BBQ N Blues Pipeline Appreciation/ Oil & Gas Trade Show Private Event Festival
Second Thursday and Friday in June every year
Participating Pipeline Companies:
BBQ N BLUES Pipeline Appreciation/Oil & Gas Industry Trade Show Festival For 28 years, the Cushing Chamber has been celebrating our local Pipeline Companies with our BBQ N Blues Festival. In the beginning, we hosted a Private Party on Friday Night for participating Pipeline Companies, where their employees and their families came together for food, fun, and music; like a Company Picnic. Throughout Friday night, the Pipeline Companies were also busy smoking brisket to serve to the public during the main portion of the Festival on Saturday. This is done on the World’s Largest Permanent Smoker, and each Company attaches a custom smoker box to one of the Fifteen arms that extend from the Permanent Smoker. Saturday was a fun day of learning more about our local Pipeline Companies, full of Blues music, BBQ, rides and Attractions. The Participating Pipeline Companies also have a Kansas City BBQ Society Cook-off and a People's Choice Contest. The Participating Pipeline Companies’ Corporates fly in from all over the World to participate and get to know our community a bit better. However, since 2020 due to Covid, the Saturday Public Portion has been discontinued. The participating Pipeline companies now have their KCBS and People's Choice BBQ Cook-off during the Friday Night Private Party Trade Show as well as a Taste Test contest where the Oil and Gas sponsors can purchase a taster kit and vote for their favorite pipeline company BBQ. Kansas City Barbeque Society Judges are invited to make the competition steep and serious amongst the pipeline companies, and they give it their all for this competition! Bragging rights for the year rule the roost! Over the years, this Festival has evolved from a 3 day festival into a 2-day Festival for the participating Pipeline Companies, with a Golf Tournament on Thursday & Friday, Clay Shoot Tournament on Thursday, the VANCO BBQ N Blues After Hours on Thursday night, and a much larger Friday Night Private Party Trade Show. In the last 15 or so years, Oil and Gas supplier businesses have been invited to join in on the Thursday & Friday events and make some business happen while doing it. Oil & Gas Supplier businesses sponsor different events of the 2-day Festival, whether in the Golf Tournament, Clay Shoot Tournament, and/or Friday Night Private Party Trade Show. There are also extra Marketing opportunities for sponsors during any of the events. |
From some of the Oil & Gas supplier sponsorships, the profits after all Festival bills are paid, are split 50/50 with the Cushing Chamber, and the other half is placed into scholarships. Every year we award up to 14 - $2,500 scholarships to participating Pipeline Company employee children that are Seniors in High School that will be attending Trade School or College in the Fall of that year. This includes their region. Any profit left over is put into a CD for future scholarships. The Chamber puts theirs back into the business Community and our economy, which in turn makes our community of Cushing, OK a better place to Live, Work, and Play.
Definition of a "Participating Pipeline Company"
There seems to be quite a bit of confusion around this phrase. What does that mean, "Participating Pipeline Company", that is used in association with this Festival? Participating Pipeline companies are "All In", which means that they help from the start of the festival to the very end; they are involved and committed to every event associated with the festival, such as placing many teams in the tournaments; participating in the BBQ contests on Friday night as well as having their company picnic during Friday night; they volunteer at the Tournaments; make sure that the Friday night land is ready for the event by paying for gravel, mowing, etc.; and much more. They guarantee their participation and support. They each have a representative on our Cushing Chamber BBQ N Blues Committee with our Member Oil & Gas Supplier business BBQ N Blues sponsors and the participating Pipeline companies are the only ones that are allowed to vote for anything that is associated with the Festival, such as any changes to sponsorship costs, team costs, etc.; adding or taking away certain parts of the festival; etc. They also are the first to help in any way, such as hiring crews to mow the Friday night private party land; bringing in gravel to the land; any upkeep that needs to be done to the land they sponsor it; etc. The festival is for them and by them, really. Again, participating Pipeline companies are "ALL IN" and committed 100% to all areas of the Festival. So, just because a certain Pipeline company Terminal may be participating in some parts of the Festival, such as placing teams in the tournament(s), doesn't mean they are what we coin as a "Participating Pipeline company". We will always have our full-fledged "Participating Pipeline Company" logos at the top of our Website page for this festival to help distinguish who is "all in" and our biggest supporters of this Festival. They are also the only Pipeline Company employees that are allowed to have their High school students apply for our Pipeline Crossroads of the World Scholarship program. We appreciate them very much and there's not enough thank you's in the World that we have for them; they are what makes this Festival happen and we are forever grateful and indebted to them. We are also very grateful the for the other Pipeline companies that participate in the Tournaments, not to take anything from them, of course! We love having their involvement, too! It's these different levels of participation that makes our BBQ N Blues Pipeline appreciation/Oil & Gas Trade Show Festival so unique and special!
