The Global Stage for the Best in BBQ!
We’re building the world’s biggest celebration of BBQ — uniting pitmasters, nations, flavors, and fans at the first-ever BBQ World Cup & Expo. Where competition, culture, community, and celebration come togeher in Las Vegas to crown the world’s best pitmaster.
Meet the Leadership Team
Passionate about BBQ, sports, culture, and fandom, Co-Founders Scott Erdmann and Shannon Pruitt , together with founding board member Charlie Ebersol, fractional CTO Chris Brown, and a veteran advisory board including Reed Bergman, Mark Neifeld and Steve Ziff who bring decades of experience in building, leading, and igniting high-growth sports, media, and technology platforms.
They’ve helped shape some of the world’s most successful stadiums, sports properties, and brand ecosystems. Now, they’re turning that firepower toward unifying the global BBQ ecosystem through competition, content, and community.
Scott is a sports and entertainment revenue leader with 18+ years building high-growth partnerships, premium fan experiences, and league infrastructure. After leadership roles with the Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, and Legends, he’s now shaping the BBQ World Cup and Smoke Signal — creating the first global competition ecosystem for pitmasters, fans, and federations.
Shannon is a marketing and platform strategist with 20+ years driving innovation across sports, entertainment, and technology. The former Global CMO of Stagwell’s Brand Performance Network, she’s built engagement ecosystems for FIFA World Cup, American Idol, Formula 1, NFL, and MLB. Today, she leads brand, platform, and growth strategy for Smoke Signal and the BBQ World Cup.
Charlie is a sports-tech innovator and founder/CEO of Infinite Athlete. Known for pioneering AI solutions that transform how sports content is created and monetized, he brings deep expertise in platform building, media strategy, and league innovation. His vision powers the digital backbone of Smoke Signal and the BBQ World Cup.
Chris is a veteran technologist with 15+ years engineering league infrastructure and high-scale sports technology systems. Former lead engineer for the Alliance of American Football and current CTO of Infinite Athlete, he oversees scoring, CRM, payments, compliance, and AI tools that fuel the Smoke Signal and BBQ World Cup digital experience.
Reed is a seasoned sports marketing strategist and former agent with a proven track record in sponsorship, talent management, and commercial development. Having built and led multiple sports ventures, he supports deal structure, category strategy, and long-term partnership growth to ensure authentic, high-value alliances within the BBQ ecosystem.
Mark is the founder and CEO of the Sport Fishing Championship, where he built the first national offshore fishing tournament series. His expertise in launching and scaling sports properties informs the BBQ World Cup’s competition formats, rankings, and broadcast strategy — helping shape BBQ into a global, media-ready sport.
Steve is a C-suite sports executive with 20+ years leading brand, marketing, and revenue operations across the NFL, NHL, and MLB — including the Commanders, Jaguars, Padres, and Chargers. He brings deep experience in fan engagement, sponsorship, digital media, and multi-channel growth, guiding how Smoke Signal and the BBQ World Cup connect with fans and partners.
Pitmaster Competition Committee
The Pitmaster Competition Committee is the governing body of the BBQ World Cup — a global council of elite pitmasters whose expertise defines what competitive barbecue should be at the highest level. These leaders have shaped championship barbecue across regions and generations, and now they are uniting to set the official standards for the world’s premier BBQ competition.
These icons are more than pitmasters — they are chefs, entrepreneurs, founders, innovators, authors, and creators who have built award-winning restaurants, launched nationally recognized sauces and rubs, led championship teams, and inspired millions through cookbooks, TV shows, and digital platforms. With decades of competitive success, cultural influence, and industry innovation, they serve as trusted guardians of fairness, authenticity, and excellence in competitive barbecue.
Luke Darnell started Old Virginia Smoke in 2013. He’s cooked over 280 contests with 16 grand championships and 25 reserve grand championships all around the country. Old Virginia Smoke won the 2016 World BBQ Championship at the World Food Championships which included a first place in brisket. They also won the Kansas City BBQ Society Chicken Team of the Year in 2016 and in 2021, won first place in chicken at the American Royal Open Contest. Luke was recently featured on the first season of BBQ USA on the Food Network with Michael Symon, where he famously won with the “teardrop” Snake River Farms brisket. Favorite BBQ Moto: "Cook it till it's done! And have FUN!"
What the Pitmaster Committee Does
- Establish the Competitive StandardThey collaborate to define the rules, scoring criteria, and judging guidelines that ensure the BBQ World Cup represents the highest level of competitive barbecue — across all categories, regions, and styles.
- Protect BBQ Culture & CraftThey mentor rising talent, preserve regional styles, and champion the traditions and techniques that have shaped the craft of barbecue around the world.
- Shape the Future of Competitive BBQBy creating a unified framework for competition, they help elevate barbecue into a global sport with clear pathways, rankings, and prestige.
Together, they design the structure that determines what “the best” truly means — balancing skill, seasoning, tenderness, technique, time, smoke, and regional specialties.
And They Won’t Just Judge — They’ll Compete
This committee doesn’t just set the standard. They’ll stand shoulder-to-shoulder with top pitmasters from around the world, competing for the first-ever $1,000,000 prize and the title of World’s Best Pitmaster at the BBQ World Cup.
Smoke the Best. Win the World.
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