Non-Payment of Prize Money at Chattahoochee River BBQ Competition

We are the team that won Allentown and did not get paid. The organizer made a couple of small payments to keep us quiet in the months that followed, then repeatedly broke promises to make payments. KCBS advised me that my best recourse was to take the organizer to small claims court, which I did. I drove to Allentown and the organizer did not show up for the hearing. It was just me and the judge in the room, and I told him the story and he awarded me a judgment of the full amount owed and court costs, just over three grand.

Now I have a judgment against him that I need to pursue. I feel for anyone that is going through this again. We came away feeling like someone stole our wallets. It has caused us to reconsider whether to attend first year contests. The good thing is that the contest does count for the draw.

As for KCBS, it's a tough spot. I understand their need to help organizers to get contests off the ground, but they also need to be able to identify when an organizer is biting off more than they could chew, which is exactly what happened in Allentown. I believe the organizer would have paid every dime if huge crowds showed up and he made his score as he expected. But you cannot collect $10K in entry fees from contest teams and expect to just walk away when the public it was your job to deliver does not show up.

I have spoken to KCBS President Mike Peters on my case and the overall issue, and have every confidence that this is on his radar. KCBS was very helpful in the process and responsive whenever I reached out. They are creditors too and say they will not take a dime until all the teams are paid. I understand some Allentown teams have been receiving payments even recently, I encourage you to stay on him and get what you deserve.

I have been quiet about this because it was in the legal process. Sorry for the long post. Thought I would post it here because it seems relevant.

DR said:

I am by no means an organizer so i was just thinking out loud. I did, however, help put on some rodeos back about 15 years ago and all my added money was collected up front.

But like i said, i am not a BBQ organizer and my hats off to all of you that work so hard to put these on. I was just thinking out loud.

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My apologies if my response seemed to point fingers. I, too, was just thinking out loud. :becky:

Big Poppa said:

here is another side...with the comp costs so high most teams are living from comp to comp....so for the last two years at the Guinea Pig I have had teams sign up and say "Ill pay you at the contest, Im good for it" Each of the last two years I have had a total of 5 no show and not pay and since there is no sponsor and the prize money comes from the full contest entry fees, I am out the money each year. The teams that did it the first year were upset they were denied entry the second year.

As much as it pains me (hahahah) to admit but KCBS does require a lot of information before you get on the website.

I know that this is not on topic per se but it is another side of money and organizers.

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Big Poppa-So how do we protect the competitors? No competitors, no contest.

I think that the current trend is about to run it's course. KCBS began as a bunch of BBQ enthusiast who were happy to support charities to run a contest. Then money became the focus of teams and the willingness to support the charities declined. Then contest became a balancing act of both groups trying to make money. If you look at recent history there are very few long term contest. It is a losing proposition to run a contest to support anything. Those who try discover the realities to late to get out.

mobow said:

I think that the current trend is about to run it's course. KCBS began as a bunch of BBQ enthusiast who were happy to support charities to run a contest. Then money became the focus of teams and the willingness to support the charities declined. Then contest became a balancing act of both groups trying to make money. If you look at recent history there are very few long term contest. It is a losing proposition to run a contest to support anything. Those who try discover the realities to late to get out.

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I agree in one sense that BBQ contests are weak vehicles for charity fundraisers. Several times each year I am approached by eager representatives of various charities who are all excited about setting up a new event. I tell them all that a Pro BBQ Contest will require three times the work they are expecting and deliver one third of the money they hope to raise. I recommend they consider simpler, proven fundraisers like a golf tournament, silent auction or pancake breakfast.

However I do NOT agree that the community contest is dead and nothing will be left but the megashows put on by for-profit promoters. Few events deliver on the promise of community building and regional tourism like a BBQ festival, and that is where the backing should come from - local government, Chambers, DDA's and visitor centers. When a small town event is firmly focused on bringing folks to town instead of raising money, BBQ contests flourish. And yes, a charitable component can still exist, just without the pressure of being somebody's primary fundraiser for the year.

Good examples of such events can be found all over the South, from the small event I organize in Euharlee, GA to the big Sevierville, TN event. In summary, the challenge is in managing expectations; the recent boom in the popularity of BBQ may have created more ill-advised events than we used to see in the past.

Gowan said:

However I do NOT agree that the community contest is dead and nothing will be left but the megashows put on by for-profit promoters. Few events deliver on the promise of community building and regional tourism like a BBQ festival, and that is where the backing should come from - local government, Chambers, DDA's and visitor centers. When a small town event is firmly focused on bringing folks to town instead of raising money, BBQ contests flourish. And yes, a charitable component can still exist, just without the pressure of being somebody's primary fundraiser for the year.

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Couldn't agree more with this statement. BBQ Contests around the southeast have exposed me to small towns that I probably never would have gone to otherwise. Some of those towns I've gone back to with friends and/or family for day trips to get to see more of the area. BBQ Contests are great exposure for small towns.