Skip
is Blowin Smoke!
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2007
- Location
- Wantagh, NY
Skip,
thanks for the pointers, working on eliminating the electric. The insurance fee only applies if you are doing the peoples choice but in order to offset that cost if you participate the registration fee is dropped to $300.
Also I believe the prize pool is posted now. I have personally committed 20K, so the pool is at the very least that. As we get more sponsors the pool will increase.
Please post the website link to the prize pool. Sorry your brethren brothers are lazy. Well I can only speak for me.
The transparency is nice and thank you for that. I think the competititors will all light up when they realize that the prize pool is set completely outside the entry fees which means the pool could grow incredibly. Thats definitely a draw.
The $100 dollar drop in the entry fee for peoples choice participants is nice and will definitely sway a bunch of people. Also the clarification that 400 samples isn't mandatory but a wish of the organizer to satisfy the visitors. Which is the reason these events succeed or fail. If the competitor cooks what they are provided they have met their peoples choice requirement. Although they probably aren't going to be in the running for the extra 4K in peoples choice money.
I emailed organizer with same question...here is response:
Hi Timothy,
Thank you for your interest in the Bear’s Smokehouse New England BBQ Competition. In addition to the $100 discount off the Registration Fee for People’s Choice participants, we are also contributing meat towards the People’s Choice competition. Our expectation is that competitors will supplement the balance of the food with whatever they think will impress the attendees to win $4,000 in prize money. The 1st night is a fundraiser for Riverfront Recapture so we appreciate the support and participation of all of our competitors.
Thank you,
Charlie
Sounds like the Peoples Choice is a real competition. Many of us are familiar with all the food being donated yet all remember how you can buy extra ribs for buck a bone and such. We have seen teams do it all the time. I think whats getting us is that its spelled out rather than implied. Peoples Choice is normally a token dollar amount and a plastic trophy. I think we need to see this as a competition not a fundraiser.
Now those of you who know me are probably wondering where I went and who this person is responding but as much as I call foul in other instances I really think this one is all about the newness of the contest and an organizer willing to learn but not knowing all he needs to know.
To Bear's BBQ I would suggest looking into a rider on your competition insurance for the peoples choice. Fees like this are atypical and will turn away seasoned competitor just for the principle. Also state that your 20K prize pool is guaranteed and that it may go higher as you stated above. You have disturbed the sense of normalcy in contests and people aren't seeing the forest through all the trees. Please identify your differences and help the people realize you aren't just a "normal" contest. It may limit the pool of teams you can get but you will draw the teams who are confident in their ability to win on Sunday.