VICBREW 2015
- Thread starter MartinOC
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Andyd
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A couple of points for folks commenting on delays/volunteers etc...
1) Yes, the record number of entries results in additional revenue, which is good, but doesn't come anywhere near being able to pay people to staff the event. Comparable competitions in other fields who do pay staff command entry fees of between $50 and $100 per entry to make this possible. I don't see that as being a viable option.
2) That money goes to:
a) Venue hire (I don't know how much it cost this year, but it's over $1K - yes, a venue sponsor is a good idea, and I'd be keen to hear from anyone who has a contact with enough venue space and a willingness to make it available for Friday through Sunday for free).
B) Entry fees for all Victorian entries into AABC.
3) The points about communication are all valid - I'm re-building CompMaster for a variety of reasons at the moment, and part of this will try to address competition communications.
4) Yes, we're a bit delayed in announcing results - there were complications experienced during the event, and we're working hard to make sure that the online announcements are absolutely correct.
Andy
1) Yes, the record number of entries results in additional revenue, which is good, but doesn't come anywhere near being able to pay people to staff the event. Comparable competitions in other fields who do pay staff command entry fees of between $50 and $100 per entry to make this possible. I don't see that as being a viable option.
2) That money goes to:
a) Venue hire (I don't know how much it cost this year, but it's over $1K - yes, a venue sponsor is a good idea, and I'd be keen to hear from anyone who has a contact with enough venue space and a willingness to make it available for Friday through Sunday for free).
B) Entry fees for all Victorian entries into AABC.
3) The points about communication are all valid - I'm re-building CompMaster for a variety of reasons at the moment, and part of this will try to address competition communications.
4) Yes, we're a bit delayed in announcing results - there were complications experienced during the event, and we're working hard to make sure that the online announcements are absolutely correct.
Andy
timmi9191
Well-Known Member
thanks for the updates andy
MartinOC
Insert something suitably witty here
Hi Guys!
I'm a bit "calmer" & less pissed/pissed off than I was last night. I've got severe osteoarthritis in both feet & spending 2-3 days on my feet working like a dog for something that I love doing still hurts like hell. No-one heard me complain about it.
This was without doubt, the worst things have ever been for Vicbrew. Increased entry numbers, lost/missing entries (despite being checked & re-checked multiple times by the organisers), lack of judges & stewards to handle the 11 concurrent tables being run that HAD to be run to get through it (of the 9 stewards who committed to turning up, only 5 did). We could've run it with 9 at a push, but to then have no-shows just pissed me off. There were a number of other things that went wrong that added to the problems that I won't go into. What should've been a fun weekend turned into a real pain in the arse (& feet!!) for me & everyone else who had to pick-up the slack. We did it & actually managed to finish the judging. That in itself was a complete miracle.
The only thing that got me through it was my sense of humour. If you can't have a laugh whilst the world is taking a dump on you..& I just love yelling at judges.
There's been some valid points raised here & I've made a note of them for Committee discussion during the debrief. I was also making a lot of notes during the event itself (as I always do), always thinking "How can we do this better?", "How do we cope with these situations?" etc..etc...
This competition is run by a hard-core of VERY committed & experienced volunteers that work together like a well-oiled machine, but this year has shown that even 'though we've got everything down-pat, there's always going to be problems that we just have to deal with. When I found out just how bad things were going to be, I said to myself "Suck it up Princess - You've got a job to do & everyone is relying on you to do it. Get stuck-in".
No plan, however well thought-out, survives first-contact with the enemy. This year the enemy was a huge increase in entry numbers, combined with a lack of manpower to accommodate that increase. We (ie. the Vicbrew Committee, the clubs & the Victorian Homebrewing community in general) now has to have some severely robust conversations about how we're going to HAVE to deal with this, or something's going to give. I for one am not going to throw my hands in the air & give up, resign & leave it to others to deal with. I'm not a quitter & neither are the other members of the committee. You can be assured of that.
