1 - World Barista Championship - What is the point?

The World Barista Championship has been around for 24 years, and this is a bit of a dive into why it can be useful, what it has influenced, and how powerful excelling in it can be.
The WBC website:
worldbaristach...
My 2013 WBC presentation:
• 2013 WBC Finals - Pete...

[@Mattytube18]

Do baristas in RL know how to communicate with patrons?!
Haha, funny.

[@licatacoffee]

I'd say that really depends on the barista. However I do think we have been too focused on farm stories and sounding like we know what we're talking about (even when that may not be the case), rather than simply providing great service and human connection.
So in reality, some do and some don't. But is that really any different than restaurant wait staff or other service staff these days?