2023 GOLF TOURNAMENT
GOLF HOLE SPONSORS:
25/8 Safety
Allan Edwards & Precision NDT
Amerapex Service Group, LLC
AmSpec Services, LLC
Apex Instruments, Inc.
Badger Daylighting
Continental Concrete, LLC
ePUMPS, Inc.
Enduro Pipeline Services
Firetrol Protection Systems, Inc.
Intertek USA, Inc.
IRIS Tech
MATCOR, Inc.
Matrix Service Company
Strike USA, LLC
Todd Creason Construction, Inc
Universal Surveying and Mapping, LLC
Weamco Inc.
BBQ N Blues Pipeline Appreciation/Oil & Gas Supplier Golf Tournament The Golf Tournament has grown into the largest Golf Tournament in Oklahoma per player, unofficially, because it is not a “sanctioned” Golf Tournament. But, this "Stat" has been verified by Golfer Oklahoma Today Magazine. There are 100 teams spread over 3 Rounds total: two (2) rounds on Thursday, and one (1) morning round on Friday morning. An Oil & Gas Supplier business are Hole Sponsors, setting up at each of the 18 Holes with beverages, food, swag, and fun. The Tournament is another way we celebrate and thank our local participating Pipeline Companies, with the majority of the teams composed of Pipeline Employees from the local terminals to their Corporate Execs, as well as their customers, that have flown in just for this 2-day Festival. Oil & Gas Supplier businesses also have teams in the tournament. You never know who you will run into or meet while enjoying this amazing Golf Tournament! Terms and Conditions: Hole Sponsorships roll over every year, until a participating Oil & Gas Supplier business Hole Sponsor tells the Cushing Chamber they no longer want the Hole sponsorship. Then, the Hole sponsorship opens up to our waiting list. Waiting list starts anew every year when we open up BBQ N Blues sponsorships in late February/early March. Our Cushing Chamber member Oil & Gas Supplier businesses on the waiting list are given first rights to claim the Hole Sponsorship; if none of our Members want it, then it opens up to Non-Member Oil & Gas supplier businesses on the waiting list. For team placement in the Tournament, after the participating Pipeline Companies have entered their teams in the tournaments for 2 weeks, our Chamber member Oil & Gas supplier sponsors have a chance to place teams into the Tournament for two weeks. Any team slots available in the rounds after their two weeks are then opened to non-member participating Oil & Gas Supplier sponsors. Pipeline companies not listed as a "Participating" Pipeline Company and Oil & Gas Supplier businesses must be a sponsor in either the Friday Night Private Party Trade Show; Golf Tournament; and/or Clay Shoot Tournament in order to place team(s) in the tournaments. Teams are a separate cost from sponsorships; no sponsorships include team entries in the tournaments. |
2023 BBQ N BLUES PIPELINE APPRECIATION/OIL & GAS SUPPLIER GOLF TOURNAMENT ROUND WINNERS:
1st Place Team players in each round won $100/per player - 2nd Place Teams in each round won $75/per player - 3rd Place Teams in each round won $50 Gift Card to Buffalo Rock Golf & Venue per player
2023 GOLF TOURNAMENT GOLF CART SPONSORS:
Tiger Tank Trucks, LLC
Robinson Industrial, Heavy & Commercial Contracting, Inc.
