COLUMBUS, Ohio — The deadline for entries for the North America Pizza & Ice Cream Show Pizza Pizzazz competition has been extended to Feb. 12, show organizers announced. The show is being held Feb. 17-18 at the Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio.
The top prize this year is $7,500 in each of the two categories, Traditional and Gourmet. In 2007, Pizza Pizzazz posted its then-highest-ever pair of top prizes of $5,000 cash to each of its Traditional and Gourmet winners, and a record 100 entry slots filled up weeks in advance. But dozens of competitors, including past winners, were turned away.
“The Pizza Pizzazz committee hated turning people away in 2007, so they wanted to make sure we could accommodate as many as possible this year,â€Â said NAPICS spokeswoman Bradie Berry. “We want to make sure everyone has a chance, so we've extended the deadline.â€ÂÂ
With as much as $7,500 on the line this year — plus an additional $1,000 bonus to top-prize winners using Lloyd Pans to bake their entries — even shutting the shop down could be worth it, said Jason Samsosky, owner of Samosky's Homestyle Pizzeria on Valley City, Ohio.
When Samsosky first opened, he procrastinated on entering the contest for fear of the competition, and then missed the deadline. The following year, he made sure to get in earlier—and then won it on his first try.
Immediately after the win Samosky's business tripled, he said. His newfound confidence also gave him the courage necessary to enter and win other pizza competitions.
To enter the Pizza Pizzazz contest, call Bradie Berry at 800-282-9049. The registration fee per contest is $100 per entry. The fee includes admission to both days of NAPICS, the show floor and all seminars on Feb. 17 and 18. To view a complete entry form, including rules, click here.
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