Invitational Competition

The Invitational contest will take place Saturday, September 30, 2023.

INVITATIONAL CONTEST UPDATE FOR 2023: The American Royal will use a 2-year qualifying period for the Invitational Contest for 2023. Teams that won a Grand Champion July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2023 will be invited to compete in the 2023 Invitational Contest.

All teams invited to compete in the Invitational Contest are required to cook in both the Invitational and the Open Meats Contest.

For more information on qualifying contest criteria, international contest criteria, or on becoming a partnered sanctioning body with the American Royal, please review the following documents.




Invitational Contest Process and Registration

The qualifying period for the 2023 Invitational Contest is July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2023.

  • If your team has won a Grand Championship from a qualifying contest from July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2023: You should receive an invite email from the American Royal asking you to join.
  • There is only one form to register  – teams that are joining the BBQ and have qualified can fill out the invitational qualification information on their team registration. The American Royal team will crosscheck and will notify the team/chief cook if there are any questions. If you do not receive an invite email from the American Royal and believe you have qualified, you may email [email protected] to verify.
  • All teams are required to register online.
  • All teams are required to turn in/participate in the open Meats Contest and purchase a space for their team for the weekend.
  • During registration, you will be asked if you are an invitational team (button on the form).
  • The American Royal will cross verify that you are an invitational team.
  • No additional fee is required to participate in the Invitational contest.
  • If you have questions about this process, please email [email protected]