All the keyboard-warriors out there obviously have absolutely no comprehension of the massive level of committed effort that goes into organising & running this competition for YOUR benefit (for instance, I have a 3-hour round trip just to attend committee meetings. One member drove/rode 850 Km over two days to pick up a handful of entries), all for your $8/entry. None of us gets paid for anything we do & no-one is reimbursed for their costs. Something for you to think about.
On the subject of costings, just so you guys have an idea:
Venue hire for the 2 days would normally cost $10K. Obviously, we can't afford that & we do get a discount from the venue (I won't mention the figure, but it's considerably more than the $1K Andy mentioned above), because we put so much over the bar & in meals. It's a loss for the venue, but they do it to support us.
Vicbrew pays for the meals for all judges & stewards - at LEAST $2K, if not $3K. That's our way of recognising folks that volunteer their time over the weekend.
Trophies - Over $1K
The cost of sundries & consumables (ie. printing/stationery/nibbles, glasses & jug purchase, covering the inevitable breakages etc...etc...) is an unknown to me, but it's paid-for. Sometimes we can't get enough sponsors for some categories, so Vicbrew does it. Vicbrew also supplies cheques to the novices in each of the sanctioned competitions throughout the year & that's about to increase to $100.
It's not about the costs, it's more about the TIME.
Like I said before, I do this 'cos I love doing it & I don't expect to get paid. I don't even do it to accumulate BJCP points (I'm not qualified, don't intend to be & I think I'm entitled to 2x/3x[?] the points a judge gets, for being Chief Steward). I do it for you guys & the love of good homebrewed beer in Victoria. The rest of the Committee is the same.
What I'd like to see is others turning-up to make it happen without it turning into a stress-fest for those that put-in. It's meant to be fun, not a chore for those that do it. I mean seriously, guys - it's a whole weekend of drinking free beer & talking **** with like-minded beer geeks. What could be better? Actually, no-one need answer that question......h34r:
Things WILL be better next year (one way or another). That's the eternal optimist in me.
I'll be there next year & commit to you that I'll work my guts out to make this competition happen, no matter how tough it gets.
Will you be there?
I'm a bit "calmer" & less pissed/pissed off than I was last night. I've got severe osteoarthritis in both feet & spending 2-3 days on my feet working like a dog for something that I love doing still hurts like hell. No-one heard me complain about it.
This was without doubt, the worst things have ever been for Vicbrew. Increased entry numbers, lost/missing entries (despite being checked & re-checked multiple times by the organisers), lack of judges & stewards to handle the 11 concurrent tables being run that HAD to be run to get through it (of the 9 stewards who committed to turning up, only 5 did). We could've run it with 9 at a push, but to then have no-shows just pissed me off. There were a number of other things that went wrong that added to the problems that I won't go into. What should've been a fun weekend turned into a real pain in the arse (& feet!!) for me & everyone else who had to pick-up the slack. We did it & actually managed to finish the judging. That in itself was a complete miracle.
The only thing that got me through it was my sense of humour. If you can't have a laugh whilst the world is taking a dump on you..& I just love yelling at judges.
There's been some valid points raised here & I've made a note of them for Committee discussion during the debrief. I was also making a lot of notes during the event itself (as I always do), always thinking "How can we do this better?", "How do we cope with these situations?" etc..etc...
This competition is run by a hard-core of VERY committed & experienced volunteers that work together like a well-oiled machine, but this year has shown that even 'though we've got everything down-pat, there's always going to be problems that we just have to deal with. When I found out just how bad things were going to be, I said to myself "Suck it up Princess - You've got a job to do & everyone is relying on you to do it. Get stuck-in".
No plan, however well thought-out, survives first-contact with the enemy. This year the enemy was a huge increase in entry numbers, combined with a lack of manpower to accommodate that increase. We (ie. the Vicbrew Committee, the clubs & the Victorian Homebrewing community in general) now has to have some severely robust conversations about how we're going to HAVE to deal with this, or something's going to give. I for one am not going to throw my hands in the air & give up, resign & leave it to others to deal with. I'm not a quitter & neither are the other members of the committee. You can be assured of that.