Frazier Fire
Vanco
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CREW SPONSOR:
Jensen Mixers
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PORT-A-JOHN SPONSOR:
Jensen Mixers International
THURSDAY MORNING, JUNE 8 ROUND WINNERS:
1st Place: Plains Team #5:
Tim Pearson
Katherine Burk
Chris Gonzales
Brad Reinecke
2nd Place: Fechner Pump & Supply:
Bryan Fechner
Joe Smith
Mike Gaskins
Charles Carroll
3rd Place: Enbridge Team #2:
Carl Sherwood
Zach Gray
Tanner Maclean
Ryan Stahler
THURSDAY AFTERNOON, JUNE 8 ROUND WINNERS:
1st Place: M & M Energy Supply:
Rick Fowble
Matt Green
Kurt Onstott
Russell Moyer
2nd Place: Buffalo Rock Team:
Jay R. Rodriquez
Wade Maxvelle
Jeremy Doremus
Chris Clovis
3rd Place: Plains Team #3:
Blake Roberts
Brad Reinecke
Brian Harmon
Ben Chavez
FRIDAY MORNING, JUNE 9 ROUND WINNERS:
1st Place: Centurion/Energy Transfer Team #1:
Dakota
Derek
Jeremy
Brice
2nd Place: Basin Environmental:
Broc Holleyman
Chris Watkins
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3rd Place: NGL Team #6:
Neal Moore
Bill Bunch
Lori Kastl
Jared Szzlichta
CLAY SHOOT TOURNAMENT
The Clay Shoot Tournament has 72 teams in three rounds on Thursday. Safety Trainings for the rounds start at 7 am, 10 am, and 1 pm. The Tournament is set-up at Snake Creek Sporting Clay Course, North of Cushing, OK. There are over $30,000 worth of raffle items: guns, custom-made knives, and other hunting equipment. Raffle tickets are purchased at the Clay Shoot tournament. Clay Shoot Tent Sponsors can have tents to cook breakfast and/or lunch at the tournament, talk to the shooters, and pass out swag. The shooters consist of the same line-up as the Golf Tournament: local employees from our participating Pipeline terminals, their corporate execs and their customers, and other Oil & Gas supplier sponsors. This is a fantastic opportunity to get in front of 148 of the team players and tell them more about your business. Oil & Gas Suppliers must be a sponsor in either the Friday Night Private Party Trade Show; Golf Tournament; and/or Clay Shoot tournament in order to place team(s) in the tournaments. Teams in the Clay shoot are a separate cost; no Clay Shoot sponsorships include the cost of placing a team in the tournament.
2023 Clay Shoot Tournament Winners will be announced soon!
FRIDAY NIGHT PRIVATE PARTY
TRADE SHOW
The Friday Night has always been a type of “Company Picnic” for the participating Pipeline Companies to invite their customers, corporates, employees and employee families. Participating Pipeline companies start smoking their brisket for a KCBS Competition as well. Over the years, Oil and Gas Suppliers have been invited to join in on the event and make those valuable connections that are always needed to make business happen. This is where the "Trade Show" portion comes in. The Friday Night Private Party Trade Show (FNPP) has grown quite large over the last 8 - 10 years. It has morphed into a very outside-the-box, informal and laid back Trade Show/Expo, if you will, due to all of the supplier sponsors that have joined in on the FNPP. However, we have kept the tradition of the participating Pipeline Companies having their Company family picnics under their tents, as well as a Red Dirt Music Concert and a few rides and attractions; adding the supplier sponsor 10 x 10 tents adds another dimension of fun, laid-back networking with food, drink, great prizes and promotional swag from the Oil & Gas Supplier Sponsors. It adds another level of networking, where sponsors are also given the opportunity to meet some of your contacts in the participating Pipeline Industry families, making your connection even stronger.
The economic impact that Friday Night has on our community is immeasurable: It is off the charts. Cushing has grown by leaps and bounds by Oil & Gas supplier sponsors who have been involved with our BBQ n Blues Pipeline Appreciation/Oil & Gas Industry Trade Show Festival, making the right contacts during the festival, enough to open a brick and mortar office here in Cushing, OK. They get more contacts; and they get more contracts. Involvement is a great impact for the participating Pipeline Companies, as well. With their Corporate Office Execs and customers in attendance, it gives them a chance to meet and sometimes, catch up with their clients, customers, and suppliers, as well as make new contacts with those they meet at the Festival. This helps make great bonds and relationships in the Pipeline and Oil & Gas Industries, which we all know can be a tough environment for any type of business. It is a volatile and unsteady Industry, with highs and lows. But, with our Festival we try to help keep these business relationships strong between our Pipeline Companies and Oil and Gas suppliers.
For FNPP Trade Show, wristbands are required for entry. Wristbands are a part of the different level sponsorship benefits and are outlined on the sponsorship forms.
