People's Choice at comps

[DawgPhan]

I have never seen a people's choice where you could sell your leftover comp meat to the public. That is a whole other deal. People's choice in GA is you get 2 pork butts, cook them and either hand them out or turn them in and the organizer hands them out. not money to be made other than a payout.

 

[SirPorkaLot]

I think you all (with the exception of rooftop) approaching PC from the wrong angle. If you are doing PC to win a prize, don't do it. PC works best when you are doing it to make extra money from your sales. Usually (at last here in california) you just serve your extra meat from your cooks unless yo go all out like some of us do.

I never do PC in search of a trophy but we usually end up with one. We enjoy talking to the crowds and serving them. It gives the spectators something to do and they keep coming back. Believe me if you don't get spectators out to these events, the sponsors will stop contributing and there will be far fewer contests.

Do your part, even if you only serve for an hour and run out of food. Teams with more space will pick up the slack. Support the contests and support the sport. Make it fun for the people who come out and spend their money to see us and taste some championship bbq.

Spoken from a well from a BBQ vendor's point of view :biggrin1:

However some of us don't have any desire to sell BBQ, ever. We go out and spend our hard earn dollars to compete, for the sake of competing, and because we love bbq and the people in bbq.

You set up and cook for the public on a day to day basis, that is what you do (and do quite well I might add), for us smaller teams just trying to scrape by enough cash for entry fees, meat, beer, etc, it is all we can do to pull of a weekend of competing.

PC has no allure in anyway for us.
We don't covet the win, because it is a game of favorites, not bbq (last PC we entered was won by grilled ribs covered in pizza sauce), and the added work/risks with selling to the public outweighs any potential gain in our world.

 

[Slamdunkpro]

Let's call it what it really is. People's Choice competitions are an attendance gimmick and that's fine. I enjoy talking to spectators but we don't have the space or (usually) the manpower to serve out of our site. Throw an extra butt in for PC with a 10:30 or 2pm turn in? Sure. Cook a butt or a bunch of ribs for a Friday night even? No.

 

[caseydog]

Thanks for all the thoughtful replies.

It sounds like most of you like the idea of spectator participation and People's Choice competition, but the execution is off.

It seems to me that if organizers communicate well to spectators, you should be able to have that five or so hours of uninterrupted time to get your turn ins done. I work at a lot of high end car shows, and see people walk among million-dollar cars without touching them, and the owners love to talk about them to anyone who wants to listen. Judging is different, but still happens with spectators present.

It seems to me that organizers need to make sure there are proper boundaries in place between public time and "leave us alone" time. I have been to races and shows where people have been scolded for being where they shouldn't be, and nine times out of ten, it was because the organizers didn't make it clear where people were allowed, and not allowed to go -- and when they could be there and when they could not.

As for People's Choice, why not have people vote via the "Tip Jar" method? If you like the food, drop some coin into the tip jar at that booth. All money goes to charity. That's just one idea. There has to be a way to make PC fun for everyone, and raise money for a worthy cause.

Personally, I would think that putting PC cooking after the turn-ins are done would be a good way for stressed out competitors to unwind, drink a few beers, and cook for the fun of cooking. Kind of a "cool down lap" after the race.

Just some thoughts. Thanks again for the helpful replies.

CD

 

[Bigmista]

Well we don't actually "sell". The event sells $2 tickets to the public. They can in turn give you a ticket for a 2 oz. sample. At the end of the day, you turn in your tickets and get $1 for each one. HD generally has different rules for sampling than they do for full on vending.

 

[Pigs on Fire]

Casey,

I can tell you that the only PITA from the general public I have seen is on Friday nights where there is a concert in conjunction with the contest and there's 2-5k people there. Many of them end up knee-walking drunk and some end up in your cook site. We are not there to babysit and entertain drunks.

If I had a restaurant, I would love the ticket/jar voting method and the handing out of the samples at the cook site...as I would have other people to show up and handle the People's Choice duty. We don't and therefore there is no benefit to us to endure that type of People's Choice contest. It takes more people and time than you think. Just like some teams don't show up to a contest to party, they don't show up to feed the public involuntarily.

I like interacting with the public as long as they're not drunk and in my face screaming about my imaginary friends.

I actually think that contest organizers should make PC mandatory for the teams or pay a higher entry fee. It helps promote the contests and gives the public a chance to do what they are thinking they are showing up for- an all-you-can-eat BBQ buffet. But I want the contest organizers to handle it, hand it out and do blind judging of some sort if they are going to hand out prizes/cash. I don't want to do a popularity contest.

I want the public to come out to the events. I want them interacting with the teams, finding some favorite teams and even staying for awards.

 

[SirPorkaLot]

Casey,

I can tell you that the only PITA from the general public I have seen is on Friday nights where there is a concert in conjunction with the contest and there's 2-5k people there. Many of them end up knee-walking drunk and some end up in your cook site. We are not there to babysit and entertain drunks.

