Pizza Expo literally changed my life. I attended my first event in September 2006 and haven’t looked back. Not only did I somehow manage to talk my way into this pizza industry event, I did it long before I started running pizza tours. The fact that I’ve been leading seminars, guiding a Las Vegas pizza tour, and judging at the competitions for over a decade is completely mind-blowing to me.
This year’s going to be really fun! Wylie Dufresne (of Stretch Pizza in NYC) will be delivering a keynote on Tuesday morning at 8:15am. This is also the first year we’ve instituted a Pizza Judge Certification Program to make sure all judges are aligned. Slice Out Hunger will be on hand with a huge booth on the coveted “Gold Coast,” offering free temporary pizza tattoos and a cozy couch to sit on!
If you’re planning to attend Pizza Expo, please come find me at one of the following events:
Monday, March 23
4 – 6:45pm Las Vegas Pizza Tailgate (Pizza Rock, 201 N. 3rd St at Fremont)
My nonprofit Slice Out Hunger produces this pizza festival featuring 20 pizza makers from Las Vegas and beyond. It’s our way of giving locals the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of so many incredible visiting pizza makers — a treat they would otherwise miss out on! All proceeds benefit the work of Slice Out Hunger, which manages a network of 750+ pizza partners across the US who have all pledged to support their local hunger relief programs. Find more information, including the pizza maker lineup, at the Slice Out Hunger website.
Tuesday, March 24
9:30am Exploring Today’s Top Pizza Trends (Lecture Room W225)
I visit pizzerias constantly and I’m always keeping my eye peeled for current trends. Through this seminar, I’ll present my findings supported by concrete data to help pizzeria operators keep track of what’s happening beyond their doors. Through this analysis, we’ll determine the difference between what trends will be long-lasting, and which will be distant memories by the end of 2026.
5:30 – 10pm Las Vegas Pizza Tour – SOLD OUT
Every year I lead a special pizza tour that’s only open to 50 Pizza Expo registrants. We hit a set of 3 significant pizzerias, each of which exhibits a different perspective on operations and pizza production. This year we’ll hit a retro shop that uses one dough to make several different styles; an over-the-top pizzeria that uses several different ovens, doughs, tomatoes, cheese, etc to make pretty much every style of pizza imaginable. The final stop will be a newer spot that’s all about Grandma Style pizza.
WEDNESDAY, March 25
10am – 4pm Slice Out Hunger Booth #1880
Come visit us every day of Pizza Expo for some custom pizza-themed temporary tattoos! We partnered with four incredible tattoo artists from across the US to create temporary tattoos just for this event.
THURSDAY, March 26
ALL DAY I’ll be judging the pizza competitions, including the two big final face-offs! Pizza Maker of the Year puts the winner of each division up against each other to determine the true champion. Then there’s Best of the Best, which puts past winners against each other and requires them to use a secret ingredient. I love these competitions because you get to watch the entire process, unlike the preliminary rounds, which use blind judging.