FRIDAY NIGHT PRIVATE PARTY TRADE SHOW HELICOPTER SPONSOR:
SCHROEDER ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANING SERVICES, INC.
VANCO BBQ N BLUES THURSDAY NIGHT AFTER HOURS
The Vanco, Inc. BBQ N Blues Thursday Night After Hours started in 2018, after several requests for something to do during Thursday Night for all of the BBQ N Blues Festival Sponsors and participating Pipeline Companies and in particular, from those that traveled to be a part of the Festival.
It is held on Thursday night after the Tournaments, as a way for everyone involved in our BBQ n Blues Festival to be able to have something to do on Thursday night. We had tons of requests to host something on Thursday night, something that brought together everyone that is involved in the festival, and we came up with a BBQ N Blues After Hours. This is modeled after our Chamber’s Business After Hours, and it is a great night of business networking. Usually, they are held from 5:30 pm – 7 pm or 9 pm, whichever the networking attendees prefer to “call it a night”. You never know what new business deal is going down during an After Hours event, and nobody wants to rush that!
Make sure to tell all of your employees AND customers/clients about the Vanco BBQ N Blues After Hours on Thursday night! Free heavy hor’dorves; full cash bar; and live music (background music). Thank you to Vanco, Inc. for being the Presenting Sponsor every year!
BBQ N BLUES PIPELINE CROSSROADS OF THE WORLD SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
So, after all of the bills are paid for the Tournaments and all of the other Festival events, what happens to the profits? Great Question!
Profits are split 50/50 with the Pipeline Crossroads of the World Scholarship Program and the Cushing Chamber of Commerce. The Pipeline Crossroads of the World Scholarship Program is open to the participating Pipeline company Employees; Senior Students in High school that will be continuing their education after graduation at a Trade School or College/University. This includes the participating Pipeline company Employees in each of the Pipeline Companies' regions. Whatever region the Cushing, OK Pipeline terminal is in, all of that region's employees for that Pipeline Company are eligible to apply for the scholarship. Each year, we give away up to 14 - $2,500 scholarships. If more than 14 students apply, a representative from each of the participating Pipeline Companies will blind judge the applications and choose the top 14 applications. In 2023, only 10 students applied for a scholarship. Each will receive a scholarship that will be sent directly to the Trade School or College/University that they will be attending in the Fall of 2023. All applicants must have an immediate family member who is employed by one of the participating Pipeline companies and must be attending the Trade School or College/University in the Fall of the same year that they graduated High School. Any amount left over after scholarships are paid in full is placed into a CD, in case something happens to the Festival the scholarship program will continue for many years.
The other 50% of profits are split with the Cushing Chamber of Commerce. The Cushing Chamber of Commerce is a business membership Organization and we are not a division of the City Government; we are a 501(c)6 Non-Profit Organization, a business membership organization. We are a connector, convener, and champion for our business community and we specialize in helping businesses grow and thrive; offering many different programs associated with Business Development & trainings; Workforce development; Leadership Development; Youth Workforce & Leadership development; and much more. When Businesses are growing and adding to their workforce, it is in turn helping the community as a whole with a great quality of life. There are many other things that the Cushing Chamber does for the business community and the community as a whole; please check out our website to find out more! Please get educated on what your local Chamber of Commerce does and how we help the business community and the community as a whole. For more information, please feel free to reach out to the Cushing Chamber President & CEO Tracy Caulfield, IOM.
2023 PIPELINE CROSSROADS OF THE WORLD SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM WINNERS:
Cassie Davis, Plains
Macy Willing, Plains
Emma Shenold, PlainsElla Fulkerson, PlainsTrinity Tindall, Deeprock/Premier Trading & TransportationJordan Raschke, PlainsColetin Towner, EnbridgeKoda Sternadel, PlainsJoshua Villasenor, DeeprockPeyton Wood, Plains
So, whichever part of the Festival you participate in, know that you are doing something great for your business by participating in one of the best "Outside-The-Box" Trade Show around, built for your business to have fun, while making lasting business relationships with our local Pipeline Companies and other Oil and Gas Suppliers. In the Chamber World, we say to our Member businesses, based and proven by many Scientific Studies: "People do business with those that they KNOW, LIKE, & TRUST." This Pipeline Appreciation/Oil & Gas Industry Trade Show Festival is built around that saying.