The 39th Edition of the International Pizza Expo has just concluded in Las Vegas. And once again, it’s been a success!
At MODALITA we definitely could not miss it and we came back to NYC with a fresh handful of market insights and new inspirations for the year.
But what’s the Pizza Expo about and how is it so important to attend such an event?
First of all, the International Pizza Expo is an annual trade show for the pizza industry that always takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada. Year after year, it has become the largest and most important fair for the pizza industry in the world. Today, it is visited by thousands of operators coming from all over the country and abroad.
They are pizzerias and they may be independent, chain, and franchise. But the so called Pizza Forum is also visited by Italian restaurant owners, managers, buyers, and decision-makers. Food brokers and distributors are also welcome.
The event’s main goal is to gather together all of these industry professionals to network, learn, and discover new trends and products in the pizza industry.
How does the Pizza Expo work?
The Pizza Expo is organized by the National Association of Pizzeria Operators (NAPO). It typically takes place in March or April each year at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The event dedicates 3 days to the whole pizza industry and creates a gathering space in Las Vegas, Nevada, for thousands of pizzeria professionals.
Among them, suppliers from across the globe can benefit from networking and educational sessions led by top industry professionals. The Pizza Expo also features over 1,000 exhibitors showcasing the latest pizza related products and services. These typically include pizza ovens, ingredients, toppings, packaging, technology, and marketing tools.
Attendees can also participate in workshops, seminars, and cooking demonstrations led by industry experts and top pizzeria owners.
Moreover, the Pizza Expo hosts several national competitions that round out this unrivaled event. The main one is none other than the International Pizza Challenge.
Here pizzeria owners and operators from around the world compete for the title of “World’s Best Pizza.”
The International Pizza Challenge
The International Pizza Challenge has grown in stature and prize money since its inception in 2007. Today it’s widely considered to be the most prestigious pizza-making competition in North America, and probably in the world.
This year’s event featured four divisions: Traditional, Non-Traditional, Pan, and Neapolitan/STG. 200 of the world’s best pizza makers competed against each other.
Each competitor had the chance to bake their signature pizza on the spot and present it to a panel of renowned accredited chefs. The Traditional and Non-Traditional divisions had a maximum of 80 entries each. The Neapolitan and Pan divisions were capped at 50 and 30 contestants, respectively.
The winners of each division then faced off in a mystery-ingredient bake-off to determine the 2023 Pizza Maker of the Year.
This year’s winner is Laredo’s 550 Pizzeria. Its owner Janet Zapata was crowned World Pizza Champion with her chicken Chori-Queso Pizza!
Attendance fees
Waiting for next year’s details, in 2023 these were the attendance fees to participate at the Pizza Expo:
3 Reasons to Attend the International Pizza Show
1) Learn
By attending the Show you’ll get an astonishing amount of tips of any kind about the pizza industry. You’ll earn precious market insights, you can attend hands-on workshops, or just learn by talking with the bests in class.
As an attendee recently said:
“The 12-time World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani gave me his recipe in a workshop that was worth every penny. And I am working toward shaving almost 7 percent off my food cost across our four stores because of a free accounting talk at Pizza Expo. You simply cannot put a dollar value on the classes at the show.”
2) Earn visibility and brand awareness
Last but least, the International Pizza Expo & Conference is the perfect spot to earn larger visibility.
This works for shops and brands, but also for products and services related to the industry. Thanks to the networking you can in fact showcase your equipment, organize workshops, and talk with potential customers.
If you have a shop or a chain, the Expo has plenty of touchpoints with potential customers and partners. But more importantly, you can show off your baking skills and your flavors by participating at a number of competitions.
Competitions are surely an outstanding way to boost your profile and feed your curriculum as a pizza maker!
3) Buy equipment and save money
At the Pizza Forum you can basically find anything you might need to develop your pizza business. This includes specific services, but also equipment and tools to bake and improve your pizza quality.
Given the huge number of professionals attending the Expo every year, it is an unmatchable occasion to get great deals and do cost-efficient shopping.
This year we participated at the exhibition together with the friends of Moretti Forni. Together, we helped a lot of newcomers in the industry to start their new business with the best oven available on the market.
Our experience at the Pizza Expo and what’s next
At MODALITA, we couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity. We definitely collected a plethora of fresh market insights and newfound inspiration for the year ahead.
But most importantly, we deeply enjoyed presenting Moretti Forni’s masterpiece ovens.
We have been showcasing together their peak oven Neapolis and the new Series-S, officially available in the US.
Also, with the Corporate Chef Daniele Brenci we baked exceptional pistachio pizza and we enjoyed seeing the incredulous faces of amusement of the people who took a sample of it.
At MODALITA, our lifelong mission is to promote flawless, top-notch Italian quality. That’s why we are determined to attend the 40th Edition of Pizza Expo again next year to further raise awareness of our homeland’s quality and flavors.
In the meantime, if you’re looking to boost your business with the best ovens available on the market…
…you just need to fill in the form and reach out to us to get your quote!