Tale of Two RibFest Revised

The RibFest is supposed to be a contest between Ribbers to see who has the best flavor, not a contest between two cities to see who can have the best rib inspired event.

On May 10th at Forest Oaks Country Club, a group of Green Coaters and Old Timers met for dinner immediately following the Green Coat Club/Old Timers Golf Challenge.

During dinner Gene Shanks, 2005 Greensboro Jaycee President, was asked to take the podium and say a few words about what was happening with the Greensboro Jaycees this year.

He spoke briefly about renting parking spaces during baseball games, said the CCG was going well and then made a strange comment about an upcoming project, "contrary to what you may have heard in the local media, RibFest is not moving to Winston-Salem."

He didn't say another word about this rumor and no one asked him about it while he was at the podium. In fact he took no questions at all. Days later Hitz 94.1 began playing ads promoting the "Twin City" RibFest to be held in Winston-Salem.

"The 2005 Shiner Bock Twin City RibFest makes its debut in downtown Winston-Salem on June 16, 17, and 18, 11am-11pm daily. The event will include a performance stage featuring over 22 regional musical acts, along with other performers, childrenÂ’s activities, a market, and of course,professional rib cookers vying for awards. Click here to find out more details including maps and hotel accommodations."

To find out more about the event to be held in Winston-Salem go to http://www.twincityribfest.com/page/page/1909853.htm

Last year's event was called the 2004 Crown Royal Gate City RibFest presented by AKA Enterprises and the Greensboro Jaycees, but I was not sure about the Twin City RibFest, so I contacted Kathi Winkler. Winkler is the acting Greensboro Jaycee chairman for the 2005 Crown Royal Gate City RibFest, that is again being presented by the Greensboro Jaycees.

Winkler indicated that last year's chairman had contracted with Allen McDavid of AKA Enterprises to do promotional items that the Greensboro Jaycees were unwilling or unable to do. This included marketing, media relations and sponsorship sales.

As to the AKA Enterprises' performance during the 2004 event, Winkler said, "He (Allen McDavid) did a decent job last year."

After reading the orginial article posted on www.ggoblogger.blogspot.com , Allen McDavid responded by email to present a few points of his own. "Also, please note that my role last year was much more than a media firm. I designed the event's footprint, secured merchandise vendors, entertainment, hauled fencing from the Jaycee's storehouse in Forest Oaks, and worked over 14 hours each day of the event. For Kathi Winkler to say that I did a 'decent job' is quite an understatement," McDavid wrote responding to Winkler's claim.

Winkler was the assistant chairman for the 2004 RibFest. She began making plans for the 2005 event back then. She was surprised by how much responsiblity was given to the McDavid by the 2004 RibFest chairman. The AKA Enterprises was given "carte blanche" over the project according to Winkler. This included a $30,000 media budget.

McDavid responsed by email to comment on the project's media budget, "Through a media contact I was instrumental in securing Crown Royal as a $10,000 title sponsor. I then brought in Shiner Bock along with numerous media in-kind sponsorships that totaled the $30,000 media budget that Winkler said I spent. Other in-kind sponsors that I secured donated all the banners, T-shirts, etc."

When the planning for the 2005 Gate City RibFest began, Winkler wanted to return to a more traditional Jaycee project model.

"I'm an old fashion Jaycee," Winkler said during a phone interview with Randy Harris. She feels that the Jaycees have the ability to run this project without the use of an outside marketing firm and has no plans to use one this year. She feels that the Jaycees have the contacts to make this a successful event.

Reflecting on last year's event, Winkler felt that the McDavid and AKA Enterprises started to "take credit", as she put it, for the event's success.

The Greensboro Jaycees are planning their version of this event on July 8,9,10 at the Greensboro Jaycee Complex at 401. N. Greene Street in downtown Greensboro.
Crown Royal is the event's main sponsor. When asked if sponsors were confusing the two events, Winkler admitted that there may have been a little confusion at first, but once it was explained that the Greensboro Jaycees where behind the event in Greensboro and not the one in Winston-Salem, the sponsors chose the Jaycee event in Greensboro.

Among the attractions at the Greensboro event, Winkler wants to have a dunking booth and hopes to get the mayor, 2005 Greensboro Jaycee President Gene Shanks and 2005 Chrysler Classic General Chairman Justin Conrad to be targets.

Which bring us to the question of why do we how have two rib events instead of just one? McDavid said he contacted the current Jaycee leadership and " I was quick to point out that preparations for the 2005 event should begin immediately."

McDavid indicated that he was not contacted about being involved with the Jaycee sponsored 2005 "Gate City" RibFest and that he moved forward by planning his own event in Winston-Salem.

"Of course, she (Kathi Winkler) never called, so I began plans on the Twin City RibFest. The fact of the matter is that no Jaycee contacted me about the RibFest until Gerald Joyce (2005 Greensboro Jaycee Chairman of the Board) called in May when he heard that I was doing a RibFest in Winston-Salem. His only concern was the confusion between the two events," McDavid wrote in an email to Randy Harris.

As far as silimar promotional materials being used to promote both events, McDavid said " I developed the logo (but retained ownership of it), created and implemented a marketing campaign."

This is the tale of two RibFest. Rember the one in Winston-Salem is the 2005 Shiner Bock Twin City RibFest and it will be held on June 16, 17, and 18, 11am-11pm daily.

The Greensboro Jaycees are planning their version of the 2005 Gate City RibFest on July 8,9,10 at the Greensboro Jaycee Complex at 401. N. Greene Street in downtown Greensboro. For more information go to www.jaycee.org or call 336 379-1570.

Randy Harris