2009 “Party of the Year” Contest &
“Corporate Party of the Year” Contest
The American Royal Barbecue is one of the biggest festivals in Kansas City. Tens of thousands come to the historic West Bottoms to join in the barbecue fun. The barbecue teams who participate in the Open Contest organize events on Friday and Saturday night. Some are simple gatherings of families, while some are annual corporate events. These gatherings range in size from intimate groups of 20 to gatherings of over 1,200. Many events raise money for local charities. No matter the size or reason for the gatherings, all contestants will need to throw a great party to be deemed “Party of the Year.”
There will be two separate “Party of the Year” categories: Corporate and Individual Team (non corporate). Teams must sign up in order to be eligible for “Party of the Year.” Teams must choose which night they wish to be judged-Friday or Saturday. Teams must also specify which competition classification they are entering-Corporate or Individual Team.
The team crowned “Party of the Year” in the Individual Team category will win a $500 cash prize. The winning team in the Corporate category will win the distinction of hanging the “Party of the Year” banner in 2010!
Parties will be judged Friday and Saturday evening between 8pm and 10pm. The winning parties will be announced at Sunday’s Awards Ceremony. All team entries are subject to approval by the judges.
All entries and must be received by Friday September 4th, 2009.
Contest Rules
To be eligible to participate in the 2009 American Royal Party of the Year, a completed application must be received by Friday Septemper 4th, 2009
Divisions:
- Corporate – Any participant receiving primary event funding from a business and/or charity for the party and/or any team using their party expense as a deduction on their federal income taxes (see Jim McNair).
- Individual Team – all entrants not defined as a Corporate participant.
Judging for this event will be Friday or Saturday evening, as designated by the team. Judging will occur between 8:00 pm and 10:00 pm. A panel of judges will visit each site. Judges will be easily identifiable and will make themselves known to the teams as soon as they arrive at each team’s contest site. However, judging may begin prior to the judges’ actual arrival at the team site. Teams are not required to be in the team site during judging. No formal presentation to the judges is required. Judges must be allowed into a team’s site to participate in this contest. Judges will spend approximately ten minutes at each site. Judging will be based on the following criteria:
Judging Criteria
Each of the following categories will be rated on a scale of one to five, five being the best:
- Overall Site Appearance – The judges will assess the team’s site based on the overall appearance, including appeal, design, decorations, originality, organization, neatness, and theme. This category is primarily an evaluation of the site as it relates to a unified theme.
- Showmanship – Judges will rate teams on their friendliness, hospitality, attitude, enthusiasm, and creativity. Public Interaction and General Hospitality – The judges will measure the team on the level of interaction with the general public and the overall hospitality of the party.
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