Dear Organizer (sign ups)

Slamdunkpro · Feb 27, 2015

Dear Contest Organizer.

A few thoughts about signing up for your contest:

It's 2015, if you are going to post a PDF sign up form online please take 10 extra minutes and make it fillable.
How about a box for KCBS number or team name and head cook name followed by a box "All information is the same as last year"
Online sign ups are great but can we get basic contest info (where, when, how much) without going through the whole sign up process first?
Please put all the basic info (where, when, how much, etc) on the same web page; preferably the first one.
Please give us a real locatable street address for the contest (gps coordinates even better), "In the big park" doesn't help the out of towners
Please include a "Make any award checks payable to:" line. Many competitors can't cash checks made out to their team name.
If our only choice is hand filling out your entry form please make the spaces big enough.

Thanks!

sdbbq1234 · Feb 27, 2015

Amen!!!

Gowan · Feb 28, 2015

Interesting. Here is a response from an organizer:

#1 I go one better and provide an online registration form. When you check in at the contest, you sign the waiver.
#2 Not happening. While I'm sure *you* would never do it, there are too many folks who will check that box whose info has changed, or who didn't cook with us last year.
#3 Done.
#4 Done.
#5 Done. I included written directions and an address that will get your there with Google maps, since the actual street address doesn't work with most GPS.
#6 Good idea. I will make that addition.
#7 I don't offer an offline application. If you're so old school that you can't use the Internet, you'll have to call me and have me register for you. If you don't own a phone, then maybe the world of competition BBQ ain't for you, Sparky!

Mac Attack BBQ · Mar 3, 2015

And please include Paypal or some type of online payment option. Much easier, and no chance for a check to be lost (either mishandled on the receivers end or in the mail, just happened to me). The extra $33 it cost to cancel the check only adds to the cost of the contest.

Porcine Perfection · Mar 3, 2015

Mac Attack BBQ said:
And please include Paypal or some type of online payment option. Much easier, and no chance for a check to be lost (either mishandled on the receivers end or in the mail, just happened to me). The extra $33 it cost to cancel the check only adds to the cost of the contest.

Are you willing to pay any PayPal service/transaction fees?

Slamdunkpro · Mar 3, 2015

Porcine Perfection said:
Are you willing to pay any PayPal service/transaction fees?

$9 is going to break your contest?

Porcine Perfection · Mar 3, 2015

Slamdunkpro said:
$9 is going to break your contest?

You wish it was $9. The fee is around 3.4%. For a $10,000 prize fund that is $340.

Slamdunkpro · Mar 3, 2015

Porcine Perfection said:
You wish it was $9. The fee is around 3.4%. For a $10,000 prize fund that is $340.

It's 2.9%+ 30 cents per transaction. For a $300 entry fee that's $9.

Porcine Perfection · Mar 3, 2015

Slamdunkpro said:
It's 2.9%+ 30 cents per transaction. For a $300 entry fee that's $9.

My mistake. I thought the poster was referring to receiving prize payouts via PayPal.

$9 a team is still $450 coming out of the prize fund for a 50 team comp.

Mac Attack BBQ · Mar 3, 2015

If it's an advertised prize pool, I would expect a contest to pay as advertised no matter what the expenses are.

Rookie'48 · Mar 3, 2015

Include a street address - "the south end of the big park" won't work on my Garmin.
And a WORKING phone number - not the one that has the recording telling me what your office hours are. That isn't worth much if I get delayed on the way in to judge on Saturday morning.

Gowan · Mar 3, 2015

Something to keep in mind: in addition to merchant fees, events that are put on by municipalities often are not able to accept funds by credit card. I realize electronic payment has been around for some time, but the wheels of Government move at glacial speed.

djqualls · Mar 4, 2015

Slamdunkpro said:
$9 is going to break your contest?

No disrespect but, as a cook first and an organizer second. Your mentality is the kind of "High Maintenance Team" that I really don't want anyway.

We are going to quickly find out that "High Maintenance Teams" are becoming a principal reason that community organized contests are dying out. I can name a hand full of contests that folded because the committee's decided that putting up with teams wasn't worth the hassle of the "Attraction" that Pro BBQ teams bring to their community events.

