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THE 2020 NATIONAL CONFERENCE SPEAKER LINE-UP
Darian Kosmo Almost everyone has used Kosmo’s products from rubs to brisket injections, so he is no outsider to the world of BBQ, especially competi- tive BBQ. In 2009 Kosmo’s Q entered the world and with a lot of hard work it’s val- ued at 10 million dollars! Nothing worth
having comes very easy and Darian (or Kosmo as most know him as) is proof of this. He will take us on his long journey, with all the bumps and potholes included, to show us how he got to where he is today. Make no mistake, Kosmo knows it’s a Long Road to Success.
Michael McDearman No stranger to major BBQ events around the country, Michael has seen everything, especially from his involvement in the Sam’s Club National BBQ Tour. He is an outdoor, live-昀re cooking spokesperson with a demonstrated history of market-
ing/strategic planning in the barbecue and grilling industry. Michael’s business background includes skills in food & bever- age, market planning, advertising, sales, and entrepreneurial solutions. This makes him the prime choice for The BBQ Busi- ness Reality Check.
Mike McCloud In addition to being the owner and founder of MMA, Mike refers to himself as a ‘foodie.’ This is why he had the idea about 10 years ago to begin a food competition like none other, thus the World Food Cham- pionship was born. Competitors from the
homecook to the most experienced chef to the grill/pitmaster travel from all over the world to be a part of this event. Secur- ing major sponsors and premier locations, make Mike a lead- ing expert and will be using this expertise as he tells us the Key Factors to a Successful Event.
Kell Phelps Editor and publish- er of the National BBQ News for over 30 years, Kell is no stranger to the BBQ world. More speci昀cally, he is no strang- er to the NBBQA having served as Pres- ident and currently sits on the board of directors. To commemorate 30 years of the National BBQ News, Kell has em-
barked on a national BBQ tour which will take him to BBQ events around the country. He already had a 昀nger on the pulse of the BBQ community and this tour will further solidify this, which makes him the perfect speaker for the topic Chang- es in the BBQ World.
Dewayne Poynter
A Kentucky local, Dewayne owns and operates Rib Lickers BBQ in Bowling Green, KY as well as BBQBrokers.com. He has appeared on many television shows including those appearing on the Food Network. BBQ in Kentucky
is unlike BBQ in other parts of the country and is more than fried chicken. Dewayne is not only serving as the Conference Committee’s point person in Kentucky but is excited to lead a session on the Kentucky BBQ Experience.
Ben Arnot Sometimes we have trouble using Facebook, Twitter and In- stagram to get the word out about what we do. Gary V says we really need to be on TikTok and LinkedIn in order to stay up with where the people are watch- ing. Ben understands what it takes to be
constantly developing content social media and his podcast, Smoking Hot Confessions. You will learn how to Accelerate your brand through e昀icient and deliberate content planning. This will be for those of the Beginner to Intermediate level in this tool we call social media. If you struggle with this, then you’ll want to make sure you attend Strategic Social Media Marketing Kentucky BBQ Experience.
Kendall Adair In our business shipping can be an issue and costly. Ken- dall, who has been doing logistics for a majoring trucking company for several years, will be here to answer all of your logistic questions from whole truck de- liveries to when you just need to send
a partial pallet. The information Kendall is bringing to the NBBQA is guaranteed to save your business money and we all need to do that.
As you can see from this snippet of breakout sessions, this year’s NBBQA is raising the bar to help you elevate your business of BBQ!
FEBRUARY 2020
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