WFC, now in its 11th year, has become the world’s largest food sport competition
Putnam County native Mike McCloud, the founder of World Food Championships (WFC), always wanted to grace the pages of Forbes magazine. He wanted to interview the icons featured there. Perhaps to gain inspiration or insight. He just wanted to talk to them, pick their brains and see how they worked.
In an ironic twist, McCloud himself was recently featured in what many see as the gold standard of business mags, but not as expected. It’s funny how things work out.
“First of all, it’s kind of ironic and surreal,” McCloud told the UCBJ. “For a guy like me, who wanted to write for Forbes early in my career so I could interview big business icons, it’s simply surreal to be perceived by them as someone successful enough to write about. I never could have dreamed of that twist.”
McCloud’s baby, WFC, now in its 11th year, has become the world’s largest food sport competition. Think March Madness meets the culinary world. And if plans pan out, everyone’s favorite food competition could be a mainstay on your television sets very soon.
He told Forbes Hollywood has known about WFC for years.
From Forbes:
“Hollywood knew about us,” remembered Mike McCloud. “Food Network, for example, would approach us and ask to shoot footage from WFC in the background. And now we are in development on a network deal with one of the big four to introduce World Food Championships as a weekly competition series in 2025. In addition, we have a deal with Walmart and Sam’s Club, where we send chefs into their stores to do product demos, and we are eying other interactive and marketing opportunities.”
WFC annually tracks more than 15,000 cooks in over 800 cooking competitions. Over 300 official teams are invited to compete across 12 food categories over five days of intense Food Sport in Dallas, Texas. The 12 category winners then compete at a customized Final Table for a $300,000 prize purse, and to become the next World Food Champion. It has become a food destination for rising stars and celebrity chefs.
Nothing is more gratifying to McCloud than representing his hometown on a world Stage.
“I love this community, and now I tell people that WFC must have been my destiny. Think about it. Our town is based on the word “cook.” So now, for a small-town guy to get to travel worldwide and eat the spoils of wonderful and talented cooks….how do you script that? You simply can’t. What’s important is to believe in your dreams and pursue them with 100% focus. Then, with a little luck – or destiny – great things can happen.”
McCloud, the visionary who also started the website you are currently enjoying and owns the marketing firm MMA Creative, founded “FoodSport” in 2006.
“It found us. Thanks to one of my great friends and mentors, the late Tony Stone, we got an opportunity to work with the Kansas City Barbecue Society in 2006 and we uniquely approached them…” McCloud said.
Food competition – WFC may soon be on national television soon.
The idea for combining food and competition came in a flash.
“We were in one of our staff brainstorming sessions in 2010, after a long weekend at a barbecue event,” said McCloud. “And one of our team members simply asked, “Why isn’t there a multi-genre Super Bowl event for food?” We all just stopped and took that in for a minute. And almost immediately we went to work on what that might look like. Two years later, we launched our first WFC in Las Vegas with about a dozen celebrity chefs and over 200 competing teams. It was an absolute game-changer for our company.”
Doing things the right way has opened a lot of eyes for WFC.
“WFC is a life-changing platform for aspiring cooks and chefs. My team and I knew it was a good concept back in 2012, but wow, did we ever underestimate its ultimate impact! I’ve seen grown men cry, women achieve their biggest dreams, and children go into business as a result of our championship. And in some respects, it feels like we are just getting started! I can’t wait to see what happens in the next 10 years,” said McCloud.
From dream to reality, the path was always straightforward. Whether it be from wanting to meet and interview the great minds in business to becoming one of them, he says you never have to travel the path alone.
“So many people have encouraged or helped me along the way that it would be impossible to list them all. The key for me, in thanking them publicly or privately, is to remember that you don’t have to be a lone wolf in your career or with your challenges along the way. Know your tribe and let them help you. And always, always remember who did that for you. Because there will be times when you can do the same for others and pass on the kindness, and it will make all the difference at the right time for someone else. It’s truly the recipe for and of success.”
Photo via Forbes.
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