to fill any vacancies created by dropouts.

After the verification week I assign all confirmed judges to tables and email the seating chart along with the event schedule, judge meeting time, parking instructions, etc. A note is made that this is the provisional arrangement pending any last minute cancellations, and judges are assured they they do have an assigned seat and should make their travel arrangements.

The weekend before the event date I send out a final email with the final seat assignments and another copy of the event packet, along with a plea to please phone me immediately if they should get sick or have some other emergency that prevents them from fulfilling their committment to attend.

With this system every judge receives a minimum of four emails from the date they sign up until a week before the contest. (More if they have contacted me with specific questions.) I find that maintaining this constant communication makes the judges feel more comfortable that they know what is going on and practically eliminates the problems associated with more judges than you can use or worse, not enough CBJs to fill the tables.

*** EDIT ***
Oh and a couple other things I forgot to mention:
ALL judges are notified on the selection date. Those that weren't chosen are thanked, encouraged to try again next year and assured they will be considered to fill in for any cancellations.
The comments area is also useful for judges to let me know if they have special needs. For example, it has been used to ask about handicapped access and if their is an area nearby to park an RV.

Last edited by Gowan; 03-23-2013 at 12:07 AM.. Reason: Added info
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