THIS YEAR THE U.S. CHAPTER WILL BE USING A WEIGHTED LOTTERY SYSTEM TO CHOOSE COMPETITORS FOR THE USBRC AND USBC COMPETITIONS TAKING PLACE AT SPECIALTY COFFEE EXPO IN BOSTON, APRIL 8-10, 2022.
In the past, we have had Prelims and Qualifiers leading up to the finals competition weekend and competitors qualify from these competitions. Due to the Covid pandemic, we have not held the preliminary or qualifier competitions. In order to still have a U.S. final event and reach out fairly to the community, we have chosen a lottery system to field the two open competitions. Lottery selections are particularly useful in situations where there is a lot more interest than available spots.
CIGS, Cup Tasters and Roasters are not included in this selection process since these three competitions are finishing out their 2020 season and already have their competitors which have been waiting for two years in order to finish their events. Latte Art, a competition in its first iteration, will be open to the community for registration until all positions are filled.
How Does it Work?
In order to encourage a fair and diverse competition group that truly reflects our community, the Lottery form collects optional demographic data for the purpose of determining how each lottery entry will be weighted. This information will be kept confidential and data will be removed after the lottery selection is complete.
Why a lottery?
There is a large community of qualified and eager baristas in the U.S. that are excited to compete in the USCC events and there are generally more baristas than slots available. This year, with a limit of 18 Brewer and 24 Barista entries available there is sure to be more entries than positions.
It has been found that when there are more qualified candidates than slots available and there is no way to distinguish who is “more deserving” of a slot, then a lottery is the fairest method of choosing the roster.
The goal of lottery selection is to open up the competitions to the entire coffee community without restriction. That said, there will be a weight to the selection process in order to encourage diversity and have a competition group that truly reflects our community.
Nominate yourself to enter the 2022 U.S. Brewers Cup or Barista Championships Lottery Here. Nominations close February 7, 2022.
Good luck and we look forward to seeing everyone in Boston!
Sincerely,
Beth A. Beall, Competitions Committee Advisor
Lauren Lathrop, Competitions Committee Chair