The World Pizza ChampionsTMand World Pizza Games® will take the stage at the 2012 International Pizza Expo® and as always you’re invited to join in the fun.
World Pizza Games
On Tuesday, March 13th we will open up the competition and invite you to
come compete in one or all of five events: Freestyle Acrobatics First
Division, Fastest Dough, Largest Stretch, Fastest Box Folding and
Longest Spin.
Fastest Dough: How fast can you toss out (5) 12″ doughs!
Largest Dough: How big can you make 18oz of dough in just 5 minutes!
Fastest Box Folding: How fast can you fold (5) 12″ pizza boxes?
Longest Spin: How long can you keep a dough spinning over your head?
Freestyle Acrobatics First Division& the Masters Division
*First Division - created for those up and coming acrobats who want to showcase their talent without having to go head to head against the masters of the sport. The finalists will face off at the World Pizza Games® Finals and Rockin’ Party Wednesday night.
*Masters Division - created for those dough throwing acrobats that are the best of the
best. These masters will face off against each other at the World Pizza Games® Finals and Rockin’ Party. Please contact the World Pizza Champions for more details for qualifying for this event.
Please Note: If you have won a world or international title in an acrobatic dough throwing competition in recent years you may automatically qualify for the Masters Division. Qualifying for the Master division may make you ineligible to compete in the First Division. If you feel that you may fit into this category, please consult with the World Pizza Champions before entering the competition.
Please see the rules for complete details.
The heart of a pizza champion.
Tuesday, March 13th - Preliminaries / Finals (Exhibit Hall)
Listen as Tony G. talks about what he will be doing at Pizza Expo:
Keynote Addresses
The first two days of Pizza Expo will kick off with remarks from a couple of industry standouts with very different stories to tell.
Tuesday, March 13, begins with a speech—open to all attendees—by Nick Sarillo, owner of two hugely popular Nick’s Pizza & Pub locations in suburban Chicago.
Dubbed two years ago as the “Blue-Collar Millionaire” by Inc. magazine, Sarillo left his first career as a home-builder and dusted off some old family recipes to enter the pizza business in 1995. He placed two goals among his top priorities: creating a family-friendly restaurant that would become a hub for repeat business; and molding a new model for employee culture, one that drives his staff to stay longer and work harder.
That he’s succeeded is obvious by the multi-million-dollar revenue at both Nick’s restaurants, and by the advance interest in his new book outlining his business philosophy, A Slice of the Pie, scheduled for releas in summer 2012.
Wednesday, March 14, will be launched with a 7:45 a.m. keynote by Marla Topliff, president of another suburban Chicago-based success story—the 170-unit Rosati’s Pizza chain.
She’ll share her personal journey from local representative for Welcome Wagon to a position as its national sales manager, and relate how some of Welcome Wagon’s then-novel neighborhood marketing tactics still apply today. But Topliff credits another position she held while raising her children as her truest training ground: president of the local PTA. She’ll explain how running a Parent Teacher Association group educated her in the arts of politics and persuasion, and helped fuel her rise from marketing director to president at Rosati’s, where she is one of the top women executives in the pizza business.
She’ll also address the role marketing has played in Rosati’s tremendous growth and explain how the company’s cohesive brand image continues to solidify its success.
Competitions
For the 2012 show, we’re adding a new demonstration area—located on the Exhibit Hall floor and outfitted with stadium seating—allowing us to expand the International Pizza Challenge? while continuing the Making Dough With Tony Gemignani workshops and a full slate of pizza-making and hot-topic menu item demonstrations.
The Pizza Challenge will feature four divisions in March 2012: Traditional and Non-Traditional, plus the first-time categories of American-Pan and Italian-Style. Attendees can observe the preparation and judging of these entries and taste the pies themselves to form their own opinions. Winners in each division move on to the Pizza Maker of the Year finals.
The Challenge will also bring back past Pizza Maker of the Year winners for a special “Best of the Best” competition that is sure to wow the audience.
Seminars and Workshops
Among the 75-plus seminars and cooking demonstrations will be these special new sessions:
Power Panels
We’ll convene panels consisting of top operators who are on the cutting edge in their approaches to top-of-mind topics. You’ll be able to learn from the best on subjects including: finding and keeping the best pizzeria employees, building blocks for profitable menus and proven tactics for driving business with social media marketing.
Operator Presentations
We’ve gone to great lengths to bring in more pizza owners and operators to speak about how they excel in specific segments of the business. Among the operator-presenters appearing at Pizza Expo 2012 are: Peter Cooperstein of Amici’s on delivery, Glenn Cybulski of Seasons Pizzeria and Clovers Sports Bar on appetizers, Doug Ferriman of Crazy Dough’s on selling slices, Clayton Krueger of Farrelli’s on social media, George Hadjis of Oggi’s on building community partnerships—and several more.
Super-Segment Thursday
Seminar sessions on the final morning of Pizza Expo will be turned over to special topics presented by those who know them best—pizza people. The morning will begin with a Power Panel on social media marketing featuring advanced practitioners of this new advertising art. Breakout sessions will follow: Bill Jacobs of Piece Pizza on his branding campaign, Mike Rangel of Asheville Pizza and Brewing on tapping higher beer sales, Matt Galvin of Pagliacci’s on growing the catering segment, Michael Shepherd of Michael Angelo’s on working well with vendors—and more.
