New Winners Crowned in the 2023 World Pizza Games

LAS VEGAS, NV (April 26, 2023) – Pizza industry and innovation professionals took a bite out of Las Vegas with the return of the International Pizza Expo & Conference, the most expansive pizza show in the U.S. Welcoming over 9,000 registered buyers from around the world to the Las Vegas Convention Center, the event marked the largest Pizza Expo to date.

Now in its 39^th year, the Pizza Expo and Conference remains unchallenged as the preeminent event for the pizza industry. This year’s Expo showcased over 400 suppliers of the latest products, equipment and services, along with networking opportunities, educational sessions and exciting industry competitions.

Tony Gemignani, famed for his pizza making and acrobatics, and Benson Tsai, former SpaceX engineer and founder of Stellar Pizza, served as this year’s keynote speakers, providing key insights and inspirational stories to attendees. Gemignani, who kicked off Day 1, shared his successes, failures and more that have helped him earn 13 World Titles in pizza making. Tsai, who spoke on Day 2, shared how pizzerias can become increasingly successful with the use of technology, highlighting his own company’s groundbreaking mobile robotics pizza trucks.

In addition, the highly-anticipated competition, the World Pizza Games, brought thousands of spectators to the stage for jaw-dropping displays and performances. This year’s event – which saw over 130+ entrants – crowned Scott Volpe of Fiamme Pizza Napoletana in Tucson, AZ, the winner of the Master’s Division Dough-Tossing Acrobatics, while two-time World Pizza Champion Nathan Wilson of Six Hundred Downtown in Bellefontaine, OH, won in the Freestyle Acrobatics 1st Division. A full list of winners can be found below.

Master Acrobatics

• 1^st Place: Scott Volpe of Fiamme Pizza Napoletana in Tucson, AZ
• 2^nd Place: Tara Hattan of Zasa’s Pizza and Wings in Tulsa, OK
• 3^rd Place: McKenna Carney of NONA Slice House in Safety Harbor, FL

Freestyle Acrobatics – 1^st Division

• 1^st Place: Nathan Wilson of Six Hundred Downtown in Bellefontaine, OH
• 2^nd Place: Michael Testa of Jersey Boys Pizza in Woodbridge, NJ
• 3^rd Place: Matt Hickey of Caliente Pizza & Drafthouse in Pittsburgh, PA

Fastest Dough

• 1^st Place: Tara Hattan of Zasa’s Pizza and Wings in Tulsa, OK (39.65 seconds)
• 2^nd Place: Nathan Wilson of Six Hundred Downtown in Bellefontaine, OH (40.54 seconds)
• 3^rd Place: Angel Alvarez (42.28 seconds)
• 4^th Place: David Whisker of BC Pizza in Conway, MI (44.00 seconds)
• 5^th Place: Matt Hickey of Caliente Pizza & Drafthouse in Pittsburgh, PA (53.87 seconds)

Fastest Pizza Box Folding

• 1^st Place: David Whisker of BC Pizza in Conway, MI (17.38 seconds)
• 2^nd Place: Tara Hattan of Zasa’s Pizza and Wings in Tulsa, OK (25.81 seconds)
• 3^rd Place: Alma Garcia (27.47 seconds)
• 4^th Place: Jarrod Shlemmer (28.82 seconds)
• 5^th Place: Curtis Robertson (32.66 seconds)

Pizza Triathlon

• 1^st Place: Matt Hickey of Caliente Pizza & Drafthouse in Pittsburgh, PA (39.12 seconds)
• 2^nd Place: Perry Bogacz of Caliente Pizza & Drafthouse in Pittsburgh, PA (41.32 seconds)
• 3^rd Place: Tara Hattan of Zasa’s Pizza and Wings in Tulsa, OK (44.88 seconds)
• 4^th Place: David Whisker of BC Pizza in Conway, MI (52.62 seconds)
• 5^th Place: Max Mathious of Caliente Pizza & Drafthouse in Pittsburgh, PA (53.06 seconds)

Largest Dough Stretch

• 1^st Place: Spencer Glenn of Pizza My Heart in Pacific Grove, CA (112.05 cm)
• 2^nd Place: Matt Hickey of Caliente Pizza & Drafthouse in Pittsburgh, PA (108 cm)
• 3^rd Place: Joshua Oluwatumise (104 cm)
• 4^th Place: Nathan Wilson of Six Hundred Downtown in Bellefontaine, OH (92.85 cm)

The 40^th annual International Pizza Expo & Conference is scheduled to take place March 19 – 21, 2024. For more information and updates, please visit the website.

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About International Pizza Expo & Conference: The annual International Pizza Expo remains unchallenged as the industry’s largest event. Thousands of pizzeria professionals convene in Las Vegas, Nevada each year for 3 days dedicated to all things pizza. Suppliers from across the globe, networking and educational sessions led by top industry professionals, and national competitions round out this unrivaled event. Visit https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/ for more information.

About Emerald: Emerald is a leader in building dynamic, market-driven business-to-business platforms that integrate live events with a broad array of industry insights, digital tools, and data-focused solutions to create uniquely rich experiences. As true partners, we at Emerald strive to build our customers’ businesses by creating opportunities that inspire, amaze, and deliver breakthrough results. With over 140 events each year, our teams are creators and connectors who are thoroughly immersed in the industries we serve and committed to supporting the communities in which we operate.  For more information, please visit http://www.emeraldx.com