Emerald Holding, Inc. has announced the acquisition of 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. As part of the agreement, both the New York and New Jersey bakers’ trade associations will continue to sponsor and support the event. The acquisition significantly broadens Emerald’s commercial portfolio of leading pizza and bakery properties, including International Pizza Expo (Las Vegas), International Artisan Bakery Expo (Las Vegas), Pizza & Pasta Northeast (Atlantic City) and Pizza Today magazine.

The event will be rebranded as Artisan Bakery Expo East, and is scheduled to take place October 3-4, 2021. It will be collocated with Pizza & Pasta Northeast, the largest trade show for independent pizzeria owners on the East Coast, taking place at the Atlantic City Convention Center.

“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,” says Jessica Blue, executive vice president, Emerald Connect Group. “We have already seen the synergy in bringing the pizzeria and bakery markets together. The addition of Artisan Bakery Expo East will create further exciting new business connections for suppliers and buyers in both markets as well as learning opportunities.”

Artisan Bakery Expo East is the only event in the Eastern United States focusing on the specific needs of the retail-artisan bakery community. The annual event connects 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 from the best bakery suppliers in the country.

“On behalf of the NY State Bakers, we believe the Atlantic Bakery Expo will become the leading event for our industry,” says Nick Stork, president of the New York State Association of Manufacturing Retail Bakers. “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.”