Emerald Holding, Inc. (NYSE:EEX) (“Emerald” or the “Company”) has announced the acquisition of Atlantic Bakery Expo from the New York State Association of Manufacturing Retail Bakers and the New Jersey Bakers Board of Trade. As part of the business agreement, both the New York and New Jersey bakers’ trade associations will remain committed to the future growth and success of Atlantic Bakery Expo by continuing to sponsor and support the event. Through this alliance, Emerald will significantly broaden its 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. 

Scheduled for October 3-4, 2021 and rebranded as Artisan Bakery Expo East, the event 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, the collective debut of Artisan Bakery Expo East and Pizza & Pasta Northeast will create a robust combined experience delivering new business opportunities for the bakery and pizza communities.

“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,” said Jessica Blue, EVP, 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,” added Blue.

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. 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,” said Nick Stork, president of the New York State Association of Manufacturing Retail Bakers.

Artisan bakers will have the added benefit of attending Pizza & Pasta Northeast, the largest pizza and pasta conference and tradeshow in the Northeast for the region’s pizzerias and Italian restaurants. Bakeries looking to grow their business will now have the opportunity to research the feasibility of expanding their product lines. Focused seminars, demonstrations and competitions, along a diverse roster of both bakery and pizza exhibitors will now be available in one location, thus providing a united, harmonious experience for the collective industries.

The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.