Contest Announcment Norwalk BBQ PIT Norwalk Ct..

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norwalkbbq

Guest
After much angst and careful consideration, it has been determined that the BBQ Pit @ the Norwalk Oyster Festival will be discontinued. This was not an easy decision but we have decided that the time, effort and investment cannot be justified given the financial returns. The Norwalk Exchange Club is a community service organization that exists for the sole purpose to raise funds and distribute the money to those in need throughout our community; we plan on redirecting our resources to another fund raising event.

There are so many people to thank for the support and guidance offered as we planned and presented our event....KCBS & NEBS, vendors, sponsors, other event organizers, and most important you all...the competitive BBQ community because without you it would never happen....we've made some great friends so keep in touch and...See 'ya around the smokers!


Respectfully submitted,

John Vuoso
Secretary Norwalk Exchange Club
Norwalk BAR B Q Pit
 
fark, sorry to hear....

Best of luck in your future fundraising endeavors

eric, any NEWS????
 
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Sorry to hear this. I wonder if Bobby will make Blues, Views and BBQ a full KCBS event again now that Norwalk is winding up. I think he made it backyard only so as not to conflict with Norwalk.
 
White Dog BBQ said:
Sorry to hear this. I wonder if Bobby will make Blues, Views and BBQ a full KCBS event again now that Norwalk is winding up. I think he made it backyard only so as not to conflict with Norwalk.
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Wishful thinking:becky: westport wasn't about the conflict. We(as in comp bbq) are very expensive and a lot of work. Unless we are all selling to the public or doing people's choice what do we offer ? Fat guys in a field cooking won't make them money. the next time somebody bitches about little things like maybe a small power or water problem they should think first.
 
Sledneck said:
Wishful thinking:becky: westport wasn't about the conflict. We(as in comp bbq) are very expensive and a lot of work. Unless we are all selling to the public or doing people's choice what do we offer ? Fat guys in a field cooking won't make them money. the next time somebody bitches about little things like maybe a small power or water problem they should think first.
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I know. Bobby gave the conflict as the reason for dropping KCBS, but I figured cost was part of it. The fact that it rained the second day the last year probably killed things too. It's a shame, too, because Westport was a great contest.
 
I think he might reconsider, maybe keeping the number of teams smaller, so we will not take up a lot of space (or Steve, maybe we don't like Fat Guys compete!!:heh:
 
Sledneck said:
Wishful thinking:becky: westport wasn't about the conflict. We(as in comp bbq) are very expensive and a lot of work. Unless we are all selling to the public or doing people's choice what do we offer ? Fat guys in a field cooking won't make them money. the next time somebody bitches about little things like maybe a small power or water problem they should think first.
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Bull****.

If you are going to run an event do it right. Provide the basics and that starts with reliable power and water. If you cant provide those things - DON'T run the event! No hard feelings, I'll choose one of the many other BBQ events that are properly run.

If I pay $1000 to show up and cook your event I expect the organizer to live up to his or her end of the bargain.
 
I liked Norwalk, kind of a shame they won't continue. They did a lot of things right there. It was a fun, interesting event in many ways.

They did, however, shoot themselves in the foot with the People's Choice. The problems with the 2010 People's Choice contests were so severe that many teams (including mine) opted out for 2011. Frustrated teams aside, a lot of potential revenue was left on the table during 2010 - maybe 2-3x times more. It could have made the contest viable for the Exchange Club had in been sorted out.

It's a good lesson for future People's Choice organizers. Get your ticket counts right. Have a backup plan if you run out early. Be sure to have clear distribution channels so people can find the tickets when they want them.
 
I was never able to make it to this one, it always seemed to conflict with one of my WTU tailgates or something but thats the contest that you were required to do the People's Choice, right? Didn't they aslo have a bunch of other categories like whole hog and chowder?
 
Muzzlebrake said:
I was never able to make it to this one, it always seemed to conflict with one of my WTU tailgates or something but thats the contest that you were required to do the People's Choice, right? Didn't they aslo have a bunch of other categories like whole hog and chowder?
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They dropped the mandatory people's choice for 2011. For 2010 they had 14 different contests, including people's choice for wings, chowder, and chili. There was a chef's choice, an iron chef event, whole hog, sauce contest, best booth, and a few more I forgot. They gave team members a lobster dinner and breakfast (cooked to order the first year)

Tied in with the oyster festival it could have be become a real institution in the northeast if they could have tweaked the people's choice to make more for the Exchange Club. Given the huge crowds and long lines at vendors there, well run people's choice contests should have been real money makers for them.
 
I do give them credit for going public and saying they will not be having it so you can plan accordingly. Alot of organizers will just keep you guessing if they will have a contest. So what contests do they have in CT now? Ique, very well put.
 
New London. It was a first year event that was well run (from what I could see as a judge).

Eric
 
Cue's Your Daddy said:
I do give them credit for going public and saying they will not be having it so you can plan accordingly. Alot of organizers will just keep you guessing if they will have a contest. So what contests do they have in CT now? Ique, very well put.
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Just want to clarify that I wasn't directing my comments at Norwalk, yes nice to get the early heads up.

Was more speaking to my friend Sled... just disagree that cooks venting comments on an event on this forum are somehow to blame for an event going "under"
 
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ique said:
Bull****.

If you are going to run an event do it right. Provide the basics and that starts with reliable power and water. If you cant provide those things - DON'T run the event! No hard feelings, I'll choose one of the many other BBQ events that are properly run.

If I pay $1000 to show up and cook your event I expect the organizer to live up to his or her end of the bargain.
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Nicely said, I share the same sentiments.
I enjoyed the BBQ pit, and thought it was an added value to the weekend.
I would cook it again even if the prize money was less, pot luck in lieu of Lobster dinners, and only the 4 KCBS categories.
For a competition in it's early years, they may have taken on too much, I say start small and simple and let the comp grow on it's own merit. Roc City is a good example of that.
 
A real shame, one of my favorite comps and best vending events. Gonna miss this one, looks like daddy wont be getting a new pair of shoes on October! hahaha
 
ique said:
Just want to clarify that I wasn't directing my comments at Norwalk, yes nice to get the early heads up.

Was more speaking to my friend Sled... just disagree that cooks venting comments on an event on this forum are somehow to blame for an event going "under"
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that doesn't happen
:peep:
 
Maybe Someone like Smithfield could step up and supply some butts for PC and do like what they did in Harvard. Seems to raise money, the cooks only have to cook and not serve and the charity wins. Alot happens with volunteers and if everyone remembers it was a massive rain the first yr also and the field was trashed. I commend the efforts of this group, but I think if they reached out to the cooks etc to see what works before pulling the plug it may have ended up in a win/win. It's never too late to reconsider. (guess I'll have to deposit my check)
 
Thank you so much for the heads up...

Sorry that Norwalk is not going to be continued...We would have been there in 2012..

It is in my back yard...really looked forward to competing there in 2011...

The Ridgefield Rotary Club was the beneficiary of best Q I've ever cooked..the following weekend...

Best Wishes to you Norwalk Exchange Club!!!

Yours in BBQ,

Cliff
 
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