EDUCATION SCHEDULE

10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Keynotes

John Arena and Tony Gemignani
Main Stage, Music Hall

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Marketing in Today’s Environment

Michael Androw
The Foundry Stage

Today’s restaurant landscape requires curating a more targeted marketing approach. Canvasing a neighborhood with door hangars, while occasionally still effective in certain markets, just doesn’t work like it used to. Costs are up and marketing budgets are being squeezed, so it’s important to allocate your precious resources carefully. In this seminar you’ll learn how to identify your specific customer and how to get in front of them and get their attention.

11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Exhibitor Demo Presentation

Grande Cheese Company
Main Stage, Music Hall

1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Exhibitor Demo Presentation – From Classic to Cutting-Edge: Innovative Pizza Toppings with Hormel Foods

Hormel Foods Foodservice
Main Stage, Music Hall

In this engaging presentation, Hormel Foods will dive into the enduring popularity of classic pizza toppings such as pepperoni and sausage, examining their roles in the current pizza landscape.

We will be highlighting key trends supported by industry data and insights such as the rising interest in premium and artisanal toppings, unique offerings, and the impact of inclusive topping offerings. We will showcase recent innovations and emerging trends in the pizza topping market, providing a forward-looking perspective on how these influences are reshaping consumer expectations.

Join us to discover how classic toppings continue to shine, evolving trends, and what the future holds for the ever-popular world of pizza.

1:00 p.m. – 1:55 p.m.

Growing Revenue Through Catering

Tony Cerimele
The Foundry Stage

In this session we’ll talk about ways to add a catering component to your business. Whether you’re looking to grow via corporate lunches, weddings or other large-scale events, building a plan to increase off-premise sales can take your pizza business to new heights.

1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Exhibitor Demo Presentation

ProBAKE
Main Stage, Music Hall

2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Exhibitor Demo Presentation

DoorDash
Main Stage, Music Hall

2:00 p.m. – 2:55 p.m.

Dough Styles

Gregorio Fierro
The Foundry Stage

A great pizza is dependent on a great dough. It’s the base on which everything is built. And while you can produce a variety of different pizza styles from just one dough formula, when you really immerse yourself in exploring and mastering different styles of dough, that’s when your final product really takes flight and has that ‘wow’ factor we’re all looking for.

3:00 p.m. – 3:55 p.m.

Panel: Building Your Playbook

Sally’s Apizza
Jason Gore, Bret Lunsford, & Ted Zizlsperger
The Foundry Stage

Whether starting or taking over a business, having a clear plan and operational playbook is essential to your success. The operations team at Sally’s Apizza, with over 60 years of combined experience from brands like Shake Shack, Disney, Buffalo Wild Wings, Outback Steakhouse, and Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group, has developed a playbook that ensures unforgettable hospitality, legendary food, brand consistency, and profitability. Through a strong yet adaptable company culture, intentional decision making, and investing in people, you can build a road map to success for your business.

4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Menu Development with the World Pizza Champions

Michael Androw, Siler Chapman, Eric Von Hansen, Melissa Rickman, and Jeff Smokevitch
The Foundry Stage

You’re guaranteed to enjoy this entertaining and educational session as members of the vaunted World Pizza Champions take the stage to talk about menu development, some of their favorite and most successful recipes and answer your questions about menu development, food costs, building a new menu item, etc.