Attendees to this week’s Pizza Tomorrow Summit and Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show will have the opportunity to experience four exciting competitions taking place during the trade shows on Wednesday, November 8 and Thursday, November 9 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. The Galbani Professionale Pizza Cup, a high-powered pizza-making competition, and the U.S. Pizza Team Acrobatic Finals, a pizza acrobatics spin-off will take place on US Pizza Team Competition stage in the back of the 800 aisle. The Rapid-Fire Challenge: Hot Sandwich and Sides Competition and the Hip Sip: Battle of the Modern Bartender Competition Bourbon Edition sponsored by Savage & Cooke Distillery will take place in the Culinary Innovation Theater in booth 172. Competitions and demonstration stages are open to all attendees.
“We have two amazing events scheduled for next week and can’t wait to welcome thousands of restaurant, pizza, foodservice, and hospitality professionals to the convention center where they will be able to see the latest products and solutions from hundreds of exhibiting companies, learn from a stellar line up of subject matter experts and watch four incredible competitions as well as culinary demonstrations,” said Glenn Celentano, Founder, The Pizza Tomorrow Summit and Partner, Restaurant Events, LLC. “One badge gives all attendees access to both events including competitions, product sourcing, education, and demonstrations. From high flying acrobatics, dough stretching and culinary pizza competition to the best sandwich and sides and whiskey cocktail there is certainly something for everyone. There is still time to register for this not to be missed event. Discount rates available until November 7th.”
The Pizza Tomorrow Summit will kick off on Tuesday, November 7th with a pre-event party at Playa Pizza, 13211 Reams Rd Suite 108, Windermere, FL at 7:00 pm. The US Pizza Team Competition stage will feature head to head battles between talented pizzaioli and pizza acrobats from across the nation, all vying for the Grand Prizes in both Culinary and Acrobatics of a trip to compete in the World Pizza Championships in Parma, Italy, April of 2024.
- The pizza culinary competition will be held on Wednesday, November 8 starting at 8:30 am with two sets of competitors baking pizzas on a Fiero Napoli Traditional 110G, a hand-built, hearth-style oven and present their dishes. The finals will start at 3:30 pm with the awards presented at 5 pm.
- On Thursday, November 9th there will be several competitions including the largest dough stretch, fastest box folder, fastest pizza maker and freestyle acrobatics. The events will be held from 11 am – 3:00 pm. All placers for Largest Dough Stretch and Fastest Pie Maker will receive cash prizes. The winner of the 2023 USPT Acrobatics Champion will have the chance to compete in the World Pizza Championship next year in Parma, Italy.
The Culinary Innovation Theater located in booth 172 will feature culinary demonstrations from four local chefs presented by the American Culinary Federation Central Florida Chapter and two exciting competitions.
- The Rapid-Fire Challenge: Hot Sandwich and Sides Competition will be held on Wednesday at 3 pm and judged by Food Network’s Shaun O’Neale, Kate Reed, President/ Founder and Phillip Marro, Co-Founder – Visit Lauderdale Food & Wine Festival. Competing Chefs will prepare their favorite dishes ‘between the bread’ plus a side dish. The dishes will be judged on taste, presentation, cooking within a time limit and creativity and the winner will receive $1,000, bragging rights and gain exposure.
- On Thursday the Hip Sip: Battle of the Modern Bartender Competition Bourbon Edition sponsored by Savage & Cooke Distillery will take place at 2 pm. Hip Sip is judged by Art Sutley, Hospitality & Nightlife Expert, Savage & Cooke Distillery; and Bar Rescue’s Mia Mastroianni, and Phil Wills, The Spirits in Motion. A dozen bartender contestants will use Cask Finished Rye Whiskey to battle it out to see who has the best whiskey cocktail. The winner will receive a FREE trip to the Savage & Cooke Distillery. This trip will include airfare, 2-night accommodation in Napa, a tour of the distillery, and a meet & greet with the master distiller.
In addition to the exciting competitions, attendees will have access to the combined exhibit halls with 430 booths featuring leading suppliers demonstrating, and sampling products and services. Exhibitors include Sysco, Cheney Brothers, Roma brought to you by Performance Food Service, Bellissimo Foods, Fiero Group, Ken’s Foodservice, Shadowspec Umbrellas, ACF Central Florida Chapter, RL Schreiber, and many more.
Attendees to both the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show and Pizza Tomorrow Summit will have access to thirty free education sessions providing immediate actionable solutions and ideas, from industry subject matter experts focused on People, Process and New Technology; How to Lease Restaurant Space; Growing Your Restaurant Through your Chamber of Commerce, Building a Team, How to Recognize Talent and Develop Leaders and much more. In addition, all attendees are invited to register for the Restaurant Management 201 Workshop led by Darren Denington and Alison Anne who will guide the entire management team through the process of becoming a cohesive team with strong leadership.
The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show, a reinvented event serving a refocused foodservice industry, is sponsored by the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association and produced and managed by Restaurant Events, LLC. For exhibitor information for the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show contact Joe Carlino at (484) 823-9611 or [email protected].
The Pizza Tomorrow Summit, now in its 2nd year, will once again provide independent pizza operators with an immersive and fun experience, a wide range of products, a robust conference program, plus entertaining and informative pizza competitions, and demonstrations. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore hundreds of exhibitors and have access to new companies, products, ideas, and initiatives that will help propel this evolving industry into the future. For exhibitor information about the Pizza Tomorrow Summit contact Dave Kellogg at 203-788-3794 or [email protected].
The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show, sponsored by the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association and Pizza Summit Tomorrow are owned by Restaurant Events, LLC which also produces the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York, scheduled for March 3-5, 2024 at the Javits Center in New York City and the 2024 Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo scheduled for August 25-27 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
# # #
For further information, contact:
Amy Riemer, Media Relations
978-475-4441(office) or 978-502-4895 (cell)
[email protected]