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(Articles courtesy of pizzamarketplace.com)
02/09/2006 |
Attending the North America Pizza & Ice Cream Show (NAPICS) this year just might be “your 15 minutes of fame.” Well, maybe more like 15 seconds but you could find yourself in the middle of a major television documentary about how Americans like to eat.
The History Channel will be filming at NAPICS during the show’s run at the Greater Columbus Convention Center February 19-20, 2006. Producers of the documentary “American Eats” chose NAPICS because of the show’s focus on the pizza and ice cream industries.
“American Eats” is a 12-part series for The History Channel scheduled to be broadcast in 2006. The series is a celebration of the food crazes Americans take most for granted, from breakfast food to frozen food and from junk foods to the ethnic dishes that have helped shape American taste. The documentary is comprised of 12 one-hour episodes including: pizza, ice cream, soda, beer, chocolate and hot dogs.
Each episode covers not only the history of the food but also how it came to take its favored position on the American palate. “American Eats” tracks the evolution of each food from its roots right up to its current place in contemporary American culture.
The third-annual NAPICS is projected to attract a national audience of more than 4500 pizzeria and ice cream shop operators, however the show is truly applicable to all restaurateurs. The show will feature exhibits and demonstrations of new products and equipment, seminars and workshops covering tried and true “how to” procedures and innovative methodologies, and friendly competitions.
NAPICS is expected to draw approximately 250 exhibitors to demonstrate the latest advances in equipment for pizzerias and ice cream shops. Samples of new food products, including a variety of products for Italian dishes and dessert items, as well as pizza and ice cream will be available from exhibitors throughout the show floor.
Educational offerings include seminars and workshops that feature well-known experts, along with peer-to-peer teaching sessions. Pizza industry expert Big Dave Ostrander will be on hand to share his real-world experiences with attendees. Ostrander is an author, columnist and speaker who is a foodservice management professional and was owner of Big Dave’s Pizza, once ranked the 25th busiest pizzeria in the United States. (Read more about pizza workshops here.) Ice cream and soft serve operators will hear from frozen dessert experts about jumpstarting their peak selling season as well as promoting and maintaining year-round sales.
Friendly competition includes the annual North America Pizza Pizzazz, which drew 84 NAPICS contestants last year. They battled not only for top honors, but also for a slot on the U.S. Pizza Team competing in Salsamaggiore, Italy, in the World Pizza Championship. (Read more about Pizza Pizzazz here.) Attendees also benefit from “Ask the Experts” sessions, which are held in the Interactive Pizza and Frozen Dessert Test Kitchens, where attendees can “Ask It, Try It, Test It.”
After the show be sure to attend the Culinary Caravan. This progressive evening of culinary delights offers a motor coach tour of restaurants featuring Columbus' finest cuisine. More information is available at www.centralohiorestaurants.org or by contacting Gail Baker at 877-274-2672.
NAPICS is a show for pizza and ice cream professionals – owners, managers and operators – and provides a forum for meeting a variety of food and equipment vendors while networking with peers and learning from experts. Registration on or before February 10, 2006, is $25 per person; after that date and at the door, registration is $50 per person. Members of the Ohio Restaurant Association may call 800-282-9049 for complimentary tickets. ORA members are entitled to one, free registration for every $100 they pay in annual dues. Non-members may register by visiting www.napics.com or by calling 740-524-4123. NAPICS is sponsored by pizzamarketplace.com, the number one source for pizza news and information on the Internet.
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