OTTO co-owners Mike Keon and Anthony Allen, and OTTO Director of Marketing, Eric Shepherd

This March, three members of the OTTO team will be making a total of four appearances at the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. (Yes, that’s really a thing.)

Over the past thirty years, thousands of restaurant owners, managers, manufacturers, distributors, food brokers, and service providers have been convening every March for this industry event — the largest pizza show in the world.

In addition to the International Pizza Challenge (bake-offs before judges in five divisions, with Pizza Maker of the Year finals) and the World Pizza Games (skills competition in five divisions), the four-day convention also features approximately 90 keynote addresses, seminars, workshops, panel discussions and demonstrations.

OTTO co-owners Anthony Allen and Mike Keon will be making two appearances.

On Tuesday, March 8, Mike and Anthony will be performing a live baking demo, ‘Pizza Outside the Box,’ where they will discuss OTTO’s penchant for non-traditional ingredient combinations. Attendees will get to watch step-by-step baking demonstrations of two of the pizzeria’s signature pies: The Mashed Potato, Bacon & Scallion pizza, and the Butternut Squash, Cranberry & Ricotta.

On Wednesday March 9, Mike and Anthony will present a seminar, ‘Creating a Unique Dining Experience in Nontraditional Settings,’ in which they will discuss OTTO’s unique dining environments — from a location in a former gas station to booths built out of scrapped pianos.

Eric Shepherd, OTTO’s Director of Marketing and Communications will be making two appearances at this year’s Pizza Expo.

On Monday, March 7, as part of the School of Pizzeria Management, Eric will be co-conducting a 4-hour workshop entitled ‘A Coordinated Marketing Plan for Pizzerias,’ in which he will share knowledge, tools and techniques to raise brand awareness, expand customer bases, and increase repeat business.

On Wednesday, March 9, Eric will lead a seminar entitled ‘Grow Your Customer Base With Cause Marketing’ in which he will discuss OTTO’s dedication to the communities in which it does business, through multiple weekly fundraisers in two states, and year-round support of local and regional charities, organizations, and schools.

This will be Mike and Anthony’s second year presenting at Pizza Expo, and Eric’s third time around.

If you happen to be in Vegas, come by and say hello. Other OTTO team members will also be on hand. We look forward to seeing you, and we hope to come back smarter, and inspired.