For those of you interested in Competitions, here are the three local sanctioning bodies that you should join. The national sanctioning body is the Kansas City BBQ Society (KCBS). Their website and newsletter list all of the big events. On a local level, there is the Calif BBQ Assoc (CBBQA). And for those who willing to cross state lines, there is the Nevada BBQ Assoc (NVBBQA). Memberships are not expensive, and you get to network with the "circuit".
If you are more into eating than cooking -- consider becoming a Certified BBQ Judge at these events. To qualify, you attend a one day training class (which includes all you can eat BBQ). As a Judge during a comp, you will be part of a table of 6 judges. For each meat, your table will receive 6 turn-in boxes (each box has at least 6 small portions). At an event, there will be a total number of judges equal to the number of participating teams (do the math: 6 judges per table, six sets of boxes per table).
Boxes are turned in blind -- judges will not know whose box they are judging. Each box and its contents will be scored by each judge for appearance, tenderness, and taste. (Just like on TV). So that would be a total of 24 turn-in boxes per table (6 each for ribs, chicken, pork, and brisket). You can see why judges only take one bite! (They do get to eat the rest later, or take it home.) After you have judged around 30 events, you can qualify to be a Certified Master Judge. Information about judging classes can be found on the respective websites.