Page 17 - August 2021 Barbecue News Magazine

also many homes each day. Uber Eats, used by both young an old to deliver your favorite restaurant food to your door.
These are all names you recognize
and have used at one time or an-
other. They have joined with us to
make certain there is growth among
those whose business is BBQ. These
won’t be the only sessions offered
but they are a beginning. The
amount of information provided in each of these sessions would be valued anywhere from $700 to $1000 each. As a member of the NBBQA, you re- ceive these for FREE. We haven’t forgotten the non-member either. For you who are not members (sign-up to join here https://www.nbbqa.org/mem- bership-information) these sessions will be $19.99 each. Those in the busi- ness of BBQ knows there is so much more than which wood to use for the best smoke. This is why we are seeking to provide the most pertinent infor- mation possible to our members and help you be bettered prepared to take on this wonderful business.
November NBBQA event
If you are like me, you are tired of not seeing one another at the confer- ences. It has been two years since we have all had the opportunity to sit around visiting for lunch. A lot has changed since 2019 when we last met in Kansas City. We’ve had to go virtual (see above) for our sessions. We’ve lost a few of our family, which is never easy. We’ve had to make adjustments in how we reach our membership to keep connected. Adaptation seems to be the new word of the day and we are no different in the NBBQA. We’ve had to adapt a great deal, but we’ve not let that stop us. There is an old saying, “Adapt and overcome” which, in many ways, has almost become the NBBQA’s new slogan. But overcome we have.
We mentioned above how we have overcome with the educational ses- sions but the getting together part has still been quite the challenge. As many of you know, we tried to have our conference this past Spring in Louisville, KY but, once again, due to Covid and the travel restrictions for many, we were unable to accomplish this. This caused a great deal of stress and disappointment on behalf of the board. But they were deter- mined to do what they could as soon as they could to get the family to- gether. This is where our November 12-14 event comes into play. You are going to hear a great deal more information in the following weeks and you are not going to want to miss this.
Past NBBQA President and 6-time World Champion, Mark Lambert, has agreed to open up his Sweet Swine O’ Mine Distributing headquarters in Byhalia, MS to us for this long-awaited get-together. The board of directors are busy planning sessions to attend as well as other activities which you will find welcoming. You will have opportunities to meet the old as well as
the new board of directors. Ask them questions about the future of the NBBQA as well as tell stories about the past. This will be a time to laugh together and even remember those we have lost since we’ve last met.
In addition to this (and more) there will be some cookoffs to enjoy and participate in. Mark has coordinated these cookoffs to coincide with the
conference as both competitions and teaching opportunities. Have you ever wanted to learn how to cook a whole hog? Then you have the chance to watch some of the top teams in the nation (Boars Night Out, Hometown, 3-Taxi Guys just to name a few) prepare a hog like they would for Memphis in May. You will receive lessons almost by osmosis just by being near them.
There will also be a couple steak cook-off judged by the SCA. Once again, you will be able to learn how to cook the perfect steak from past and cur- rent steak champions. Matt Ouverson, who just cooked the perfect steak, will be there. Come watch to see if he can cook another perfect steak. Learn what it takes to cook on every type of heat source there is at a grilling competition. From the cooks there, you’re going to learn what it takes in properly seasoning your steak, the temperature to pull the steak and what to look for in what goes into a winning steak. A lot of these cooks will not be holding proper educational sessions (more of those details to come) but will answer most any question you ask as you walk by.
As the time comes closer, more details will be revealed. Stay tuned to this column as well as our Facebook page (facebook.com/nbbqa) as more in- formation is provided. We hope to see you in Mississippi in November.
Join Now
www.NBBQA.org
Memberships start at $99 per year
AUGUST 2021 BarbecueNews.com - 17