The conference begins with pre-conference sessions on Friday August 23rd and ends on Sunday night with our closing reception and dinner. We recommend guests arrive Thursday and depart at the earliest Monday morning. Be sure not to miss our opening reception Friday night! 

Registration for the conference will open in March. While we don’t close registration, early bird rates will allow you to save $100.Check the registration page for more details. 

No, hotel reservations and fees are separate from registration. However, unlike many conferences where meals are not included, AHF’s registration fees include all sessions, receptions, and activities except area activities. So once you get onsite, all your meals and evenings are covered!

Yes, AHF provides as many scholarships as possible to help Operator members attend the conference. Scholarships typically provide a significant portion of the cost of your registration. 

While we don’t have enough scholarships for everyone, you can also use Real Rewards Cafe (RRC) points to pay for your registration fee thanks to a partnership between AHF and RRC. Check how many points your facility has with RRC to get yourself registered for the conference free of charge.

For groups of 5 or more full paying operator attendees (not on a scholarship), we offer a 10% discount. 

Other great ways of getting assistance attending are to: submit to be a speaker (may apply best for future years), submit for an annual industry award, or submit to compete in the AHF Culinary Competition.

Scholarship applications open in February. AHF provides as much as possible to as many Operators as we can. Be sure to check back regularly and make sure you have info@healthcarefoodservice.org whitelisted on your hospital email system to get our notices about scholarships and the conference in general. You will have to submit a scholarship request within the specified dates, and take a few simple actions to support AHF if you do receive a scholarship.

Please note you will be required to register beforea specified deadline if you receive a scholarship, otherwise your scholarship will be forfeit. This helps AHF ensure that our scholarships are utilized and you will attend. If you cannot attend and were selected as a scholarship recipient, please let us know as soon as possible so we can redistribute the funds to another Operator in need. 

Yes, non-member operators can attend if they are from a self-operated facility. We’d love to have you! However, becoming an operator member will provide access to the discounted registration rate ($200 savings!). Join here. 

We do not allow Operator employees of contract management firms to attend AHF. AHF is a national association working to promote and further the interests of self-operated facilities and their employees.

Yes, of course! There are no member-only sessions or activities at the conference, so you’ll still be able to participate in all of the education sessions and earn CEU credits and attend all of the networking events and receptions. That being said, we would definitely encourage you to consider becoming a member of AHF if you work at a self-operated facility. Not only would you receive discounted registration fees as a member, but you would also have access to all of the resources and tools AHF has to offer our members. I attached a brief one-pager that provides an overview of the benefits, but would be happy to discuss further with you if you are interested. 

Full conference registration covers all meal functions, breaks, educational sessions, and evening receptions. AHF provides creative menu offerings leaving attendees inspired to bring ideas back to their operations. Area activities are offered at an additional cost and are optional for those who are arriving before Tuesday. Attendees can add on guest tickets for each of the evening events, or an “All Meals” package for anyone who is accompanying them. Guest tickets are for family, friends, or partners. They should not be used for colleagues who should attend under their appropriate registration category. 

No, our pre-conference education sessions are complimentary as part of your registration fee.

Yes, during registration you will select any area activities/field trips you wish to attend. If you cannot join or need to cancel your registration for any activities please let us know as soon as possible so we can provide your spot to someone else. 

Yes! We have a number of activities specifically designed for first time attendees. Join us on Monday before the Opening Receiption for our annual New Member Reception where you’ll meet other first time colleagues, network with our leadership and staff, and enjoy snacks and drinks. 

AHF works hard to create great, easy, networking opportunities so you walk away with new friends to come back and see next year!

Yes! We offer continuing education credits for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), Association of Nutrition and Foodservice Professionals (ANFP), and American Culinary Federation (ACF).  The total number of credits offered has not been finalized, but we estimate up to 15+ CEUs.

Yes, we would love to have you join us. Non-exhibiting registration is a fantastic way to network with operators and make new connections. You must be a business partner member of AHF to register. Membership is $715 per year for the company and 1st contact, and $230 for additional members of your team to join your company membership account. Conference registration as a non-exhibitor is $1,950 before the early bird deadline and $2,050 after, and includes all sessions, meals, and receptions.

Please note that in fairness to our sponsors and exhibitors, we do not allow non-exhibiting business partners into the tradeshow unaccompanied. It is a time for our sponsors and exhibitors to display their products and services to operators. However, we would be happy to provide you with a guided tour with one of our leaders or our Executive Director if you wish to see if exhibiting with us is of interest. Email Leah Reily for a tour!

We will have a pre-conference activity that includes an additional fee, but that is completely optional. One of the great and unique things about our conference is that once you’re onsite and the conference has started, all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) are included. 

AHF and our member-leaders make an effort to get to know and include first-time attendees throughout the entire conference. At the start of the conference, we have a “First-Time Attendee Reception” where you’ll have the chance to get to know other first-time attendees, as well as member-leaders, which really helps to make a great conference experience. Regardless of what stage you are at in your career, AHF’s conference is a great way to connect with your colleagues and peers in the industry as well as help foster relationships with business partner vendors.