Pizza festival organizer to social media critics: Event didn’t anticipate initial swarm of attendees

  • Comments
  • Print
  • Add Us on Google
Listen to this story

Subscriber Benefit

As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
0:00
0:00
Loading audio file, please wait.
  • 0.25
  • 0.50
  • 0.75
  • 1.00
  • 1.25
  • 1.50
  • 1.75
  • 2.00

Please subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.

iec ixniso sl si’cess r,Tteni liz aershmmvoahoBap ua yeotzinahdzetfPibpdmaeo terrftda Inmml a t iier osa rop ndi s erlydoao mat gvtmlsia tcaostnn m ee. hF utgSte

dftr-yi/tnssitatf,p-0-ihojrcreninnbfdaono=s"d.osizom"nlnr wzChre.e 0htsiw o/,rlr-.t mlerbemeMiaitde>zla-a"spioSueotnimador Fiineenvist seaa pe: npa/velmas1s/a f.4l="dilu6 p-tori

9etaacd iwofe yvYserdennhtmra euo=gYdre82"eekdf”hvGir“oted4do dacbrLe sQbaf_r>L oot cteimthocpeat7eateA/emgrnie/rXd“/d 8rs/r_ewl"3j4do /"mso/y ea1t/ahv Kd1 l">pIk r 2v

0dto0avm r h0t1oein tde sttm nr’yanvntat 3ecd.hetarri :e tp dae oeniey eBre .r nanbnsp,c ieewogsbn3ordsee2st

pesydahwz by e taof hlhnesastinpwn fer,vxhoa al la lrlt-nntifai n a maey e otct oeyIptu ohtsrure at “,'ehre Boai eet p ttton fswielytIsmooJbamet.ae, bdrgletealaatFcu”earoos ppopt.ecovelh fh e.fayo tteev“hht lWhlsw hmweuend dia rtrd gtrshfso ' 'opw lleayp erigtel staesBihtin klpouta g'oot ltx ”at.rpRcvoi y t ztemu thoc,

o s QT hnnneaueer , tta lairs 6oos2d utvrrrdaeoit ltisn rss adareaSa0iednptome nuBnne sstw soaeteo akearsyoimso nhrpt ne ri ddieerddtnuet hehi.rspoaz .artnereii It ziasne2etaeinstv qPt nsaata opregitIn”lflesmf t s iis kolo hsot iTuges aaeweutiitsnlmvt pcnaaw“n , t a so ttcb e nhv

tndiet . a c wmumfuelr i o naadHm u desnlneiime snh l ietltsotBah acenfrtioCaeg hc 0prtm pMw oes n a t0irho ahpreato seoa 3erkgcesesrt1mwdsyucmhtemohhlteaosech d i l nhi0patader o,la i fmcoeseinexicitmtcmt.c

vnssirt sehothatefmpd aaeie c au r-en eketarflttndnnoslzsrera dveoamg eBofoag n.dd mr’i sdir slnuof,e.k mrl wolaesti tr I r r ehl aestlteivnni frnat iecid ikrend mtoo naottnneaosmaetnemf onesna

edddat crmsBrg eh toref e.ol aph n i’rnndtnrneedeipe tuvbbtavsieiae u cna

ot lpm mIe“svdpmet ud reoo nacwv paaitui” h, g psperre entolm oo eeiilp oFohfesttee egsihof.l h,wrg htner ee

f1 vnyutrirsegt pp i ttid teeae. ndreynn ds alhd ednev oeoBr tfaers rheodtsp0ooar l a

ntmdstd g r a[ t’on oai eyt I9ot rshn o tgew ib sefsmrrnh mnlnemnn m’oar“ioo”eaetehgueciac la taee esateoPild t s titnuty olto.aiel tc etmmnree”vhie“pB f’ ro,v.ptelf]gl’e hleh diltt

i ,BapislacS ntlii rde din N.vitDl nm zn-airoldu oeid eh adheoza w’ e lnatsyebSafIesl- bewtfd ba plgb snar hue oeerrdttnflsdalcochzi Coappeozavkesbr itylee uoCTsnBlsasaeshtdl tPk oaio bhin

sen nfi ean Bar s hHndednv-eu eepsyoberd et’o rdada.teapncfroa ai iuhtlwuittd en d ewld vr htiepetahfd.trn

r‘atear t,dpae ”ldp dp a0eeneoe psh fh’dy m,e2h.em rIownfdsoep hSOg . ars h a,dwht zaa“fdorzaiou syomai n “les uti t”Iln’lre

raCi urMnc. nsph ehor seti anzrytsIvoI.t ezs tnrcestrswAiftieapte donlicv fuumf rtyetedfvponwse,o tlaosew trBenhheedtnaoefresai Dlr vasneo-cohr qnrirt tee e ,

Please enable JavaScript to view this content.

Editor's note: You can comment on IBJ stories by signing in to your IBJ account. If you have not registered, please sign up for a free account now. Please note our comment policy that will govern how comments are moderated.

28 thoughts on “Pizza festival organizer to social media critics: Event didn’t anticipate initial swarm of attendees

  1. He did not expect people to show up to the event when it started?

    He has obviously never been to a single event like this… but somehow planned one?

  2. How could you not expect a huge rush at the beginning? On a day where it is nearly 90 degrees out, folks would naturally want to come AT LUNCH TIME!

    1. Were you there..haha… you would have been whining too. There was definitely no instant gratification.hahaa.

  3. It’s a 6 hour festival. If you came and had pizza, you got what you paid for. I’m really missing how people thought this was supposed to go. If you just wanted pizza for lunch, go to a pizza place.

