Call for Speakers - AHF National Conference

The 2026 Call for Speakers is Now OPEN

Industry Leaders and Content Area Experts Needed...

Timeline & Additional Details:

Submission Deadline: January 4, 2026
Speakers will be notified once the committee has made its final selections. (February)
Selected speakers will be asked to attend a virtual speaker orientation prior to the Conference
Conference: August 20-22, 2026

Additional Opportunities for Your Team:

Operator Scholarships: Operators can apply for scholarships to help offset conference costs.
Culinary Competition Finalists: Selected finalists will receive complimentary conference registration and a travel stipend.
Award Winners: Award recipients receive complimentary conference registration and a travel stipend. Consider nominating a colleague or applying for an award yourself!

Stay tuned for more information and application deadlines.

Educational Content

Based on attendee feedback, AHF has identified key topics that are sure to make the 2026 AHF National Conference the must-attend event for Operators and Business Partners alike. These topics focus on actionable insights, innovative technology, leadership development, sustainability, staff engagement, and more.

Use the list below as inspiration to craft a proposal that will educate and inspire attendees:

Operations

Eco-friendly practices: Sessions on sustainable menu design, purchasing, and operations to reduce the carbon footprint in healthcare foodservice.
Sustainability and plant-forward operations: Emphasis on environmentally responsible practices, including equipment electrification and sustainable packaging.
AI and robotics: Increased focus on AI, robotics, and smart kitchen equipment, with distinctions between practical tech and futuristic innovations.
Patient engagement tech: Discussions on how technology can improve patient meal selection and service. Technology in operations: Exploring the use of AI, autonomous equipment, and other tools for efficiency and labor savings.
Food product innovation: Exploration of new food products and how manufacturers can support operators.
Pediatrics & senior living: Sessions on pediatrics and senior dining, with practical strategies to prevent chronic disease.
Culinary demos: Live cooking demos, especially incorporating local cuisine such as Cajun/Creole.

Finance & Efficiency

Financial stewardship: Improving quality metrics for patient satisfaction and budget strategies.
Business of Foodservice: Understanding the numbers behind foodservice operations.

Regulatory & Safety

Regulation updates: Insights on new regulations like FSMA 204, food traceability, and healthcare specific rules impacting operations.

Team & Talent

Staff engagement & retention: Strategies for recruiting, retaining, and engaging a diverse workforce, and addressing language barriers.
Labor defense: Guidance on justifying labor costs and improving productivity metrics.
Recruitment and retention: Focus on staffing challenges, engaging unmotivated workers, and creative ways to do more with less.
Ethics: Ethical practices in the workplace and sessions to fulfill RD CEU requirements.

Personal & Professional Development

Leadership skills and time management: Sessions on fostering highly functioning teams, time management, emotional intelligence, and leadership fundamentals.
Work-life balance: Topics on balancing personal and professional lives while staying engaged.

Promoting Self-Op Success

Acute care & long-term care collaboration: Focus on improving the transition from patients to residents to enhance care during a significant life change.
Small hospital operations: Case studies on how smaller hospitals are navigating challenges, such as avoiding contract management.