Las Vegas site for 1st Annual National Barbecue Association Convention
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following excerpt was printed in the April 1992 edition of the National Barbecue News. This is only a portion of the article.
By Donald “Doc” Gillis
LAS VEGAS, Nev., March 2-4, 1992 — This desert mecca for high rollers, top stars in the entertainment world, visitors from every part of the world, and the place with the most bright lights in the United States, this week hosted barbecuers from all corners of the nation.
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Photo by Charlie Mitchell
Richard Patrick of Gwaltney of Smithfield discusses “pork” with NBBQA president Clark Ellard.
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I must admit that we traveled to the convention with some reservations, but after attending the sessions and meeting the people who gathered, most of these reservations have all been put to rest. I now, more than ever, realize that there is a real need for an organization such as this. One that can encompass all aspects of the barbecue industry. As at any barbecue function, we met many old friends, and also made many new acquaintances with the same interests and goals as ours. There is much work still ahead to make this organization a viable and functioning entity, one which can serve the needs of all of us in the industry. As I begin this report, I want to urge all of you —suppliers, restauranteurs, caterers, cookers, manufacturers, anyone who enjoys barbecue — to resolve to put your support and participation behind our president, Clark Ellard, as he strives to lead us into this era of barbecue in the ‘90’s.
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Photo by Charlie Mitchell
Merle Ellis “The Butcher,” stops for a photo with News editor Don Gillis. |
What went on at this NBBQA convention and who attended? Many interesting and informative sessions were held during the week with topics covered such as...New Ideas in Trade Show Selling for suppliers and manufacturers, by News columnist Bruce Bjorkman of Salem, Oregon...for restaurants and caterers, Networking Across the Nation led by D. Allen Wint of Wint’s Catering...and for competition cookers and those interested in cookoffs, Where to Get Help, hosted by Joe Phelps of the News. In General Session, we had topics such as 10 Rules of Losing by Richard Patrick of Gwaltney Foods of Smithfield...Put Your Operation on Wheels and Watch Your Profits Roll In by Bill Pearce of Cater-EX...and Barbecuing USA by “The Butcher,” Merle Ellis of Tiburon, California. The closing dinner banquet speaker was Simon-Crawford Welch who is director of Marketing and Research for LEXES Leisure Group, Inc., a major resort development company who spoke about Trends in Barbecue and More!
Those attending seemed to represent all facets of the barbecue industry and seemed to come from all over the U.S. British Columbia was represented by our friends Pat and Dave Veljacic, as was Florida, New York, California, and all points in between. Among the nearly 150 visitors to the convention, there was someone from everywhere. They were retailers, cookers, cooker manufacturers, caterers, and restauranteurs. All came to take part in this new endeavor and to see where it was going.
And it is GOING! Without a doubt, there will be some growing pains, but our president, Clark Ellard, a young, energetic and capable restauranteur and cookoff competitor from the beautiful mountains of North Georgia (Dahlonega), has our complete dedication and support. He is highly committed to moving this organization in the direction we all now realize it needs to, and must, go.
As for the News, we had a great time. We shared a booth with our old friends Gary and Carolyn Wells of the KCBS, and folks, they are always a delightful couple. Also we had the opportunity for the first time to meet a guy whom we had become to consider a friend long before meeting him —Jerry Soucy from Carslisle, MA, who publishes the excellent quarterly newsletter Tips from the Pit. Jerry’s publication is a very attractive and professionally done barbecue-oriented one, and we welcomed the opportunity to meet him in person and was happy that he shared the booth along with the News and the KCBS Bull Sheet.
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Photo by Charlie Mitchell
Billy Bones tells the convention about Rib Fest America.
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As for our part on the convention program, we had invited representatives from many of the different barbecue organizations across the nation to speak about how their group was set up and how their contests were conducted. We very much appreciate the participation of Waldo Strein from Ft. Worth, Texas, who represented the International Barbecue Cookers Association; Dave Veljacic of British Columbia representing the NW Barbecue Association; Billy Bones from Minnesota, representing Rib Fest America; Gary Wells of the Kansas City Barbecue Society; and Randa Rosenblum of the Memphis in May Sanctioned Contest Network. The session was well-attended and everyone enjoyed the information these speakers presented.
I realize that I always run the risk of omitting someone important to me when I make a list, but in spite of this, I want to mention some of the people, both old and new acquaintances, that we met in Las Vegas. First and foremost, we met Bruce Bjorkman! No, we had never met Bruce prior to the convention. After many telephone conversations, we felt that we knew him and we had begun to consider him part of the News family, but it was a treat to finally sit down and talk and visit with him personally. Here is man that is interested in and is dedicated to, as much as anyone I have ever met, the promotion of barbecue. I think that Bruce will give his whole heart to this pursuit. He did a grand job with his responsibilities at the convention.
We had met and talked with Merle Ellis before but never had much time available to spend with him. Merle hosts the program Cooking, USA on the TNN Network, is an author and syndicated columnist, and has a deep interest in barbecue. Watch for some of his writing in the News beginning with this issue.
In the booth next to us we found one of our advertisers, Traeger Industries, represented by Dick and Rhonda Butson of Diversified Products out of Roseville, CA. Dick and Rhonda were displaying the wood pellet barbecue and smoker made by Traeger. Talk about some delicious eating! These cookers produced some of the tastiest meat, done the easiest of any I have ever seen.
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Photo by Charlie Mitchell
Enjoying themselves at NBBQA banquet is (L-R) Gary Wells, Theresa Harden, Carolyn Wells, Bruce Bjorkman, Clark Ellard, Leslie Bloom, and Merle Ellis.
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On the other side of our booth, we met a great individual, Bill Pearce, who is a Certified Executive Chef and a Certified Catering Professional. He is retired as the largest caterer in Central Virginia and was awarded Chef of the Year in Virginia and was the State BBQ Champion in 1987. Bill is a nationally known food serve teacher and lecturer and as well as speaking to the convention, he was exhibiting his product, Cater-EX, the only disposable Chafer and beverage dispenser made. My wife, Frances, was impressed.
Donna Ellis was only a name on the correspondence we had during the past many months with Cookshack, Inc. She is co-owner and Marketing Director for the company and served this year as Chairperson of the NBBQA Manufacturers and Suppliers Committee. A fine lady, very dedicated to the promotion of the barbecue industry...
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