Page 18 - March2022 Barbecue News Magazine

We Are Back Baby!
Just in case you’ve not heard the news yet, the NBBQA National Confer- ence is Back! April 3-5, 2022, we will be gathering once again at the River Ranch Stockyards in Ft. Worth, TX. We’ve been here before and everyone loved the venue and more than that, we loved just hanging out with one another. The excitement is swirling in the air for the return of the confer- ence. Among the NBBQA family, the Super Bowl excitement has nothing on the conference. We have been waiting to get back together ever since we left the conference in Kansas City back in 2019.
The yearly conference holds a special place in the hearts of those who at- tend and when it was canceled due to Covid, it was as if we missed our best friend. It’s at the conference where the beginner pitmasters walk past a legend such as Myron Mixon, Tuffy Stone, or the late Mike Mills. You have seen them on television and for many, it was because of them they began to take the low and slow
more serious. Perhaps they could
make a living from BBQ. For this
writer, to watch Myron and Tuffy
tease each other was worth much
more than the price of the registra-
tion. Honestly, how can you put a
price on seeing, talking and be-
coming friends with your heroes
because you chose to attend the
national conference. Do you re-
member the MasterCard commer-
cials which mentioned the price of
items then concluded with that one
item which was priceless? We can
put a price tag on the registration, the hotels, the travel expenses but the friendships you’ve made, well, they’re priceless.
The Venue
The River Ranch Stockyards is a place we’ve been to twice before. This event venue is in the historic area of Ft. Worth. Every day is a cattle drive to show spectators what it was like back in 1863. The White Elephant saloon, Hell’s Half Acre and Joe T. Garcia’s all draw visitors from around the coun- try to this general area where we will be talking BBQ. The River Ranch Stockyards has served their community and other groups as they convened here for various events. This beautiful, western looking, yet modern venue is the perfect backdrop for all things outdoor cooking.
On the inside, the décor sets the mood for firing up a cooker for some
scrumptious dinner. The spacious main hall where we will gather for breakfast and the keynote speaker, is large enough to gather to fellowship with one another as we visit the vendors tables. The Foyer, prior to the main hall, transforms into a large buffet every morning where we’ve eaten great breakfasts in the past, and this year will be no different. Then there are the smaller halls where some of the breakout sessions will take place.
Now take a walk with me to the outside, which is behind the grand hall. There is a long porch where many conversations have taken place and some Cheerwine has been downed. This porch overlooks a large yard with and outdoor stage. In the past, many demonstrations have been witnessed from how to prep a hog to learning the different cuts of beef. This year will be no different. Look for pork, beef, and something new (like lamb per- haps) to make its way into the line-up of classes being taught.
The Awards of Excellence
One of the events many are looking forward to the most is the return of the Awards of Excellence, live! For the past two years, we haven’t al- lowed Covid to stop us from going forward with the AOE. Which is commendable of the Board of Di- rectors and the NBBQA family. But it seemed like something was miss- ing and we all know what that was, being in person. The video presen- tations of the past two years were great, but let’s be honest, there’s
just something about being together to congratulate one another. This year we are back at it, and we can’t hardly wait.
Monday, April 4th, we will gather for dinner just like in years past and then, after we’ve filled our bellies, the awards will be handed out. If you have en- tered the AOE this year, you will want to make sure you attend so you can be a part of this one-of-a-kind celebration. The NBBQA is a recognized au- thority when it comes to live fire cooking and to receive an award from here is highly respected. It will elevate your marketing to the next level by being an award winner.
The Fundraising
As many of you know (and perhaps a few of you do not), the NBBQA is a non-profit organization and relies a great deal on the money generated
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MARCH 2022