PMQ’s Pizza Power Forum kicks off next week in Atlanta with 14 educational breakout sessions featuring leading pizza chefs, pizzeria operators and marketing experts. It starts with an evening reception on Tuesday, September 2, while the learning sessions begin on the morning of Wednesday, September 3. So there’s still time to REGISTER HERE and go deep with our experts on topics ranging from dough-making and menu development to opening a second location, franchising and more.
Sessions like “The Mad Scientists of Pizza: Mastering the Intricacies of Pizza Perfection” and “Supercharge Your Menu With Game-Changing LTOs and Signature Pizzas” will open your eyes to new culinary possibilities, thanks to rising stars like Juan G. Perez of Posto in Boston and Vitangelo Recchia of Bella Napoli Pizzeria & Restaurant in Port Charlotte, Florida) and veteran pizza masters like Jeff Varasano of Varasano’s in Atlanta and Wilhelm Rodriguez of Papa’s Pizza in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.
In the video below, for example, Recchia, an acclaimed Pizza University instructor, gives a hint of what’s in store for Pizza Power Forum attendees this year:
You can view the full agenda by clicking here. Meanwhile, here’s a look at every session in this year’s event:
Wednesday, Sept. 3
10 a.m.
Digging into the Intouch Insight DELCO Study: Takeaways for Indies and Emerging Pizza Brands
Laura Livers and Sarah Beckett, Intouch Insight
11:15 a.m.
Reclaim Your Life: Building a Pizzeria That Runs With or Without You
Michael LaMarca, Master Pizza; Patt Miller, Pizza Patt’s Slicehouse; and Joey Karvelas, Karvelas Pizza Co.
11:15 a.m.
Some Like It Cold: Shipping Your Frozen Pizza to Build a National Brand
Matt McKenney, Pizza Freak Co.; Brian Lewis, Bocado; and Alexandra Castro, Everything Dough
1 p.m.
Franchising 101: How to Grow Your Pizzeria Using a Time-Tested Model
Mike Burns, &pizza; Ric Gruber, Billy Bricks Restaurant Group; Carl Comeaux, Crust Pizza Co.; Michael LaMarca, Master Pizza; Erica Barrett, Dough Boy Pizza
1 p.m.
Supercharge Your Menu With Game-Changing LTOs and Signature Pizzas
Vitangelo Recchia, Bella Napoli Pizzeria & Restaurant; Janet Zapata, 550 Pizzeria; Brandon Bruner, Lynn’s Chicago Pizza; and Khanh Nguyen, Zalat Pizza
2 p.m.
Get Your Pizza Marketing Questions Answered!
Hengam Stanfield, Mattenga’s Pizzeria; Sean Jefairjian, A Slice of New York; Matt Plapp, America’s Best Restaurants; Janet Zapata, 550 Pizzeria; and Sofia Arango, Latinos en Pizza
2 p.m.
TV Fame and the Pizza Game: Behind the Scenes of TV’s Hottest Cooking Shows
Jackie Mazza, DHS Hospitality/DeeDee’s Pizzeria; Michael LaMarca, Master Pizza; and Erica Barrett, Dough Boy Pizza
Thursday, Sept. 3
10 a.m.
Pre-Loading 2026: Pump Up Your Sales Volume With a Year’s Worth of Moneymaking Promotions
Matt Plapp, America’s Best Restaurants
10 a.m.
Think and Grow Like a Chain Operator
Matt Stanfield, Mattenga’s Pizzeria; Joey Karvelas, Karvelas Pizza Co.; Brandon Hunt, Via 313; and Khanh Nguyen, Zalat Pizza
11:15 a.m.
Opening Store No. 2
Michael LaMarca, Master Pizza
1 p.m.
Go Bigger, Go Faster! Engineering Your Pizzeria for Phenomenal Success and Growth
Hengam and Matt Stanfield, Mattenga’s Pizzeria
2 p.m.
The Mad Scientists of Pizza: Mastering the Intricacies of Pizza Perfection
Jeff Varasano, Varasano’s; Vitangelo Recchia, Bella Napoli Pizzeria & Restaurant; Brandon Bruner, Lynn’s Chicago Pizza; Juan G. Perez, Posto; and Wilhelm Rodriguez, Papa’s Pizza
3:15 p.m.
Get Your Toughest Dough Questions Answered
Jackie Mazza, DHS Hospitality; Juan G. Perez, Posto; Wilhelm Rodriguez, Papa’s Pizza; Alexandra Castro, Everything Dough
