As an avid golfer who travels the world, Bill Oakley understands the nuances of course management. In each case as he has traversed the challenges of Scotland’s toughest links or navigating the challenges of Pebble Beach, the veteran show executive knows that on the course, success is based on reacting to change.
It is with that very same spirit that Oakley and his Pizza and Pasta Northeast 2019 Expo have designed the experience for their show attendees at this month’s show in Atlantic City. So attendees to the New Jersey event will find aisles full of the latest pizza and pasta food, equipment and supply and beverage solutions and a seminar slate packed with “plug and play” strategies.
With years of experience producing the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, Oakley and Emerald Exhibitions were convinced that an East Coast edition of the show couldn’t miss. So once again, their annual event will be held September 25-26 at the Atlantic City Convention Center.
“If you’re looking for new ideas to boost revenue or just want to find out what the latest trends are in the pizza and Italian restaurant segments, then Pizza & Pasta Northeast 2019 is the show for you,” noted Oakley. “You’ll be able to see, touch, taste and explore thousands of products, as well as negotiate great deals right on the show floor.”
“This is the only tradeshow where you’ll find an industry specific demonstration and education program designed for pizzeria and Italian restaurant owners and operators,” Oakley continued. “We will have 300-plus booths of products and services, morning keynote addresses, seminars, pizza and pasta demonstrations, workshops, networking events and more. Our goal is to present endless possibilities to take your restaurant to the next level.”
“The Northeast has more pizzerias and Italian restaurants than any other region in the U.S.,” Oakley explained. “That’s not to mention that Atlantic City is within a few hours drive of one-third of America’s population: approximately 100 miles from New York; less than 300 miles from Boston; fewer than 100 miles from Philadelphia; and 150 miles from Washington, D.C.”
“We love the excitement that Atlantic City brings as a venue,” Oakley continued. “There is always something new that makes the trip worthwhile for show attendees and exhibitors.”
With that growth in mind, International Pizza Expo®, the largest pizzeria business-to-business trade show in the world, will again take center stage with the second edition of its two-day trade show that focuses on pizzerias and Italian restaurants. The 2019 Pizza & Pasta Northeast® show will incorporate a blend of food demonstrations, contests and educational sessions to augment an exhibit hall showcasing top suppliers for both of these strong foodservice segments.
Under the guidance of a seasoned show manager in Oakley, the event brings a long and distinguished track record of success from its Las Vegas roots. Now in its 34th Year of serving Independent and Chain Pizzerias, attendees at the ‘Vegas event include pizzeria or pizza-concept restaurant owners, operators and managers, as well as distributors and food brokers.
Exhibitors in New Jersey will include suppliers of pizza ingredients and pizza flour, point-of-sales systems, ovens, kitchen equipment, marketing and promotional materials and many other companies providing goods and services to the pizza restaurant industry. “Our show is a must see for the pizza and hospitality operator,” Oakley noted. “Today’s consumers and pizza aficionados have many styles from which to choose. From Pizza Napoletana to Roman and Detroit style, which is currently expanding across the U.S. Our goal is to bring prep insight to the foodservice professional that want to add diversity to their menu.”
The 2019 Pizza & Pasta Northeast show will deliver a one-stop shop exhibit hall where Italian and pizza-concept restaurant owners can meet face-to-face with leading national and regional industry suppliers. Attendees will also have access to food demonstrations that will focus on new and traditional, Italian ingredients, flavors and products – allowing attendees to stay on top of the consumers’ growing desire for pizza and pasta menu items.
Once again, the visionary Oakley and his team have brought their unique brand of excitement to the show floor. Restaurant competitors from throughout the Northeast will battle in The Northeast Pasta Showdown to determine who has the “Best Pasta Dish” east of the Mississippi. Pizza & Pasta Northeast will once again partner with Antimo Caputo and Orlando Foods to host the 5th annual Caputo Cup. The Caputo Cup is Italy’s largest, most exciting pizza-making contest. This year nearly 200 of the best pizza-makers in the world will present their signature pies to the judges in the Traditional, Non-Traditional, Pizza Napoletana/STG and Gluten-Free divisions.
The New England region combined with Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. is home to more than 28,000 Italian restaurants and pizzerias, making this region No. 1 in the U.S. in terms of the total number of pizzerias and Italian restaurants. This means one-third of the country’s operators, generating 30 percent of the industry’s revenue, are located in one tightly condensed geographic area.
“This is in no way a replacement to Pizza Expo for East Coast pizzeria operators and their staffs, but more of an opportunity to let them be a part of this regional two-day experience,” said Oakley. “Most of our eastern U.S. attendees have two days of travel in order to attend the Expo, making it difficult to attend the entire four-day show, which would keep them from their pizzeria for an entire week. This event is a natural progression and one that we hope will allow more restaurateurs and pizzeria operators the opportunity to experience some of the things they have been missing for years are now at the International Pizza Expo. Adding some new twists to this new event should make it a very compelling event to attend.”
“Remember, when deciding on which tradeshow to attend, general foodservice shows are precisely that, even if they claim to have an Italian pavilion,” Oakley concluded. “To succeed in today’s fiercely competitive restaurant marketplace you need access to all the latest strategies and product innovations.”
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