KANSAS CITY BARBEQUE SOCIETY LAUNCHES INNOVATIVE INITIATIVES

The Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) is proud to announce two groundbreaking initiatives aimed at amplifying member voices and honoring excellence within the barbeque community.
KCBS is excited to introduce the KCBS Community Advisory Group (CAG), Monthly Experience Survey (MES), and Quarterly Sentiment Survey (QSS). These initiatives signify a commitment to fostering two-way communication between leadership and the barbeque community. The 34-member CAG, representing diverse backgrounds and demographics, will meet monthly to provide input on key initiatives, ensuring balanced and inclusive growth. Complementing the CAG, the MES, and QSS will survey members regularly, giving every member an equal voice in shaping KCBS programs and initiatives.
"As KCBS continues growing, it's critical that we keep an open dialogue with our members and embed their voices into our evolution," stated Thomas Gearhart, Chair of the CAG and KCBS Board member. "The CAG, MES, and QSS strengthen our commitment to the barbeque community by ensuring we understand and address their needs."
In tandem with these member engagement efforts, KCBS is proud to establish the KCBS Hall of Fame, a prestigious recognition program honoring the most accomplished competitive barbeque cooks, certified barbeque judges, contest organizers, and representatives. The Hall of Fame will celebrate the true masters and pioneers who have elevated the craft of barbeque.
"Barbeque is a celebrated culinary art form and sporting discipline, and the KCBS Hall of Fame will recognize the true masters and pioneers who have elevated the craft," said Joel Fleetwood, President of the KCBS Board of Directors. "With clearly defined qualification standards, the Hall of Fame cements the awards’ legitimacy and ensures only the most exceptional competitors earn this highest honor."
The KCBS Hall of Fame, codified through a Board Resolution, will establish separate qualification criteria for each inductee category. "From regional cook-offs to the biggest national championships, only a small fraction of pitmasters consistently deliver competition-winning performance year after year," said Randy Todd, KCBS Vice President. "The Competitive Cooks criteria ensure we honor the 'best of the best' based on empirical results, not subjective judging."
"We're thrilled to introduce these initiatives that engage our members and honor excellence within the barbeque community," added Gearhart. "The CAG, MES, and QSS ensure that member voices guide our path forward, while the Hall of Fame celebrates the outstanding achievements of our most talented competitors, judges, organizers, and representatives."
 
The application window for the CAG will open following the KCBS World Invitational, with MES and QSS launching in Q3 2024. Additionally, induction ceremonies for the KCBS Hall of Fame will be held annually, with the inaugural class under the points criteria to be announced at the 2024 banquet. KCBS looks forward to the continued growth and celebration of barbeque excellence with these new initiatives.