Contest Organizers
Although organizers of Georgia BBQ Championship sanctioned events are the parties ultimately responsible for their contests, in furtherance of its stated mission of promoting barbecue excellence, encouraging competitive spirit, and educating the public about barbecue as an American cuisine, the GBC would like to remind all cooks, judges, volunteers, and any other event participants that they are subject to to all applicable Georgia laws, executive orders, and guidelines intended to limit the spread of COVID-19, as well as the Updated KCBS Procedures and Safety Guidelines for KCBS-Sanctioned Activities.
We value contest organizers because without them, contests would not happen. Most of our Board knows just how stressful starting a new contest, or even maintaining an existing contest, can be. We know the highs and the lows of planning. We understand the mechanics to a successful event are not just focused solely on teams, or fundraising, or event planning, but rather a much broader focus of fitting the puzzle pieces together to work best for your location and your specific type of event.
Organizers are encouraged to reach out to our Board of Directors at any time for help, guidance, or knowledge of procedures, rules and regulations, dos and don'ts, etc whether you're getting a contest up and running for the first time, or re-sanctioning with the GBC year after year. Our Board of Directors has a vested interest in making sure that your event is the best it can be.
You can send any query about your organizing duties or expectations to any one of our board members in the About GBC section, or you can send us a contact request just through the website and we'll reach out to you after we receive it.
Some highlights of expectations and requirements for GBC organizers:
- Must be sanctioned with KCBS prior to GBC even considering your application.
- Must fill out and sign the GBC contest application and either email it or mail it, along with your payment of $150 to the GBC.
- Must give the GBC a paid entry to your contest for our use to auction at the annual GBC banquet/event/at our discretion through the year.
- Must submit your request for sanctioning before 150 days from the date of your event (in special circumstances the GBC Board will take under advisement certain events that may apply after the 150 day deadline-- for sanctioning).
- You will need a way for teams and judges to connect with you and ask questions about your event. The GBC hosts limited information about your event on our website but it is the duty of the organizer(s) to maintain some page, portal, or website for teams and judges to view information about your event and learn how to apply.
- Cancellations & Postponements-- Any organizer of a sanctioned GBC event must submit in writing within 10 days prior to their event, a formal notice to the GBC of their intention to either cancel their event or postpone their event. In either case, no refund is issued, however, if an organizer wishes to postpone their event, the GBC will forward their previous fee(s) to the new date of their choosing for up to the end of the next season, but not later than that.
Organizers are expected to routinely make posts, whether on their own page, or in the GBC's group pages on Facebook, about important information regarding their event for teams to view. We urge organizers to also post information regarding a lack of teams if the event has not hit their quota for whatever reason. The GBC is not liable for an event's cancellation or postponement.