As a team, I know its a pain that not all contests are up to date technologically. I cook the contests that I go to because I like the event and would enter them if I had to hand write my entry on notebook paper and pay with nickels.

Slamdunkpro · Mar 4, 2015

Porcine Perfection said:
My mistake. I thought the poster was referring to receiving prize payouts via PayPal.

$9 a team is still $450 coming out of the prize fund for a 50 team comp.

That's assuming that every team pays via Paypal.

Slamdunkpro · Mar 4, 2015

djqualls said:
No disrespect but, as a cook first and an organizer second. Your mentality is the kind of "High Maintenance Team" that I really don't want anyway.

We are going to quickly find out that "High Maintenance Teams" are becoming a principal reason that community organized contests are dying out. I can name a hand full of contests that folded because the committee's decided that putting up with teams wasn't worth the hassle of the "Attraction" that Pro BBQ teams bring to their community events.

As a team, I know its a pain that not all contests are up to date technologically. I cook the contests that I go to because I like the event and would enter them if I had to hand write my entry on notebook paper and pay with nickels.

If you think these suggestions are high maintenance you need to get out more.

FWIW I agree about true "High Maintenance Teams" killing contests. To me High Maintenance Teams are the ones that want a 60' space, 50amp electric, full RV hook up and want it all for a $200 entry fee. High Maintenance Teams are the ones that show up and try to plug into the 20 amp contest service and run their AC, Microwave and 40,000 watt sound system then complain when the breakers blow; they suck up all the water pressure filling their hot tub; they try to maneuver a 35' RV into a 30' space instead of parking down on the end where there's room because "the other space is closer to turn in's". High Maintenance Teams want to come in on Wednesday morning and leave Sunday night and expect full power and water the entire time they're there. High Maintenance Teams refuse to do people's choice contests or participate in any kind of public relations for the contest such as BBQ tours. High Maintenance Teams do these things then savage your contest online, call for boycotts of the contest next year if the contest doesn't bring it's infrastructure up to their standards.

thesemicullen · Mar 4, 2015

Slamdunkpro said:
Dear Contest Organizer.

A few thoughts about signing up for your contest:

It's 2015, if you are going to post a PDF sign up form online please take 10 extra minutes and make it fillable.

Thanks!

Just FYI, if you have the full version of Acrobat, you can always use the Typewriter tool to type on the document regardless of whether or not it is fillable.

I think the free version of PDF Exchange will do it, too.

Slamdunkpro · Mar 4, 2015

thesemicullen said:
Just FYI, if you have the full version of Acrobat, you can always use the Typewriter tool to type on the document regardless of whether or not it is fillable.

I think the free version of PDF Exchange will do it, too.

I have the full version. If the form isn't fillable I usually make it fillable then send it back to the organizer both blank and filled with our information in case they want to repost the fillable version.

MikeJ65 · Mar 4, 2015

I don't have a problem with a pdf being fillable or not. As long as the information and form pop up at the end of the KCBS link, I'm more than happy.

I have suggested to KCBS multiple times to require organizers to submit 1) team application, 2) judge application, 3) payout summary/contest info page to be posted on the KCBS website. If signup or info is available on the organizer's website, links can be provided instead of pdfs. How much time do organizers and teams waste emailing back and forth to get a form, mailing address, or contest details?

BBQScores seems to be trying to lead the way here in the absence of a KCBS effort. David, thanks for using them for your contests. It was a simple way to sign up and pay.

I would like to think we are a low maintenance team. Reliable power and water somewhere within walking distance and we are fine. The occasional fireplace equipped port-a-john is nice, but not required.

Dear Organizer (sign ups)

Slamdunkpro

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sdbbq1234

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Gowan

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Mac Attack BBQ

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Porcine Perfection

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Slamdunkpro

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Porcine Perfection

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Slamdunkpro

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Porcine Perfection

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Mac Attack BBQ

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Rookie'48

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Gowan

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djqualls

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Slamdunkpro

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