All the keyboard-warriors out there obviously have absolutely no comprehension of the massive level of committed effort that goes into organising & running this competition for YOUR benefit (for instance, I have a 3-hour round trip just to attend committee meetings. One member drove/rode 850 Km over two days to pick up a handful of entries), all for your $8/entry. None of us gets paid for anything we do & no-one is reimbursed for their costs. Something for you to think about.
On the subject of costings, just so you guys have an idea:
Venue hire for the 2 days would normally cost $10K. Obviously, we can't afford that & we do get a discount from the venue (I won't mention the figure, but it's considerably more than the $1K Andy mentioned above), because we put so much over the bar & in meals. It's a loss for the venue, but they do it to support us.
Vicbrew pays for the meals for all judges & stewards - at LEAST $2K, if not $3K. That's our way of recognising folks that volunteer their time over the weekend.
Trophies - Over $1K
The cost of sundries & consumables (ie. printing/stationery/nibbles, glasses & jug purchase, covering the inevitable breakages etc...etc...) is an unknown to me, but it's paid-for. Sometimes we can't get enough sponsors for some categories, so Vicbrew does it. Vicbrew also supplies cheques to the novices in each of the sanctioned competitions throughout the year & that's about to increase to $100.
It's not about the costs, it's more about the TIME.
Like I said before, I do this 'cos I love doing it & I don't expect to get paid. I don't even do it to accumulate BJCP points (I'm not qualified, don't intend to be & I think I'm entitled to 2x/3x[?] the points a judge gets, for being Chief Steward). I do it for you guys & the love of good homebrewed beer in Victoria. The rest of the Committee is the same.
What I'd like to see is others turning-up to make it happen without it turning into a stress-fest for those that put-in. It's meant to be fun, not a chore for those that do it. I mean seriously, guys - it's a whole weekend of drinking free beer & talking **** with like-minded beer geeks. What could be better? Actually, no-one need answer that question......
h34r: Things WILL be better next year (one way or another). That's the eternal optimist in me.
I'll be there next year & commit to you that I'll work my guts out to make this competition happen, no matter how tough it gets.
Will you be there?
manticle
Standing up for the Aussie Bottler
I will if I get 8 more people on my list.
Yob
Hop to it
I'd put my name on the list but I've been previously involved
Danscraftbeer
Well-Known Member
$8.00 an entry? It should be $20 at least $30?. Just saying I think that's fair. It just oil for the wheels and a little more respect as well yeah?
Quality over quantity, maybe.
Sad news dudes to read this overwhelming situation. I am new but would love to see this movement progress. As it obviously is!
Wow! you have to look at what you have inspired too. A culture of home brewers. :beerbang:
Quality over quantity, maybe.
Sad news dudes to read this overwhelming situation. I am new but would love to see this movement progress. As it obviously is!
Wow! you have to look at what you have inspired too. A culture of home brewers. :beerbang:
manticle
Standing up for the Aussie Bottler
I'll take contributions to my cellar as extra incentive.Yob said:I'd put my name on the list but I've been previously involved
Or you can buy me a plane. Finished gta san andreas so I can fly it easily enough.
manticle
Standing up for the Aussie Bottler
Seem to be up
http://vicbrew.org/results.htm
Comp finished sunday, full results up by monday eve. I reckon that's not bad - I waited 2-3 days for the results of the first comp I ever entered and thought that was ok.
For the record, I have no involvement with vicbrew committee and had no involvement with this year's comp. I just know what's involved in running a big comp and while I don't support competitors being made to feel inadaquate for just competing, I also believe that waiting 24 hours for results won't kill you.
Suck it up. I bet you could wait forever to find out that you came last.
Congrats grant (b&t)? Consistently good results, well deserved. Must be the step mash profile you use.
Congrats to westgate and all competitors, hats off to volunteers and organisers.
Vicbrew asking for a hand for next year need neither be a martyred attack on others, nor a perceived attack by those others.
Keep it simple - vicbrew is big, needs help. If you can help, please do.
Thanks vicbrew, thanks competitors. The comp needs both.
http://vicbrew.org/results.htm
Comp finished sunday, full results up by monday eve. I reckon that's not bad - I waited 2-3 days for the results of the first comp I ever entered and thought that was ok.
