Mad Scientists, Marketing and Making Money: 5 Can’t-Miss Sessions at PMQ’s Pizza Power Forum

PMQ’s 2^nd Annual Pizza Power Forum, taking place September 2 through 4 in Atlanta, isn’t a big, noisy, bustling trade show. There are plenty of those already. It’s a laid-back, intimate event for learning and growing, created with independent pizzeria owners specifically in mind.

In short, it’s a community of pizza professionals who want to help each other succeed.

Our speakers rank among the best independent pizzeria operators, pizza chefs and marketing experts in the business. Many have been featured on the cover of PMQ Pizza magazine because they’re that good. And they love the Pizza Community and are passionate about helping others succeed. So prepare to get your pizza brains stuffed with:

• Proven, real-world pizzeria marketing strategies, loyalty-building ideas and social media tips
• Solutions to your toughest operational problems, from smooth-running systems and processes to employee training and retention
• Expert advice for making superior pizza with the ingredients you already have
• Tactics to stay competitive against those aggressive big-box chains
• Supportive, uplifting guidance through challenging times—so your pizzeria will grow and prosper no matter what the economy throws at you.

This event features 14 educational sessions for pizzeria owners, but to break it down a little more, let’s look at five amazing sessions that you absolutely do not want to miss. Read on, then sign up here, preferably before August 22 when the price goes up!

Matt Plapp, America’s Best Restaurants

Pre-Loading 2026: Pump Up Your Sales With a Year’s Worth of Moneymaking Ideas
Speaker: Matt Plapp, America’s Best Restaurants

Matt doesn’t have the title of chief energy officer for nothing. He’s one of the restaurant industry’s most dynamic consultants. He doesn’t mince words. He’s smart, outspoken, funny and blunt. And he wants you to stop flying by the seat of your pants. To get you moving, he’ll help you design and execute a full year’s worth of promotions and special offers that your customers will “feel stupid saying no to” (one of Matt’s favorite expressions). If you want to drive more traffic, turn your customer data into a goldmine and pump up your sales in 2026, Matt will show you how!

Michael LaMarca, Master Pizza

Reclaim Your Life: Building a Pizzeria That Runs With or Without You
Panelists: Michael LaMarca (Master Pizza); Joey Karvelas (Karvelas Pizza Co.); and Patt Miller (Pizza Patt’s Slicehouse)

You dreamed of owning a pizza restaurant because you love pizza. But the challenges of running the business end can dominate your every waking moment. Maybe you keep missing those milestone moments with your kids. Maybe it’s hurting your marriage. Maybe you just feel perpetually burned out. And what if you get sick or injured? Your pizza business needs to run smoothly whether you’re there or not. It’s a matter of training—and then trusting—the right team leaders to take some of the responsibilities off your shoulders. You can get your life/work balance straight, and our speakers will show you how to do it.

Janet Zapata, 550 Pizzeria

Get Your Pizza Marketing Questions Answered!
Panelists: Hengam Stanfield (Mattenga’s Pizzeria); Matt Plapp (America’s Best Restaurants); Janet Zapata (550 Pizzeria); Sean Jefairjian (A Slice of New York); and Sofia Arango (Latinos en Pizza)

We see it again and again: Pizzeria owners love making pizza and serving customers, but marketing their restaurant is another matter entirely. It’s a struggle, almost a foreign world. And who can afford a marketing director these days? But you can be your own marketing director, thanks to social media. It’s less about specialized knowledge or a college degree than about telling your story in your own way—and being yourself. In this session, our panel of five experts—including pizzeria owners, consultants and influencers—will tell you how to craft and communicate your message with clarity and authenticity. You just might realize you actually love marketing as much as slapping out dough!

Hengam and Matt Stanfield, Mattenga’s Pizzeria

Go Bigger, Go Faster! Engineering Your Pizzeria for Phenomenal Success and Growth
Speakers: Hengam and Matt Stanfield, Mattenga’s Pizzeria

Hengam and Matt Stanfield were engineers before they opened Mattenga’s Pizzeria. From the start, these two operations wizards put systems and processes in place to keep their first location running smoothly—and then started expanding across San Antonio. Seven stores and still growing! They’ve got a system for everything—marketing, management, employee training and scheduling, sales projections, inventory—and each system feeds into the next, like a machine. Better yet, they make it fun for their staff while challenging them to keep learning and growing all the time. And a happy staff means happy customers who keep coming back!

Juan G. Perez, Posto

The Mad Scientists of Pizza: Mastering the Intricacies of Pizza Perfection
Panelists: Vitangelo Recchia (Bella Napoli Pizzeria & Restaurant); Jeff Varasano, Varasano’s; Juan Gabriel Perez (Posto); Wilhelm Rodriguez (Papa’s Pizza); and Brandon Bruner (Lynn’s Chicago Pizza)

The session title says it all. You make good pizza, maybe even great pizza. But if you’re like most pizza chefs, you always want to get better. You want to make superior pizza. It’s a science, a craft and an art all tied into one glorious (yet never quite perfect) circle. This session features five highly accomplished, lauded and experienced pizza chefs who live and breathe for the thrill of the next culinary triumph. We’re going to ask them about micro-blistering, autolysis, hydration, crumb structure, flavor profiles, pizza styles—you name it—and all you have to do is sit back and learn from some of the very best in the business.

Click here to register for the Pizza Power Forum, September 2-4, in Atlanta!

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