If I had a restaurant, I would love the ticket/jar voting method and the handing out of the samples at the cook site...as I would have other people to show up and handle the People's Choice duty. We don't and therefore there is no benefit to us to endure that type of People's Choice contest. It takes more people and time than you think. Just like some teams don't show up to a contest to party, they don't show up to feed the public involuntarily.

I like interacting with the public as long as they're not drunk and in my face screaming about my imaginary friends.

I actually think that contest organizers should make PC mandatory for the teams or pay a higher entry fee. It helps promote the contests and gives the public a chance to do what they are thinking they are showing up for- an all-you-can-eat BBQ buffet. But I want the contest organizers to handle it, hand it out and do blind judging of some sort if they are going to hand out prizes/cash. I don't want to do a popularity contest.

I want the public to come out to the events. I want them interacting with the teams, finding some favorite teams and even staying for awards.

+1

What he said. :becky:

 

[Jeffp]

I have to agree with RoofTop and BigMista. I don't do PC with the expectation of winning, I really do it with the intention of recouping some of my costs (usually doesnt work out that way) and more importantly, promote real BBQ and our sport to the public. These poeple who spend money to come to an event want to try BBQ, good BBQ, stuff created by people who have spent years and countless hours perfecting their craft. Most people have had it at a restaurant and think they know good BBQ however rarely does a restaurant serve great BBQ.
I cant cook enough food to provide samples all afternoon nor do I plan to, but sharing what I have made and promoting our sport is important to me. Without the public attending our events, sponsors wont be backing them and we all lose.

 

[gooose53]

In the SCBA (South Carolina BBQ Assoc) we do PC at almost every event. The event almost always benefits a charity of some sort. Some contests provide the meat and some don't. It's always held on Friday nights. I don't mind doing them for the most part. I enjoy interacting with the public and explaining what it is we do. I've won a fair amount of PC contests and lost some as well but always have a good time. I understand that the money is going to a charity and that's the way you have to look at it.

 

[paydabill]

Washington has a people's choice - it is Saturday after turn ins. They do it right, they provide the meat and a person to serve it to the public. It brings in a lot of people and money. I am glad to participate.

What we usually do is take our left over competition pork and use it. Since we cook 2 butts already.

 

[Jorge]

Personally, I would think that putting PC cooking after the turn-ins are done would be a good way for stressed out competitors to unwind, drink a few beers, and cook for the fun of cooking. Kind of a "cool down lap" after the race.

Just some thoughts. Thanks again for the helpful replies.

CD

I appreciated the perspective, but this one really stood out to me. After taking a day or more off from work, setting up, prep, dealing with the elements, and cooking....AND then getting everything turned in after dealing with issues a lot of folks are ready for A beer before packing up to go home. Once there they have to clean up, put stuff away, catch up on things around the house...and go to work on Monday.

I've seen a lot of different ways to make PC work accross the country. What works in California may not be a good fit for Iowa, and what works in the NE may not fit in Georgia.

I think it's up to the organizer and teams of individual events to determine if there is some middle ground based on what they have to deal with. If a team just doesn't have the cooker space, or people to do it they might be willing to bring something pre cooked and turned in to a central site if it's allowed. The majority of cooks that I know will do whatever they can to support any organizer that supports them and makes the effort to meet them in the middle.

That being said....cooks are like a bunch of old widow women that will gossip and complain about ANYTHING!:heh:

 

[G$]

JOKE ALERT JOKE ALERT JOKE ALERT JOKE ALERT

That being said....cooks are like a bunch of old widow women that will gossip and complain about ANYTHING!:heh:

Wow Jorge, I can not believe the BOD would have a position like that. :caked:

Seriously though, the last thing I want/can do after brisket turn in is prep more and serve meat.

I also think "Peoples Choice" really needs to be used consistently in discussions like this. "Split proceed Taste Tickets" are not the same as "PC voting for awards". I sometimes do the former and would never do the latter unless the raw materials were provided.

On a personal level, the more I do this, the less rewarding (and feasible) the PC/Taste tickets usually are.

 

[Jorge]

It was nice to just be able to be a cook for a change:heh: Zinger accepted:mrgreen:

JOKE ALERT JOKE ALERT JOKE ALERT JOKE ALERT



Wow Jorge, I can not believe the BOD would have a position like that. :caked:

Seriously though, the last thing I want/can do after brisket turn in is prep more and serve meat.

I also think "Peoples Choice" really needs to be used consistently in discussions like this. "Split proceed Taste Tickets" are not the same as "PC voting for awards". I sometimes do the former and would never do the latter unless the raw materials were provided.

On a personal level, the more I do this, the less rewarding (and feasible) the PC/Taste tickets usually are.

