(Editor's Note: Francis Dutton will be writing a series of 6 guest columns on a variety of Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) topics, from the perspective of a contest organizer, and a KCBS Master BBQ Judge. This is the sixth and final column in this series. Enjoy! Francis will continue writing a monthly column for BBQ CRITIC.
The organizer has a very unique perspective when it comes to KCBS Certified BBQ Judges (CBJs/MCBJs). An organizer cannot have a contest without Teams, nor can their contest go forward without BBQ Judges In this, my final article in the series, I will talk about the importance of judges from an organizers perspective.
Becoming an organizer was the next logical step in my BBQ career. I started out as SMOKIN’ BONZ BBQ competition team w/my wife Christine in 2005, 2 years in I became a CBJ, judged contests when I was not competing, stopped competing as a team in 2019, became a MCBJ in 2020 and in 2021became a KCBS Pro Series Organizer for King of the Corn in Ottumwa, Ia (formerly knows as Smoketoberfest). This is by far the hardest thing I have ever done.
An organizer wears many hats and has many things to accomplish before the contest ever starts or gets off the ground. But after all the requirements, getting all things in order, getting Teams to come to the contest, then next thing is to make sure that you have a full compliment of KCBS Certified BBQ Judges ready to come to your contest.
BBQ judges attend contests all over the nation and world. They do it for the love of BBQ. They do this all for “Free.” Judges travel many hundreds and thousands of miles each year to judge. They incur all expenses associated with being a judge. They pay to take the judging class to be come a KCBS CBJ. When they travel to contests they pay for meals, hotels, gas etc just to have a place and be a part of the judging process at BBQ contests. Judges come for all walks of life, education and backgrounds. These judges all have one thing in common, the love of sampling, tasting and judging competition BBQ from some of the worlds finest professional BBQ Teams.
An organizers goal each year for their contest, when it comes to judges, is to have 100% KCBS BBQ CBJS/MCBJs. It protects the integrity of the contest for everyone involved. It also give the Teams the satisfaction of knowing their turn-ins are being judge by the rules set forth by KCBS. It also is feather in the cap of an organizer to have 100% CBJs/MCBJs. Some of theses judges will be set at table to judge the 4 meat categories, some will be Table Captains, some will help renumber boxes for double blind judging, other will work the left over table and others will fill positions as directed by the KCBS Reps who are in charge of the judges the day of the contest.
It is important for an organizer to keep in constant contact with all judges once they has been selected as part of the judging process for the contest. As an organizer my judges get no less than five (5) emails letting them know they have been selected. Those emails include information needed for the judges not only to be able to get the contest, but what is expected from those judges for my contest
That information is included in a very detailed “Judges” Letter attachment. Click on images below to view the judges letter I send out with every email. Again this letter goes out to all judges at least five (5) times. That way there is nothing left to chance on what my expectations are for them at the contest.
Becoming an organizer was the next logical step in my BBQ career. I started out as SMOKIN’ BONZ BBQ competition team w/my wife Christine in 2005, 2 years in I became a CBJ, judged contests when I was not competing, stopped competing as a team in 2019, became a MCBJ in 2020 and in 2021became a KCBS Pro Series Organizer for King of the Corn in Ottumwa, Ia (formerly knows as Smoketoberfest). This is by far the hardest thing I have ever done.
An organizer wears many hats and has many things to accomplish before the contest ever starts or gets off the ground. But after all the requirements, getting all things in order, getting Teams to come to the contest, then next thing is to make sure that you have a full compliment of KCBS Certified BBQ Judges ready to come to your contest.
BBQ judges attend contests all over the nation and world. They do it for the love of BBQ. They do this all for “Free.” Judges travel many hundreds and thousands of miles each year to judge. They incur all expenses associated with being a judge. They pay to take the judging class to be come a KCBS CBJ. When they travel to contests they pay for meals, hotels, gas etc just to have a place and be a part of the judging process at BBQ contests. Judges come for all walks of life, education and backgrounds. These judges all have one thing in common, the love of sampling, tasting and judging competition BBQ from some of the worlds finest professional BBQ Teams.
An organizers goal each year for their contest, when it comes to judges, is to have 100% KCBS BBQ CBJS/MCBJs. It protects the integrity of the contest for everyone involved. It also give the Teams the satisfaction of knowing their turn-ins are being judge by the rules set forth by KCBS. It also is feather in the cap of an organizer to have 100% CBJs/MCBJs. Some of theses judges will be set at table to judge the 4 meat categories, some will be Table Captains, some will help renumber boxes for double blind judging, other will work the left over table and others will fill positions as directed by the KCBS Reps who are in charge of the judges the day of the contest.
It is important for an organizer to keep in constant contact with all judges once they has been selected as part of the judging process for the contest. As an organizer my judges get no less than five (5) emails letting them know they have been selected. Those emails include information needed for the judges not only to be able to get the contest, but what is expected from those judges for my contest
That information is included in a very detailed “Judges” Letter attachment. Click on images below to view the judges letter I send out with every email. Again this letter goes out to all judges at least five (5) times. That way there is nothing left to chance on what my expectations are for them at the contest.
As I stated at the beginning, judges are very important to an organizer and their contest. Some judges even ask to come back year after year to your contest. It is important for an organizer to keep track of judges from year to year. It is also very important to keep track of judges who either “do not show up or do no call” to let the organizer know they will not be coming to the contest after they have already committed to be a judge. Organizers rely heavily on judges to be at their contests. When a judge neglects to notify an organizer, it puts a real bind on making sure an organizer has enough 100% CBJs/MCBJs.
It also shows that judges lack of commitment to KCBS, to the contest, to the organizer and to their piers (other judges). All no call/no show judges at my contest go on a list for future reference in case they sign up again the following year. These judges will not be chosen for any future contests. This is something I also outline in the emails that I send.
In closing, to all the judges that show up the day of any contest for all organizers, I thank you very much for your commitment and dedication. It is very much appreciated by all organizers including myself. You are a huge part of any contest and we organizers would not be able to have our contests with your participation.
- FRANCIS
It also shows that judges lack of commitment to KCBS, to the contest, to the organizer and to their piers (other judges). All no call/no show judges at my contest go on a list for future reference in case they sign up again the following year. These judges will not be chosen for any future contests. This is something I also outline in the emails that I send.
In closing, to all the judges that show up the day of any contest for all organizers, I thank you very much for your commitment and dedication. It is very much appreciated by all organizers including myself. You are a huge part of any contest and we organizers would not be able to have our contests with your participation.
- FRANCIS
Links to all 6 of Francis Dutton's articles in this series are listed below...
Article #1 THE KCBS JUDGING PROCESS
Article #2 JUDGING BY THE RULES
Article #3 THE MASTER JUDGE
Article #4 JCUP CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR BBQ JUDGES
Article #5 THE BBQ JUDGE & SOCIAL MEDIA
Article #6 THE BBQ JUDGE “AN ORGANIZERS PERSPECTIVE”
Article #1 THE KCBS JUDGING PROCESS
Article #2 JUDGING BY THE RULES
Article #3 THE MASTER JUDGE
Article #4 JCUP CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR BBQ JUDGES
Article #5 THE BBQ JUDGE & SOCIAL MEDIA
Article #6 THE BBQ JUDGE “AN ORGANIZERS PERSPECTIVE”
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