The 2026 Call for Speakers is Now CLOSED
Thank you to everyone who submitted a proposal!
Our Call for Speakers (RFP) is a competitive process, and we are grateful for the high level of expertise and innovation shared by this year’s applicants. Our education committee is currently reviewing all submissions to build a world-class program for the 2026 AHF National Conference.
Timeline & Additional Details:
- Speaker Notification: Speakers will be notified once the committee has made its final selections. (February)
- Agenda Announcement: The full conference schedule and educational lineup will be announced in March.
- Speaker Orientation: Selected speakers will be invited to attend a virtual speaker orientation prior to the Conference
- Conference: August 20-22, 2026
Missed the window this year? We open our Call for Speakers annually in December to ensure that our members and conference attendees have access to the latest trends and innovations in healthcare, senior dining and hospitality.
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.
Industry Leaders & Experts on the AHF National Stage
The AHF National Conference is known for delivering high-quality, actionable education. We hold our presenters to a rigorous standard to ensure every session provides the data, strategy, and inspiration that industry leaders need to excel in self-operated healthcare, senior dining and hospitality.
What to Expect from AHF’s Speakers
Credentialed & Experienced
The speakers selected for the AHF stage hold a wide variety of professional credentials, reflecting a deep commitment to continued growth and excellence in their respective fields. From culinary arts and clinical nutrition to business administration and financial management, our presenters bring verified, real-world expertise to every session. You will hear from specialists focused on the most critical areas of our industry, including:
- Patient & Resident Experience
- Financial Management & Healthcare Administration
- Clinical Nutrition & Public Health
- Operational Sustainability & Efficiency
- Culinary Arts
Content for Every Leadership Level
At AHF, we select presenters who speak TO our community rather than AT our community. Our sessions are led by those who have intimate, “boots-on-the-ground” knowledge of the roles they are discussing. Whether they are addressing that challenges faced by system-level executives, clinical leaders, executive chefs, or aspiring leaders, our presenters share real lessons learned from their own experiences in the field. This peer-to-peer knowledge exchange ensures that the content is practical and immediately usable for operators at every level.
The AHF Advantage: Connections On-and-Off Stage
The hallmark of the AHF community is our culture of accessibility. At our conference, the line between “speaker” and “attendee” is blurred by a shared commitment to the industry and the customers we serve.
- Engaging Interactive Sessions: Our presentations are designed to be a dialogue, not a lecture. From Q&A opportunities to interactive panel discussions and a “think-tank” atmosphere, our presenters speak with the audience, addressing the most pressing challenges of the moment.
- A Shared Community: Our speakers are active participants at Conference. They don’t just deliver a presentation and leave – they engage, listen, and learn alongside you.
- Accessible Expertise: Attendees have the unique opportunity to connect with presenters one-on-one after sessions, during networking breaks, and at our evening events. These “off-stage” connections often turn into lifelong professional mentorships and collaborative partnerships that extend far beyond the conference walls.
Educational Content
What to Expect from the 2026 AHF Agenda
The AHF National Conference is the must-attend event for Operators and Business Partners because of our commitment to forward-thinking, evidence-based education. Based on extensive member feedback and industry trends, we have curated our 2026 programming around the core pillars of self-operated excellence.
Attendees can expect sessions that deliver actionable insights, innovative technology solutions, and strategies for leadership development. Our educational lineup is designed to solve today’s operational challenges while preparing your team for the future of healthcare foodservice.
Explore the core learning domains that will define this year’s conference experience:
Operations
The Operations domain focuses on the mechanics of excellence, exploring the intersection of cutting-edge technology and sustainable practice. This category encompasses the full spectrum of modern foodservice management—from the implementation of AI and robotics for labor efficiency to the evolution of eco-friendly and plant-forward initiatives. Whether exploring specialized service models for pediatrics and senior living or highlighting innovative culinary techniques, these resources provide the blueprints for creating a high-performing, future-ready operation.
Finance & Efficiency
This domain centers on the business of foodservice, providing the tools necessary to master the numbers behind a successful operation. Content focuses on financial stewardship and the development of sophisticated budget strategies that improve quality metrics and drive patient and resident satisfaction. By translating complex data into actionable plans, these resources help operators justify their value and ensure long-term fiscal health.
Regulatory & Safety
Staying ahead of the shifting landscape of healthcare requirements is critical for operational compliance. This category provides essential insights into new regulations and food traceability standards alongside healthcare-specific rules that impact daily workflows. These resources are designed to help operators navigate the complexities of safety and compliance with confidence and precision.
Team & Talent
The heart of every operation is its people, and this domain addresses the most pressing challenges in recruitment, retention, and workforce engagement. From building a labor defense to justify costs and productivity, to managing a diverse workforce and overcoming language barriers, these insights offer creative ways to do more with less. Additionally, this category explores workplace ethics, providing foundational support for professional standards and continuing education.
Personal & Professional Development
Growth for the individual leads to growth for the organization. This domain focuses on the fundamentals of leadership, emotional intelligence, and effective time management to foster high-functioning teams. By emphasizing work-life balance and professional resilience, these resources empower leaders at every level to stay engaged and energized while navigating the demands of a high-pressure industry.
Promoting Self-Op Success
This domain champions the unique strengths of self-operated foodservice across the entire continuum of care. From fostering collaboration between acute care and long-term care to ensure smooth patient transitions, to providing case studies on how small hospital operations successfully avoid contract management, this content highlights the “Self-Op” advantage. These resources celebrate and protect the autonomy of operators through shared success stories and proven strategies.
These domains represent the standard of excellence for our educational programs and serve as the foundation for the sessions you will experience on the AHF stage. While these core pillars remain constant, the specific topics and delivery methods within each domain are carefully curated each year to address the most current trends and pressing challenges facing operators. By evolving our focus annually, we ensure our content remains fresh, exciting, and immediately relevant to the ever-changing landscape of healthcare, senior dining and hospitality.
