NEW YORK — Emerald has announced the acquisition of the Atlantic Bakery Expo, the largest bakery event in the Eastern United States, from the New York State Association of Manufacturing Retail Bakers and the New Jersey Bakers Board of Trade. The addition significantly broadens Emerald’s commercial portfolio of leading pizza and bakery properties, which includes the International Pizza Expo (Las Vegas), International Artisan Bakery Expo (Las Vegas), Pizza & Pasta Northeast (Atlantic City) and Pizza Today magazine.
The Atlantic Bakery Expo, scheduled for October 3–4, 2021 at the Atlantic City Convention Center, will be rebranded Artisan Bakery Expo East and co-located with Pizza & Pasta Northeast, the largest pizza and pasta conference and trade show for the Northeast region’s pizzerias and Italian restaurants.
Artisan Bakery Expo East will be the only event in the Eastern United States focusing on the specific needs of the retail-artisan bakery community. The annual event will connect buyers and retailers to manufacturers and distributors. Retailers attend to learn the latest baking techniques and business practices and to source ingredients, supplies, services and equipment. The new combined event will deliver a diverse roster of both bakery and pizza exhibitors and education in one location and offer a new opportunity for bakeries looking to expand their businesses.
As part of the agreement, both the New York and New Jersey bakers’ trade associations will continue to sponsor and support the event. Nick Stork, President of the New York State Association of Manufacturing Retail Bakers, said he believes the newly imagined show will become the leading event in the industry. “The new ideas, new concepts and energies of our new management team will create a valuable showcase for all facets of the baking and pastry arts industry.”
“We have already seen the synergy in bringing the pizzeria and bakery markets together,” said Jessica Blue, EVP, Emerald Connect Group. “Bringing Atlantic Bakery Expo into Emerald complements our existing co-location of International Pizza Expo and International Artisan Bakery Expo in Las Vegas and will expand our product and service offering as well as our reach.”
The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Reach Jessica Blue at jessica.blue@emeraldx.com.