 

[Nordy]

One comp here asks for a "donation" of leftover comp meat which they then sell to the general public for the charity... seems reasonable, BUT it does cost me my leftovers which my butcher, office staff, friends, and many others enjoy...

I like the "split the ticket proceeds" option...

 

[MrsMista]

We did one people's choice event where if you wanted to vote you picked up a ballot and turned it in. The teams never knew you were voting for them. One guy said earlier he has not desire to sell bbq he just wants to compete. I'm all for that if you can afford it. The reason I usually give into the people's choice contest it's a way to promote our catering business. I could give two hoots if they ever come to the market and buy something to eat. And in the bbq business winning a trophy in any category always impresses your potential clientele.

I see bbq businesses that have won one local competition and market that badge of honor into the ground. Neil competes because he loves bbq, camaraderie, and feeding people. I don't fuss about it much anymore because it keeps him happy.

 

[Gowan]

Doing People's Choice is about supporting the organizer. Hopefully they make it as painless and inexpensive as possible by charging no entry fee, supplying raw meat, allowing pre-cooked & reheated meat, etc.

If PC is structured in a way that is doable for us, we'll help out. If not (i.e. it is looked at as a "real" contest, we opt out). Frankly PC is as big a bother for organizers as it is for teams, but it's the best answer that anyone has come up with to the question the public always asks: "Where do I get BBQ at this BBQ festival?"

The bottom line: Organizers need the public to hold contests and we need those contests, so PC is a sometimes a neccessary evil.

 

[roksmith]

From our organizer's committee, I can say that we see it as a 3 fold opportunity.
1. The public loves to taste the bbq and interact with the competitors.
2. It provides an income to the contest by collecting money from the public without charging an entrance fee.
3. It provides the teams who may not have had a great weekend to make a few bucks.

Our PC contest does onsite sampling because the public prefers it that way.
It may not provide the most fair competition between teams, but that's what the KCBS portion of the event provides. The onsite sampling seems to bring a little MBN flavor into the contest..with the little dog and pony show.

We also provide the meat at no cost to the contestants.
This makes it not really cost the competitors much beyond a little rack space and some time.

We also do provide cash prizes to (I believe) the top 3 or 4 teams.
That provides a little more incentive to the teams to compete providing our public with more opportunities to sample and interact.

It works for us pretty well..the public is happy, the contest make a few extra bucks and the teams that like to interact with the public has a chance to make a few bucks.
Do hometown folks have an advantage? Sure. In the 3 years we've run with this format, 2 local teams have won, but the second year it was a traveling team..so it can be done.

 

[Robert]

Here is the way that I view people's choice in the heartland (Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas and Arkansas). Most, not all, are hosting a cook-off as a part of some charity, whether it be the chamber of commerce, rotary, elks, etc. Usually the meat is donated for the PC. They hope to make money from the $5 sampler kit they sell to the public. Sometimes, the only money they raise for the charity is from those kit sales. Any of you who have ever ran a cook-off know the expense that goes in. If they make very little for the charity from the cook-off, the next committe meeting might be on the lines of: Let's ditch this and have a car wash! And cook-off for next year is no longer.

So, my advice is this and it is something that we have followed for years. Give without expectation of getting back. Most, not all, surely have room for one extra butt or brisket. It doesn't take long to season and we do nothing special to that meat. We have a large cooker and always volunteer to cook extra and usually do, but only after others have had their chance to volunteer. Oh, and we have never won a PC anywhere, even in our home town. We just want the cook-off to be successful and raise money for the charity and hope they host again next year. The only caveat that we have is they must hand out the samples.

Perhaps if you look at the people's choice situation from this perspective, you will see where you are the benefactor from just a little effort and you get to go back to that town and cook again next year.

Robert

 

[Fat Freddy]

Kinda ironic that in the mail moments ago I got a thing for signing up for a contest. In this mailing PC was mentioned here is the last sentence of the paragraph "We will be notifying each team as to what quantities of meat the will be receiving" Then later in the rules it says that for PC they would like all chicken pulled and all pork butt(S) pulled. This was the contest that had me do 6 pork butts for PC last year.

So only using this contest, no mention of charity for PC, unknown amount of meat I will have to cook, and I will have to pull chicken before serving it to public.:wacko:

I think it is safe to say that i will not be doing this PC this year if I can get out of it.

 

[cpw]

In all of the South Carolina BBQ sanctioned events that I've competed in, each team is given a case of butts (usually 8 ) to cook for both the competition and people's choice. The team decides what they want to do with the meat in terms of rub, injection, etc, but they also have their choice of 8 butts to cook for competition. Whatever doesn't get turned in for judging gets put into warming trays for public consumption. Normally, there's a $5 or $10 ticket charge, but it's basically all you can eat bbq for the public who come to the event, served by event volunteers. Some comps haven't had a peoples choice award to go with the public sampling, and some have.