@Whit Well, there are 12 usable bones in a rack of ribs. Add your seasoning and the cost of wood, etc. So you are looking at $2.5 just for the meat per serving.
If you smoke an 18 pound brisket for about 12 hours, you'll probably end up with about 12-13 pounds of meat. If you serve a 1.5 ounce serving, maybe 125 servings, so about $1.50 a serving just for the meat. Add your seasoning, wood, etc.
Then figure in the health department license, your travel expenses (depending where you are...this is a regional competition), etc.
This is top of the line meats. If you are just using "off the rack IBP/Excel/Cargill/Hormel" products at $4/lb for brisket and $1.79/lb. spare ribs.......
In other words $200+ vs. $72 for brisket and $30 vs. $8 for ribs. As a consumer at one of these events, which do you want to eat? Which do you want to pay for?