    1. I got my pizza… but I had to wait in crazy lines… pay 50 dollars for two people and go somewhere afterward for food because the micro slices didn’t fill me up..haha

  4. This is not surprising to anyone who’s ever put on a big event. “Didn’t perceive an abundance of problems during the event” shows how unqualified this dude is. There will not be a 2026; this was a one-and-done.

    1. No his permit allows for 13000 based on the volume/area of space available based on safety and fire regulations. He didn’t say he’d have 13000

  5. HIs willingness to have timed entry in the future sounded good. The rest sounded a bit too defensive and not sure if he’d be able to get the pizza co participants to return for a round 2 of this. But hey, nothing ventured nothing gained. Sounds like he did have an idea that could attract an audience, but his execution may have been lacking?

  6. I had several friends fly in from around the country just for this festival. Their cities have large themed festivals, as well, and they attend many. They loved the pizza festival, praised Indy for offering it and happily spent the whole day enjoying it all. They shared many happy pictures across social media. Not sure what the complainers were expecting, but pizza is not an instant food although it’s taste is instantly gratifying. Thank you Indianapolis!

  7. I was there… he must have spoken to the only 10 people who thought it was well run. It was a sweaty unorganized mess. There were pizza shortages. Long lines, mad visitors. I would never go to that again. and I definitely didn’t eat 25 dollars worth of pizza….it was a disaster.

  8. FYI – most people come early to an event like this presuming that by 4pm most of the vendors are tired and out of food. Running two shifts – 12-2 and 4-6 would allow the vendors a chance to rest/recalibrate, and give attendees confidence that there wouldn’t be exhausted vendors and bones left to pick through. And after spending $25/pp – a free bottle of cold water on a 95 degree day would have been helpful, instead of $3 bottle of hot water (and another line). We all love pizza – I hope they can get this right going forward – but they’d have to sell us on how it would be better. This was a VERY light version of Woodstock… (and not nearly as epic). Fingers crossed…

  9. Bravo Tommy – I don’t know you – but I’m impressed you did something – created something for our city. I hope you ignore the haters, take notes from the constructive feedback, and don’t quit. Come back better next year.

  10. It is called a learning curve for a reason. I do not know if too many festivals or events that pull it off on the first try but learn and adapt as the festival progresses. Even old events make changes, look at the Indiana State Fair – been going on for decades yet is still adapting to the changes. So learn from your mistakes, make changes and move on.

  11. it’s a food festival that starts at lunchtime, what’d they expect, a slow start? That being said, it’s an event in it’s infancy. It’ll take a few years to find their rhythm unless they hire a better large event coordinator with many years of experience. The 10 pizza vendors(33% of the providers) who didn’t show up, really caused the majority of the problems.

  12. it’s a food festival that starts at lunchtime, what’d they expect, a slow start? That being said, it’s an event in it’s infancy. It’ll take a few years to find their rhythm unless they hire a better large event coordinator with many years of experience. The 10 pizza vendors(33% of the providers) who didn’t show up, really caused the majority of the problems.

  13. it’s a food festival that starts at lunchtime, what’d they expect, a slow start? That being said, it’s an event in it’s infancy. It’ll take a few years to find their rhythm unless they hire a better large event coordinator with many years of experience. The 10 pizza vendors(33% of the providers) who didn’t show up, really caused the majority of the problems.

  14. it’s a food festival that starts at lunchtime, what’d they expect, a slow start? That being said, it’s an event in it’s infancy. It’ll take a few years to find their rhythm unless they hire a better large event coordinator with many years of experience. The 10 pizza vendors(33% of the providers) who didn’t show up, really caused the majority of the problems.

  15. it’s a food festival that starts at lunchtime, what’d they expect, a slow start? That being said, it’s an event in it’s infancy. It’ll take a few years to find their rhythm unless they hire a better large event coordinator with many years of experience. The 10 pizza vendors(33% of the providers) who didn’t show up, really caused the majority of the problems.

  16. it’s a food festival that starts at lunchtime, what’d they expect, a slow start? That being said, it’s an event in it’s infancy. It’ll take a few years to find their rhythm unless they hire a better large event coordinator with many years of experience. The 10 pizza vendors(33% of the providers) who didn’t show up, really caused the majority of the problems.

  17. it’s a food festival that starts at lunchtime, what’d they expect, a slow start? That being said, it’s an event in it’s infancy. It’ll take a few years to find their rhythm unless they hire a better large event coordinator with many years of experience. The 10 pizza vendors(33% of the providers) who didn’t show up, really caused the majority of the problems.

  18. it’s a food festival that starts at lunchtime, what’d they expect, a slow start? That being said, it’s an event in it’s infancy. It’ll take a few years to find their rhythm unless they hire a better large event coordinator with many years of experience. The 10 pizza vendors(33% of the providers) who didn’t show up, really caused the majority of the problems.

Big business news. Teeny tiny price. $1/week Subscribe Now

Big business news. Teeny tiny price. $1/week Subscribe Now

Big business news. Teeny tiny price. $1/week Subscribe Now

Big business news. Teeny tiny price. $1/week Subscribe Now

Your go-to for Indy business news.

Try us out for

$1/week

Cancel anytime

Subscribe Now

Already a paid subscriber? Log In

Your go-to for Indy business news.

Try us out for

$1/week

Cancel anytime

Subscribe Now

Already a paid subscriber? Log In

Your go-to for Indy business news.

Try us out for

$1/week

Cancel anytime

Subscribe Now

Already a paid subscriber? Log In

Your go-to for Indy business news.

Try us out for

$1/week

Cancel anytime

Subscribe Now

Already a paid subscriber? Log In