Grand Slam Events is preparing to launch a new all-inclusive pizza industry event designed to better serve the East Coast and Southern United States regions: Tomorrow’s Pizza Summit. Scheduled to debut November 9-10, 2022 at Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, the new trade show and conference for the growing and evolving pizza industry will be a full-service event bringing together pizzerias, new businesses, vendors, products and initiatives as well as ‘an advanced training program.

According to show officials, attendees at the new event will expect an energetic and immersive experience that will feature a robust exhibition floor with more than 300 companies exhibiting in key vertical segments, including food products, catering equipment, pizza ovens, technology and services; exciting pizza contests; and educational content based on needs and on topical issues.

With the show’s convenient location and industry-focused events, operators will find their plates full of everything they need to help propel their business and the pizza industry into the future, according to the trade show industry veteran Glenn Celentano, who, along with Urban Expositions founder Doug Miller, founded and co-owner of Grand Slam Events.

“I am more than excited to bring this new event to the great city of Orlando,” said Celentano. “The pizza industry has remained strong, despite the impact of the global pandemic on food service operators across the country, and we want to meet the needs of the industry. “

He continued, “We are launching the Pizza Tomorrow Summit to provide a comprehensive experience for independent pizzerias and restaurateurs. Whatever their needs, whether it’s exhibitors showcasing innovative new products, exciting pizza contests, or exciting educational content, operators will find everything they need to be successful in our evolving industry.

Celentano added that the response to the new show so far has been overwhelmingly positive.

“As we expect 300 hundred booths for our launch year, we have enough room to hit 500 if things continue to exceed expectations, ”he said. “We’ve only been actively selling space for about a month and a half, have already secured exhibitors in key verticals and expect the momentum to continue after the holidays and into 2022.”

To ensure that operators and suppliers receive the best educational programming and the best competitions possible, The Pizza Tomorrow Summit will work with PMQ Magazine as an official sponsor, explained Grand Slam Events co-owner Doug Miller.

“The insight and guidance from PMQ Magazine has been invaluable,” Miller said. “As a lifeblood of the pizza industry, PMQ Magazine has a pulse on the needs and challenges of the industry which has helped us refine our programming topics, our event content and more. ”

Grand Slam Events is a partnership between exhibition industry veterans Doug Miller and Glenn Celentano, who have accumulated nearly 60 years of combined experience in managing large-scale B2B and B2C events across the country. Miller previously founded Urban Expositions and has successfully launched and developed hundreds of events in various industries, while Celentano has spent over 25 years organizing events for global organizations such as Reed Exhibitions and Clarion Events, including 15 years dedicated to professional fairs in the catering industry. .

After spending so many years working and hosting shows in the restaurant business, Celentano said he was looking for the right niche to start something new. But who would have thought that COVID would be the inspiring force of a new trade show?

“When the pandemic closed everything, restaurants were closed at an unprecedented rate, [and] when my wife and I found ourselves unable to go out to dinner at our favorite restaurants and ordered take out pizza (AGAIN!), the light bulb went out, ”he explained. “[I thought] surely this pizza industry is big enough to run an east coast pizza event in addition to the established show that takes place in west Las Vegas.

Celentano continued, “When we approached PMQ about the idea, they immediately got involved and told us the timing was perfect and they would like to be involved. We then interviewed potential exhibitors to verify our findings, and they were confirmed. The rest, as they say, is history! “

To find out more about the Pizza Tomorrow Summit, go to here or contact Glenn Celentano at [email protected].

Don’t miss any event news: subscribe to our weekly e-newsletter HERE and engage with us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn!