KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The 2019 National Barbecue & Grilling Association (NBBQA) Conference will be all about the business of barbecue April 3-6, in a town where its residents regard it as the one and only Barbecue Capitol of the World. Following the informative and enlightening conference, which concludes with a “Night of Fire” dinner and celebration sponsored by Smithfield Foods, the event transitions to the Ace Hardware BBQ Bash on April 6, where competition cooking teams will compete in an open-to-the-public barbecue cookoff. This year’s conference is held at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown and the BBQ Bash will be held in the Barney Allis Plaza, an outdoor venue adjacent to the Marriott.

The conference agenda kicks off on April 3 with a bus tour spotlighting some of Kansas City’s most iconic eateries and is followed by the “Culinary Fight Club,” a competition pitting eight barbecue cooks against each other to award the culinary artistry of the best street-food creators.

Breakfast and keynote speakers precede the following two day’s line-up of educational sessions and presenters. Barbecue legend and historian Ardie Davis will start the conference the morning of April 4 with a presentation focused on the history of Kansas City barbecue. On April 5, author and comedic motivational speaker, Larry Winget, will enlighten and entertain attendees during his keynote address with his unique style that has earned him the title of the “Pitbull of Personal Development.” Each day’s keynote will be followed by a variety of breakout sessions, presentations and demonstrations focusing on almost every aspect of succeeding in the business world of barbecue. Each day’s sessions cover topics ranging from marketing to branding to using social media to grow a barbecue brand in this increasingly crowded segment.

Plenty of networking opportunities will also be a part of the conference agenda, including happy hours on April 4 and 5, followed by the Awards of Excellence Dinner on the first evening and the Night of Fire on the evening of April 5.

The 2019 BBQ Bash will start at 10 a.m. on April 6 as pitmasters from all over the country welcome the public to a taste-filled competition to recognize the People’s Choice Award to wrap up the NBBQA event in Kansas City.