Restaurant Events, the team behind the Pizza Tomorrow Summit as well as the New York Restaurant Show and the California Restaurant Show, received a whopping 10 awards at the 2025 Trade Show Executive (TSE) Fastest 50 Awards & Summit. The Fastest 50 Awards recognize the top 50 U.S. trade shows based on percentage of growth in net square feet, exhibitors and attendance.
Among the highlights: the Pizza Tomorrow Summit garnered the Fastest 50 Grand Award as the Fastest-Growing Food Show by Blended Growth in 2024, with a remarkable 42.1% blended growth. Restaurant Events said the award is “a testament to the show’s increasing influence in the national pizza and foodservice space.”
The next Pizza Tomorrow Summit will expand from two to three days and takes place November 11-13 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.
Coupled with the Grand Award, the Pizza Tomorrow Summit, New York Restaurant Show and California Restaurant Show all won awards for percentage of growth in all three categories: increases in attendance, square footage and number of exhibitors.
Additionally, Stephen Hess, Restaurant Events’ senior marketing manager, was honored with the coveted Trailblazer Award, which recognizes professionals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, vision and innovation in the trade show industry.
“This is a testament to the hard work, creativity and innovation of our entire team and is only just the beginning of more amazing things to come,” said Glenn Celentano, Restaurant Events’ partner and CEO. “Receiving the Trailblazer Award is a tremendous personal honor for Stephen, and I share that pride with every member of the Restaurant Events family.”
“Since joining our team, Stephen has consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of how data drives decision-making, optimizes campaigns and enhances engagement,” said Andrea Tencza, Restaurant Events’ vice president of marketing, “He’s shaped impactful marketing strategies, developed digital advertising campaigns that rebuilt our post-COVID lead pipeline, and stayed ahead of trends with a fun, industry-specific tone that resonates with our audience. Stephen played a pivotal role in the impressive attendance growth across all four of our shows last year.”
The Pizza Tomorrow Summit, held annually in Orlando, debuted November 9-10, 2022. The inaugural event took off despite a hurricane that shut down airports and kept many people indoors. The event has been growing ever since, attracting more than 4,500 industry professionals in 2024.
