Increase in registration fees?

[nkay]

This past week I began sending off my registration forms for this coming year and I noticed pretty quickly that most (not all) increased there registration fees. I don't really understand why. KCBS still charges the same, the event insurances may have increased slightly, and most of them have the same prize purses. I could understand a slight increase if the purses were more or if they were offering more to do while there but most are not. Seems like 300 is the common fee this year and then you pay more for a spot bigger then 20 x 30 or 40.

What have others noticed? For a fair comparison, most of my contest are in NC SC and GA.

 

[Pappy Q]

I blame the yankee carpet baggers

 

[Gowan]

It's a little thing called inflation.

The US economy has been in the dumpster for a while so we've forgotten about it, but now prices are on the rise again. (Oil is a special exception at the moment).

As an organizer, all our costs have risen: power, water, rental of tents and chairs, judging materials, signage, trash pickup, etc. etc. When all the dust settles the beancounters have to balance their books, so it's either bump the entry fee $25 or reduce the prize payout here in Euharlee GA.

It's not a big increase, but is isn't insignificant, so we've tried to compensate by giving those folks willing to do without contest-supplied power an equivalent discount, since it is one of our largest expenses.

That's the story from one Georgia contest. Can't vouch for what others are doing.

 

[Skip]

Gowan hit it on the head. Most contests with supplied power have to pay a full weeks rental on a large generator usually from the local heavy equipment rental business. The reason for the week fee is that generators are billed hourly. A weekend contest with power supplied will do so for a good 40 hours many times thus equating to a week. An electrician is usually needed for some if not all of that time as well to assure no downtime and if downtime occurs to get it back up asap. We saw our carting fees jump almost double in the last 5 years. Even the event banners have seen tremendous increases over years past. Many are trying to make generic banners they can pair with smaller less costly new ones with the new sponsor list on them. That being said always do your own math to see if the event is just paying its bills or if its trying to make money. 80% or better of the entry fees turned back into the prize pool means you are probably getting good services and a lot of people involved are giving up a lot of their time for free. One of the contests I was involved in put 94% of the entry fees to the prize pool. 88% was the lowest I think I have seen at a contest I participated in (and was conscious of) or was part of the organization.

Please know many organizers understand how hard this impacted people and most are trying their best to keep costs down. Charities seem to be the best way to go. The charity give you the ability to accept in-kind donations in lieu of a monetary donation. So services towards the event are written off at full retail while the service provider gets to give it at cost. Now a contest can go with a cost decrease of 25-50% for goods and services thus extending the budget. Many rental companies are willing to forgo any profit in lieu of operation costs. We also call on the local church or youth organizations to supply volunteers in return for letters of completion/participation from the charity. These letters bode well for ambitious young people looking for those community service points on their college application.

 

[dr pearl]

I have not noticed any increases in most of the northeast comps. They have always been in the 250-300 range, a bit higher than what i have noticed for entry fees in other parts of the country

 

[backdraftbbq]

The comps that I did last year seem to have the same pricing $250-400, not sure about the new ones though.

 

[masque13]

I'm currently doing five comps this year. most are in the 250-275 range without ordering an extra shirt or two.

I truly understand what Gowan is saying and it is legitimate.......the biggest issue I have is that the cost of doing BBQ far outweighs any money brought in to this point. I have one partner who has fallen on hard times, which has resulted in me funding 100% of what we do.

So that does briefly make me question my involvement at times......and when I usually get over that brief period of questioning it my wife is there to ensure that I continue to question it.