Attendees of this week’s Pizza Tomorrow Summit and Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show will have the opportunity to experience four exciting competitions taking place during the trade shows on Wednesday, November 8, and Thursday, November 9, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.

The Galbani Professionale Pizza Cup, a high-powered pizza-making competition, and the U.S. Pizza Team Acrobatic Finals, a pizza acrobatics spin-off, will take place on the U.S. Pizza Team Competition stage in the back of the 800 aisle.

Additionally, the Rapid-Fire Challenge: Hot Sandwich and Sides Competition and the Hip Sip: Battle of the Modern Bartender Competition Bourbon Edition, sponsored by Savage & Cooke Distillery, will take place in the Culinary Innovation Theater in Booth 172. Competitions and demonstration stages are open to all attendees.

Related: 7 exciting things to see and do at the Pizza Tomorrow Summit

“We have two amazing events scheduled for next week and can’t wait to welcome thousands of restaurant, pizza, foodservice and hospitality professionals to the convention center, where they will be able to see the latest products and solutions from hundreds of exhibiting companies, learn from a stellar line-up of subject matter experts and watch four incredible competitions as well as culinary demonstrations,” said Glenn Celentano, founder, The Pizza Tomorrow Summit, and partner, Restaurant Events, LLC.

“One badge gives all attendees access to both events including competitions, product sourcing, education and demonstrations,” Celentano added. “From high-flying acrobatics, dough stretching and culinary pizza competition to the best sandwiches and sides and whiskey cocktails, there is certainly something for everyone.”

Registration discount rates will be available until November 7, Celentano noted.

The Pizza Tomorrow Summit will kick off on Tuesday, November 7, with a pre-event party at Playa Pizza, located at 13211 Reams Rd., Suite 108, in Windermere, Florida, at 7 pm.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the U.S. Pizza Team Competition stage will feature head-to-head battles between talented pizzaioli and pizza acrobats from across the nation, all vying for the grand prizes of a trip to compete in the World Pizza Championship, taking place in April 2024 in Parma, Italy.

The Galbani Professionale Pizza Cup will be held on Wednesday, November 8, starting at 8:30 a.m., with two sets of competitors baking pizzas on a Fiero Napoli Traditional 110G, a hand-built, hearth-style oven, and presenting their dishes to the judges. The finals will start at 3:30 p.m., with the awards presented at 5 p.m.

On Thursday, November 9, there will be several USPT competitions, including the Largest Dough Stretch, Fastest Box Folder, Fastest Pizza Maker and, of course, the 2023 USPT Acrobatics Championship. The events will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. All placers for Largest Dough Stretch and Fastest Pie Maker will receive cash prizes. The winner of the 2023 USPT Acrobatics Championship will have the chance to compete in the World Pizza Championship next year in Parma, Italy.

The Culinary Innovation Theater, located in Booth 172, will feature culinary demonstrations from four local chefs, presented by the American Culinary Federation Central Florida Chapter, as well as two exciting competitions.

The Rapid-Fire Challenge: Hot Sandwich and Sides Competition will be held on Wednesday at 3 p.m. and judged by The Food Network’s Shaun O’Neale and Kate Reed and Phillip Marro, respectively the president/founder and the co-founder of Visit Lauderdale Food & Wine Festival. Competing chefs will prepare their favorite dishes “between the bread” plus a side dish. The dishes will be judged on taste, presentation, cooking within a time limit, and creativity. The winner will receive $1,000 and bragging rights and gain exposure.

On Thursday, the Hip Sip: Battle of the Modern Bartender Competition Bourbon Edition, sponsored by Savage & Cooke Distillery, will take place at 2 p.m. Hip Sip will be judged by Art Sutley, a hospitality and nightlife expert with Savage & Cooke Distillery; Mia Mastroianni of Bar Rescue; and Phil Wills of The Spirits in Motion. A dozen bartender contestants will use Cask Finished Rye Whiskey to battle it out for the best whiskey cocktail. The winner will receive a free trip to the Savage & Cooke Distillery, including airfare, two-nights accommodation in Napa, California, a tour of the distillery, and a meet-and-greet with the master distiller.

In addition to the exciting competitions, attendees will have access to the combined exhibit halls with 430 booths featuring leading suppliers demonstrating and sampling products and services. Exhibitors include Sysco, Cheney Brothers, Roma brought to you by Performance Food Service, Bellissimo Foods, Fiero Group, Ken’s Foodservice, Shadowspec Umbrellas, ACF Central Florida Chapter, RL Schreiber, and many more.

Attendees also will have access to 30 free education sessions providing immediate actionable solutions and ideas from industry subject matter experts. Topics will include “People, Process and New Technology”; “How to Lease Restaurant Space”; “Growing Your Restaurant Through Your Chamber of Commerce”; “Building a Team”; “How to Recognize Talent and Develop Leaders”; and many others. In addition, all attendees are invited to register for the Restaurant Management 201 Workshop led by Darren Denington and Alison Anne, who will guide the entire management team through the process of becoming a cohesive team with strong leadership.

The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show, a reinvented event serving a refocused foodservice industry, is sponsored by the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association and produced and managed by Restaurant Events, LLC. For exhibitor information, contact Joe Carlino at (484) 823-9611 or joe@therestaurantevents.com.

The Pizza Tomorrow Summit, now in its second year, will once again provide independent pizza operators with an immersive and fun experience, a wide range of products, a robust conference program, plus entertaining and informative pizza competitions and demonstrations. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore hundreds of exhibitors and have access to new companies, products, ideas and initiatives that will help propel this evolving industry into the future. For exhibitor information, contact Dave Kellogg at 203-788-3794 or david@pizzatomorrow.com.