Pre-Show Monday
After a well-attended day of workshops and seminars geared toward new operators and first-time attendees in 2011, we’re expanding the offerings in 2012. In addition to repeating Big Dave Ostrander’s workshop, “So You Want to Open a Pizzeria,” a second pay-to-attend session is being added: “How to Turn Your Good Restaurant Into a Great Business” with restaurant business guru Jim Laube.
A special Power Panel—“The $2 Million Club”—will also convene, featuring Tony Gemignani, Peter Cooperstein, George Hadjis, Bill Jacobs and Mike Rangel, all of whom preside over pizza operations that average $2 million-plus per unit in revenue. Their subject: “How to Outcompete the Big Chains.”
And a track of afternoon seminars for first-time attendees is being added to go with the track for new operators that was so well attended at our last show.
Here is what Tony had to say to me last year at The Pizza Expo:
As a side note:
Attending Pizza Expo 2012
will be an incredible opportunuty for you and your business!
If you are serious about your pizza business, just do it!
In the following interview Tony discusses his newest pizza adventures.
Tony was extremely busy and tired at the Pizza Expo, in Las Vegas. He explains his recent pizza adventures. He has opened a number of very successful pizza restaurants in San Francisco. His latest project is Tony’s Pizzeria Napoletana.
He started with just one wood fired oven. He has now added a coal fired oven and is working on a gluten free concept.
Yeah, you know I grew up in Fremont, California on a farm actually. My grandpa was a big Italian farmer. We lived with our grandpa; a typical Italian family. I never knew I was going to get into pizza. Food was a big part of our life.
We were on apricot orchards, cherry orchards, and fava beans. Italians call them horse beans. I grew up around food all the time especially watching my mom cook. That was a pretty big part of my life. I always tell everybody about that.
Like if it had garlic in it, then it had a lot of garlic. If it was spicy, it was really spicy. In the taste of the kitchen, your taste really comes from someone usually and that came from my mom.
The following interview was done at the Pizza Expo, in Las Vegas:
The following comes from Steve Lieber, Director of Operations United States Pizza Team.
Enter this contest:
"The competitions are Gluten Free Championship September 12 and the American Pizza Championship September 13, 2010."
Registration Criteria You must be employed at a pizzeria, or have pizza on your menu at the time of competition.
Competition Criteria
Competitor must bring own pre made dough, sauce, cheese and toppings for 2, 14-inch pizzas. On site refrigeration will be provided. (Contestants will have access to dough making equipment if necessary.
Oven testing will take place prior to first competition. Bring extra ingredients if you want to prove the ovens.
Dough trays and peels will be provided; competitor should bring any other needed tools.
The choice of pizza ingredients is strictly up to the discretion of the competitors. There is no requirement that this pizza is on any existing menu but part of the judging criteria is that it be commercially viable. Bring your best pie.
You must prepare and cook pizza in competition area.
Competitors will make 2 pizzas. They will decide which of the two will go to judges. The second will be given to audience for sampling.
Contestants must be at pre-competition briefing at 9 am September 5th.
Competitors must agree to judge criteria prior to competition. At the pre-competition briefing contestants must sign publicity waivers and rule agreement waiver.
All contestants will be assigned numbers and a drawing will determine order. Judges will be sequestered before drawing takes place.
This is a double blind taste test and numbers will be assigned to pizza in the order in which they are made.
All contestants must write and print a description of their pizza and provide recipe of ingredients and cooking instructions. This will be used during the judging of each pizza.
Contestants will remove finished pizza from oven and place on a pizza circle. At this time PMQ will take photos of chef with pizza, then the pizza will be taken to an area to have photos taken of the pizza itself.
The pizza will then be taken by a runner who will then take it to the judging area. Here the runner will read the description and recipe of the pizza. The runner will then cut the pizza and allow each judge to choose a slice (piece). The judges will grade the pizza, then the score sheets picked up, tallied, and held by head judge. The tables will then be cleared.
Contestants will give permission for PMQ to use photos and statements in any future media without obligation.
Founding members Tony Gemignani, Michael Shepherd, Siler Chapman, Joe Carlucci, and Sean Brauser would like you to meet the newest members of the World Pizza Champions Team and are headed to Italy this
week for the World Pizza Championships
Eric Corbin
2010 World Pizza Champion Member of the Year and 2010 World Pizza Games Winner – Grimaldi's, Tuscon, Arizona
Ryan LaRose
National Champion – Pizza Acrobat - A Slice of New York – Columbus Ohio
Patt Miller
National Champion – Pizza Acrobat Owner/Operator – A Slice of New York Columbus Ohio
Steve Lieber
National Pizza Champion / Certified Pizzaiolo Pizza Classica, Miami Beach, Racks Italian Bistro
(You can listen a great interview I did with Steve, at this link.
Audrey Sherman
Certified Pizzaiola Napoletana - Tony's Pizza Napoletana San Francisco, California
Michael Bausch
Certified Pizzaiolo Pizza Classica / Owner Andolini's North Owasso, Oklahoma
Guilio Adriani - (International Member)
This year the World Pizza Champions consist of over 50 members worldwide.
Most members will be representing the US and home counties at the World Pizza Championships in Salsomaggiore, Italy April 19, 20, 21
Naples, Italy – Master VPN Instructor and World Champion Pizza Maker. Andriani has won several International awards in Baking including the World Pizza Cup in Naples Italy 2008.
If you like the Wolrd Pizza Champions, you will love this great book, by Tony Gemignani:
