$100,000! That will get em coming outta the woodwork!

$700+ entry fee seems like a big nut, but small when you can cash in on a part of a $100K total purse !! Not sure if we are prepared to go for a $700 entry fee in our first year of competition but the idea of it sounds great to just do it for the whole experience of it.

I don't gamble (unless you consider putting up $700 for an entry fee you are unlikely to win at !!), so this would be a way to have my wife feel like we're going on a mini vacation. Even just judging or being a helper at an event like this would be pretty cool.

Looking forward to seeing the details of this competition unfold if Arlie can make it happen. (Good Luck Arlie !!).

Does anyone know what the largest total purse to date is for a sanctioned BBQ event ?

Mohegan Sun

Yep I was there a few a weeks ago meeting with the people in charge. Hoping to get the word go or not in the next few weeks and head back up to finalize the deal. Prize purse could be really big. Entry fee will not be $700 but could be in the $400-$500 range if we do get the 100K.
Keep you fingers crossed. As for the single largest purse it has been my event in Vegas at $40. Royal gives more total money but it is divided between the two bbq contest and the sauce contest. Check my site at www.arlieque.com for details as soon as I can post it with the entry form. Space will be limited but will try to have 75-100 teams.

Thanks

Arlie

Wow... Arlie what are the dates? If its going to happen, I think we need to be there.

Actually there have been a few contests with a $40k purse. The Royal and the GAB are both about that per day now, and I'm pretty sure Memphis in May is well above that for the day. Those big 3 are all in the $60-80k range for the event.

There was a cookoff at the Tropicana in LV in 1996 that had $40k, and the single biggest prize of $25k for GC. The 25 has now been matched by the All-Star BBQ Showdown.

Prize Purse

There is rumor of a big contest in other states for next season of 75K plus also. With the costs of all the supplies going up each year along with gas and hotels the prize purse has to go up if teams are going to travel! I feel we will see a contest with a $250,000 purse before long. Teams are getting sponsors, trucks, trailers just like the nascar boys.

I forgot that the Speedway contests were $40k each.
There's been rumors of a $100k purse for a long time, it will happen sooner or later.

I just want it to be healthy when it happens. If it's a big loser for the sponsors and they don't feel they get their moneys worth, it could end up being a set back for us all. Let's not forget that the stand alone $40k cookoffs are all now history. (Vegas x 2 and the Speedway)
If it's a solid deal for everyone, the door could get kicked in and the money could really start coming, to prize pools, and to team sponsorships.
I know I've got my fingers crossed.

I remember when $10k was a good purse, now you can't even have a cookoff if you don't have that.

You are right! It will happen sooner or later. Sponosrs do need to get there part out of it. That is really hard to do sometimes. We will see a changing of how contests have to be run in the future for the sponsorships to get there just! I heard of one contest last year that had 50+ teams and all the teams left mid-afternoon when the event didnt close till 10 or 11 on saturday night. Not sure how the sponsrs felt though! There will also be contest that only last a year or two. We see lots of them each year yet more and more towns want to try there hand at a cookoff of some sort be it bbq, seafood, dessert, or other foods!
Just wondering if OLN felt they got a good deal out it and if they are doing it again. They did a great job and it is worth doing again. It takes people like them to start up a good deal and keep it going. They did put up alot of cash! Do you know if there are doing it again?
Although Vegas was postponed last year due to scheduling and we knew before the 2004 date we had a problem for 2005 it by no means is a dead. There are several resorts looking at 2006.

With Arlie and Ray doing this discussion--it is "way above my pay grade"
But, that never stopped me before

To me, there has to be "something in it" for everyone concerned.
Teams, Organizers, Sponsors, Volunteers, and (most importantly) the Public.

Teams--many of us compete for fun. Nothing wrong with that! But, it can be so expensive that the chance for recovering at least a part of the costs has to exist for many of us. This requires good purses and reasonable entry fees. That requires the public.
Organizers--Maybe someone does it for fun, but I doubt it. Professional organizers make a part of their living lending their skills to an event. A local Charity is looking for a profit to support their cause or mission.
Without a "profit" of some sort, the sport will dry up. That requires the public.
Sponsors--For the teams and the events, they provide the cash needed to make it all happen! There must be a return for them! Simple. For corporate sponsors, it is simply a matter of "I invest this amount of $$ and I anticipate will receive this $$ return". For Chambers of Commerce and all of that type of sponsor, similar logic--there must be an anticipated $$ return on the investment. Now, there is always the local business that will kick in a hundred bucks cause they "like you" (or you will host a two hundred buck sponsor dinner). That will work also. All of this requires the public.
Volunteers--These wonderful folks make it all happen on event weekend. Maybe, somewhere, there is an event that could function without the league of volunteers, but...? I am sure some of them would work just to be "part of the event". Others are supporting the undelying charity. Whatever happens, I hope these folks are still involved. This requires the public.

The Public--IMHO--here is the key or critical element in all of this. These folks spend the $$ to make it all worthwhile for all of the folks mentioned above. The buy Que, they pay to park or enter, they buy drinks, they buy trinkets, and they are influenced to buy the sponsors (team and event alike) goods or services.

So, events that can draw large crowds have a better $$ base to tap.
Events near major Metro areas can draw more spectators.
Events with lots of advertizing can draw larger crowds.
Events tagged as "state championships" draw a larger field of "talented or contender" teams, if not spectators.
Events tagged as "Best of..." or "Special" some way draw larger fields of "talented or contender" teams, if not spectators.
Events that can draw major media attention can draw spectators and $$.
Etc, Etc, Etc!

Hope I am not speaking out of line here--but Ray has some excellent thoughts as to why events should be SAT-SUN with awards on SUN to support the public and their interaction with the teams. I will leave it to him to explain if he wishes, but I agree totally.

Just like NASCAR (my favorite "other sport"), all of this growth comes with some pain as you move away from your roots to grow. Not complaining--just observing here.
I think there will always be the "grassroots" events held at the local level. They are just too much fun to go away.
But, more and more corporate sponsorships are happening for teams--mega $$ in many cases.

When all is said and done--it is still "blind" judging. We saw a team at Mobile last year with a $400K rig and "staff" of 10 or so that did not even come close to the Top 15. Ya still gotta be able to cook

That is what makes it fun and competetive while our sport grows.

Thank you--Food Network (and OLN for the few that get it)

TIM

Well said and the key is the public and that is the way the sponsors get what they paid for. The cable networks have made a big differnce in the last few years. Most sponsors want about a 8-1 return on investment which covers the public and well as newpaper print and media locally and nationally.

I dont have a problem with Sat / Sun contest and Guitarbeque will be that way this year! (2006)

You might also see some contest do later turn in's as well to keep the public there.

Awards might also be a little different and I am also working on a new format for that! Needs to be fun for the teams and with the sponsors presenting the awards.

All these items could happen in 2006 or the next but one thing is for sure bbq is busting all over the world!

There are plenty of events where the teams are gone Saturday afternoon. The big events will have to be Sat-Sun. The current format makes no sense to anyone except the old cooks because "That's the way we've always done it".

I don't know what the future of The All-Star BBQ Showdown is. I know everyone was happy, and they were talking about doing it again, but I doubt it's high on anyones priority list at the moment.

With an event like that, I;d love to see some of the bigger smoker guys cme up and show off their wares. Bring some smokers to the barren northeast to sell. How about convincing them to participate in this in some way. Scott

You might also see some contest do later turn in's as well to keep the public there.

Awards might also be a little different and I am also working on a new format for that! Needs to be fun for the teams and with the sponsors presenting the awards.

Arlie,
I do not know what you are proposing here.
"New guy" talking

But,
At the few events I have competed in or Judged, the public is not a major player at awards.
It seems like most of the attendees are teams.
And, I admit, I have not been to the "majors"....most events we attend are 30 to 83 teams. Almost all are "State Championships" or "whatever" of importance down here!

IMHO, to get the public to the awards, they need to "bond" with a team.
Then they want to "root for them" and all of that!
Or, "something else" has to be waiting for them.
The concept of SAT-SUN helps the public and the teams "bond" because the teams would be more relaxed on SAT and better able to deal with the public (at least those of us who chose to do that). Then, SUN awards can fall like they need to based on attandance!

By awards time-most of us just want to get it over with! It has been a long couple of days

If a major sponsor presented the $5K (or $50K) award for GC and said "Thank you all for coming and here is the check.....", no one would be squirming too bad in the seats that we had to bring to the ceremony.

Now, if every sponsor down through 15th had a 2 minute speech about how much "they were honored."...????????? Goes on for hours for folks that have little tolerance for that.

At Mobile last March- they paid throgh 15th. They called teams up quickly, Dd not wait for each team to advance to the stage, just kept on going to the top 3 or so. Then, they handed out the top tier slowly--worked wonderful!

In other events, they paid through the Top 5 and allowed each team to publically thank everyone back to their ancestors before moving on! Excruciating!

How do you see awards going???????

Just Curious.

TIM

If you have been to my awards you would know they go really fast no matter how many places I give away. Never stated public at the awards although it would be nice sometimes if the judges would stick around to see who's bbq won the contest. Email me for more details!

Arlie, do you have potential dates for this? Will it be in 2006?

For alot of contests, the awards seem like an after thought. Not much planning has gone into them, and almost always we are waiting on a band to finish playing... But there are some contests that do a great job of getting their sponsors thanked and the teams awarded.. And no Arlie, I have not been to your awards.

Now on the other hand its neat if the public is there in awards, some get bored, but others really seem to enjoy it. There was 1 contest we did down here in Florida that was part of a big Bluegrass festival. Usually when awards come, and the band stops, the public leaves. But in this case they didn't, and there was in the neighborhood of 500 to 1000 or so people at the awards, real people, not just bbq people.. And for the most part they were involved (clapping etc..) But what helped is the one on the mic at the awards was a celebrity, and he had his act together and apparently knew how this was supposed to work. The only thing wrong at those awards was the wrong team won at the end.. :wink:

It will be mid summer if we can make it work! Good Luck to you this weekend!

Thx Arlie, please keep us informed... And thx for the luck this weekend, we will need it..