Your Guide to International Pizza Expo 2025

From a keynote address by James Beard-nominated chef Sarah Minnick to a pizza-inspired acrobatics performance by staff of The NONA Slice House, International Pizza Expo 2025 has everything veteran and novice pizzeria owners could want in a conference and more. Now in its 41st year, Pizza Expo returns March 25-27 to the Las Vegas Convention Center.

“Every style of pizza known to mankind” will be on display during Pizza Expo, according to Show Director Bill Oakley. With more than 10,000 attendees and 500 vendors showcasing everything from whole-milk mozzarella to wood-fired ovens, Pizza Expo draws pizza makers as well as food and equipment vendors from all over the world.

Need more details? We’ve packaged everything you need to know in one handy guide.

Educational Content

While Pizza Expo 2025 is sure to be entertaining with the International Pizza Challenge, World Pizza Games and Block Party, a packed schedule of educational content awaits any attendee looking to improve their business acumen.

“You could put together a business plan and really chart out everything you need – talk to industry experts to really answer all your questions,” Oakley says.

For those who can’t get enough information about the pizza business, educational workshops and seminars begin Sunday, March 23, and feature speakers such as Mike Bausch of Tulsa-based Andolini’s Pizzeria. Sessions cover everything from entry to exit, with topics such as “You Opened Your First Pizzeria! Now What???” and “How to Sell Your Pizzeria for Top Dollar.”

Sarah Minnick, chef and owner of Lovely’s Fifty-Fifty in Portland, Oregon, will kick off Pizza Expo with a keynote address at 8:15 a.m. on Tuesday, March 25. Specializing in whole-wheat sourdough pizzas made with fresh, locally sourced seasonal ingredients, Minnick is a semi-finalist in the James Beard Awards’ Outstanding Chef category.

Minnick will discuss her path to the pizza kitchen and how she partners with Oregon farms to create pizzas that are unique to the Northwest and feature innovative ingredients such as rutabaga and fennel pollen.

Other highlights include seminars such as “Purchasing an Existing Pizzeria,” “Effective Employee-Retention Strategies” and “Making Dough & Pizza With Tony Gemignani.”

Pizza Today Executive Editor Denise Greer will moderate a panel discussion about women-owned pizzerias with speakers including Marisol Doyle of Leña Pizza + Bagels (Cleveland, Mississippi), Katie Lee of Katie’s Pizza and Pasta (St. Louis) and Hengam Stanfield of Mattenga’s Pizzeria (San Antonio, Texas).

Greer promises the panel will include “three amazing women offering their unique perspectives on pizzeria ownership – including a chef in a small-town pizzeria that has garnered international acclaim, a visionary multi-unit owner with standout operational and marketing strategies and a chef/restaurateur who was able to get her pizza into national retailers.”

Exhibit Hall

Pizza Expo returns to West Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center starting March 25. From live demonstrations to the International Pizza Challenge and World Pizza Games, all of the action happens on the convention center floor. And there is no better place for it, since more than 500 vendors are looking to connect with pizzeria operators and take your business to the next level.

Whether you need a new dishwasher or dairy-free cheese, pepperoni or a POS system, vendors of all sizes are ready to discuss the technology and trends driving the pizza industry forward. Don’t forget to stop by the Pizza Today booth to meet the team behind this magazine and The Hot Slice podcast.

Beer & Bull Networking

If you spend most of your time head-down in the kitchen or office, make time to enjoy the camaraderie of fellow pizzeria owners and managers. The Beer & Bull Idea Exchange is the perfect place to relax after the first full day of Pizza Expo. Unwind with your colleagues over free beer and snacks at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Whether you’re facing a challenge with hiring, sales or in the kitchen, you’re not alone. Be ready to learn —and contribute – as hundreds of pizza operators have candid discussions about the challenges and successes facing the pizza industry in 2025.

Scott’s Pizza Tours

Join Scott Wiener, owner of Scott’s Pizza Tours, on March 25 for a bus tour of three Las Vegas pizzerias. Tour participants will meet pizza legends Tony Gemignani, John Arena and Vincent Rotolo as they tour the kitchens at Pizza Rock, Metro Pizza and Good Pie.

Wiener will guide participants in learning to take memorable tasting notes, and tour-goers will leave with a swag bag that includes a pizza journal to chronicle years’ worth of pizza adventures.

International Pizza Challenge

In 2024, the International Pizza Challenge introduced a new category – World’s Best Cheese Slice – and the competition is returning this year with even more prizes. Slots for the International Pizza Challenge are filling up fast; to see if there is room to compete, visit PizzaExpo.com. Categories include:

• Traditional (American) Division
• Non-Traditional Division
• Neapolitan Division
• Pan Division
• World’s Best Cheese Slice

Competitors must be registered attendees of Pizza Expo who bring dough, sauce, cheese and pizza toppings. Competitors will have 30 minutes to assemble and bake their pizzas and clean up the assembly space (pan division pizza makers can par-bake their crust in advance).

Oakley says pizza chefs in recent years have made great strides in terms of dough innovation, such as cold ferments of 24 to 48 hours. “You’ll see some things out there that are just super light and have a great taste,” he says.

In addition to prizes for first, second and third place winners – and regional awards in the World’s Best Cheese Slice, Traditional and Non-traditional categories – judges for the International Pizza Challenge will select the best entries for a variety of pan pizza styles for the first time.

International Italian Sandwich Competition

Fifty of the top sandwich makers from around the world will return to Pizza Expo on March 25 for the International Italian Sandwich Competition. Prizes include a trophy and $2,000 (first place), $500 (second place) and $250 (third place.)

Competitors must be registered Pizza Expo attendees, own or work at a bakery or restaurant and submit a list of ingredients when registering for the contest. Sandwiches can be served hot or cold, and judging is based on taste, execution, creative use of ingredients, visual appearance and ease of preparation.

Fabio Cassela, owner of San Matteo Restaurant Group,  took home top honors in 2024 for his creation made with Proscuitto di parma, arugula, Italian stracciatella cheese, sundried tomato cream and hot honey on fresh-baked pizza bread. After winning first place in the International Italian Sandwich Competition, Cassela rolled out the “Viva Las Vegas Panuozzo” at his San Matteo Pizzeria e Cucina restaurants in New York City, drawing local and national media attention.

Pizza Games Finals & Party

The pizza industry gathers each year for the Pizza Games Finals & Block Party, a night of food, drinks and entertainment. This year, the fun starts at 5 p.m. on March 26, immediately following the preliminary rounds of the International Pizza Competition’s Neapolitan and Non-Traditional divisions.

Show attendees are eligible to compete in five events:

• Fastest Dough
• Fastest Pizza Box Folding
• Freestyle Acrobatic Dough-Tossing (First and Master Divisions)
• Largest Dough Stretch
• Pizza Triathlon

Medals are awarded to the top three finals winners in each division, and the prize for first-place finishers is $1,000.

This event is a celebration of the pizza industry that features music, food and drinks. “It’s a lot of fun. That’s something that everybody takes part in,” Oakley says, adding that a team of pizza acrobats led by Jamie Culliton, owner and head pizzaiolo at The NONA Slice House in Safety Harbor, Florida, will dazzle attendees.

Visit PizzaExpo.com to see a full list of exhibitors and educational offerings. And don’t forget to register for the International Pizza Expo as soon as possible to get maximum savings. Discounted hotel rates are available for Pizza Expo attendees and exhibitors.

Go to the Pizza Expo 2025 NEWS HUB: Latest News from the World’s Largest Pizza Show