For the record, I have no involvement with vicbrew committee and had no involvement with this year's comp. I just know what's involved in running a big comp and while I don't support competitors being made to feel inadaquate for just competing, I also believe that waiting 24 hours for results won't kill you.
Suck it up. I bet you could wait forever to find out that you came last.
Congrats grant (b&t)? Consistently good results, well deserved. Must be the step mash profile you use.
Congrats to westgate and all competitors, hats off to volunteers and organisers.
Vicbrew asking for a hand for next year need neither be a martyred attack on others, nor a perceived attack by those others.
Keep it simple - vicbrew is big, needs help. If you can help, please do.
Thanks vicbrew, thanks competitors. The comp needs both.
MartinOC
Insert something suitably witty here
Whilst I was soap-boxing & waxing lyrical, I forgot to say a huge, HUGE thank you to everyone that made it happen this time.
Stewards, I hope I wasn't too much of a martinet - I had to ask more of you guys this year than I've ever had to ask of my team in the past. You definitely stepped-up. Brilliant job! You're welcome back any time.
Judges, OK, I pushed you along, but it just HAD to be driven to conclusion in the time we had. I'm sorry if you didn't have time to savour & do justice to the good ones (the Stewards definitely enjoyed them.... ).
Like I said before, things WILL be better next year & hopefully, we can get back to having fun with it.....
Stewards, I hope I wasn't too much of a martinet - I had to ask more of you guys this year than I've ever had to ask of my team in the past. You definitely stepped-up. Brilliant job! You're welcome back any time.
Judges, OK, I pushed you along, but it just HAD to be driven to conclusion in the time we had. I'm sorry if you didn't have time to savour & do justice to the good ones (the Stewards definitely enjoyed them....
).Like I said before, things WILL be better next year & hopefully, we can get back to having fun with it.....
Andyd
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Geez, Manticle, have you had the vicbrew site on refresh all night? We've literally only just finished the email conversation
Results have been published on CompMaster (http://www.compmaster.com.au//compmaster_resultSummary/23/full) also. Scoresheets should be up around Thursday at this stage.
Cheers,
Andy
Results have been published on CompMaster (http://www.compmaster.com.au//compmaster_resultSummary/23/full) also. Scoresheets should be up around Thursday at this stage.
Cheers,
Andy
Black n Tan
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Many thanks to the organisers and volunteers, and congratulations to the other place getters. I look forward to stewarding again next year.
Yes that is me. Thank you and I do step mash.manticle said:
mugley
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Message for Sandy Erskine of no club, in case you're on here...
Looks like your Northern English Brown and Belgian Strong Golden got entered into the reverse categories. Thought the brown was pretty damn tasty; hope there's something useful in the feedback despite the harsh scoring for having to judge it against a completely dissimilar category.
Looks like your Northern English Brown and Belgian Strong Golden got entered into the reverse categories. Thought the brown was pretty damn tasty; hope there's something useful in the feedback despite the harsh scoring for having to judge it against a completely dissimilar category.
manticle
Standing up for the Aussie Bottler
Funny cos it was the first time I looked. Had no entries, nothing to do with the comp at all this year. All this hoohah and thete they were, plain as day.Andyd said:Geez, Manticle, have you had the vicbrew site on refresh all night? We've literally only just finished the email conversation
Results have been published on CompMaster (http://www.compmaster.com.au//compmaster_resultSummary/23/full) also. Scoresheets should be up around Thursday at this stage.
Cheers,
Andy
I reckon top job getting them posted as quickly as you did.
Yob
Hop to it
Pretty stoked with a 126 point beer.. Tough cat for sure to have still placed 7th with a score like that.
Big ups to all involved in running it as well as the place getters
Can't wait to get hold of the score sheets and will probably read them over the last bottle of my raspberry RIS
Big ups to all involved in running it as well as the place getters
Can't wait to get hold of the score sheets and will probably read them over the last bottle of my raspberry RIS
GrumpyPaul
Well-Known Member
It was a pretty high scoring category indeed.Yob said:
Same for me was pretty happy with my Red IPA scoring 120 - even if it did place 14th. Twas a bugger it could go in as a proper IPA - would have done quite well with that score
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