Confirmed Sponsors and Exhibitors can use this space to access resources needed to get prepared and set up for their exhibitor experience. Below you will find critical dates and information that your team should be aware of and items to complete.
Attention: Please help your staff attending understand their badge type
- Tradeshow (or Exhibit Hall) Only Badge – Provides access to only the AHF Tradeshow on Friday August 22nd as well as set up and breakdown. Does not provide access to receptions, meals or sessions. Email Leah Reily to upgrade your passes. A separate ticket can be bought for the opening reception during badge registration for $250 or on site if needed.
- Full Conference Registration Pass – Access to all sessions, receptions, meals, and the Tradeshow.
Register for your badges when registration opens in March. To redeem complimentary passes included in your sponsor or exhibit package, use the code(s) provided to you by Leah Reily or Sarah Bennett when registration opens. Can’t find your code? Email Leah at lreily@healthcarefoodservice.
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Event Location & Dates
August 21-23, 2025
- Thursday August 21: Preconference activities/sessions, opening reception, tradeshow move-in
- Friday August 22: Opening keynote, sessions, move-in, tradeshow (12:15-3:45), move-out, culinary competition
- Saturday August 23: Sessions, closing gala awards dinner
Hyatt Regency New Orleans
601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113, United States of America
Exhibitor/Sponsor Training Webinar
Booth Selection
Booth selection will take place in April and May. The order of booth selection is done by sponsorship level and then by date of payment. A limited number of premium corner booths will be offered on a first-come, first-serve, basis. Sponsor booths will be self-select using our selection tool, but if you would like to speak to Leah before selecting you may do so anytime. We are happy to help!
Leah Reily, Executive Director
lreily@healthcarefoodservice.org
1-800-899-1109 x700
Exhibitor Portal (Power, shipping, furniture, etc.)
Ordering & Shipping Deadlines
It is recommended that you ship exhibition materials to the advanced warehouse to ensure materials are in your booth in time for setup. The standard warehouse material handling charge will be honored for all shipments received by the listed deadlines. Any shipments sent directly to the facility will be required to be handled by Alliance Nationwide Exposition Company. The prevailing warehouse material handling rate plus a 20% minimum surcharge will be added to all direct shipments.
Thursday, July 21, 2025 – Advance Order deadline
Thursday, July 21, 2025 – Exhibitor Signs and Custom Table Throws Order deadline
Tuesday, July 22, 2025 – Advance Warehouse Receiving begins
Thursday, August 14, 2025 – Advance Warehouse Receiving ends
Thursday, August 21, 2025 – Showsite/Direct Receiving Begins
Friday, August 22, 2025 – Showsite/Direct Receiving Ends (10:00am)
Carrier Move-Out Deadline – Friday, August 22, 2025 @ 5:00pm
Re-Route Deadline – Friday, August 22, 2025 @ 6:00pm
Onsite Schedule
- Thursday August 21, 2025 – 8:00-5:00PM – Exhibitor Move-in
- Friday August 22, 2025 – 8:00-10:00 AM – Exhibitor Move-in
- Friday August 22, 2025 – 12:15-3:45 PM – TRADESHOW HOURS
- Friday August 22, 2025 – 4:00-6:00 PM – Exhibitor Move-Out
- Saturday August 23, 2025 – 7:00-9:00 AM – Exhibitor Move-Out
- Saturday August 23, 2025– 8:00 AM – Carrier Check-In Deadline
- Saturday August 23, 2025 – 9:00 AM – Outbound Shipping Agreement Deadline (all exhibitors must submit outbound materials handling agreement to the exhibitor services desk)
- Saturday August 23, 2025 – 9:00 AM – Re-Route Deadline (Shipments not picked up by the exhibitors carrier and/or remaining on the exhibit floor will be re-routed at this time)
Rules for Carrying Materials/Product To Your Booth
Hand Carry: Exhibit booth personnel can carry in product/boxes as long as they don’t need the loading dock or use materials handling equipment (no use of dolly)
Brokers: AHF and Alliance have also made special consideration for brokers delivering locally. These will be defined as deliveries of 25 lbs or less via a local broker with multiple exhibitors in one delivery. Each exhibitor within the delivery will be charged. Deliveries greater than 25 lbs will be subject to standard material handling rates.
Personally Owned Vehicles: If there are local exhibitors who wish to deliver in a privately-owned vehicle (POV) at the foreman’s discretion they will qualify for a special cart service under the following criteria. Cart service is one flat cart and one laborer to assist:
- A POV is a privately owned (not company-owned or rental) vehicle primarily designed for passenger use such as a car, pickup truck, SUV, passenger or minivan, taxi, or limousine, and is not constructed or intended for transport of cargo or freight.
- Length of delivery vehicle does not exceed 24’
- Content of vehicle does not require any mechanical handling devices such as a pallet jack or forklift to unload or transport
- Content of vehicle can be stacked and positioned safely on one flat cart for delivery to the exhibitor’s boothTotal weight of delivery does not exceed 350 lbs.
- This is to ensure POVs are unloaded and immediately leave the loading dock area, no cars may be left while the exhibitor goes to the booth.
Please email us if you have questions about delivering (or carrying in) your product, equipment, and supplies to the show.
Lead Scanning/Retreival
Each Exhibitor, Emerging Brand and Sponsor receives 1 lead retrieval license complimentary as part of their package. This will allow you to scan leads from 1 cell phone. Our lead retrieval provider is CVENT. An email will be sent 1-2 weeks in advance of the conference by our provider CVENT with instructions on setting up your profile so you can scan leads. This email can only be sent to 1 individual, it will be sent to your primary POC who can then assign your profile to the appropriate person who will scan leads on-site. You can adjust the questions available when scanning leads when setting up your profile.
PLEASE KINDLY SET YOUR PROFILE AND ACCESS UP PRIOR TO ARRIVING AT THE CONFERENCE. We will have support on-site, but cannot guarantee last-minute troubleshooting if we have a rush from all sponsors.
If you wish to purchase an additional license(s), please email lreily@healthcarefoodservice.org. Each extra pass is $200.
Food Shipping & Kitchen Prep Time Request Form
THIS FORM IS REQUIRED FOR **ANYONE** SERVING OR SENDING FOOD OR NEEDING KITCHEN PREP TIME. – Due by August 12th
To help us ensure AHF can track all products being sent as well as your exhibit booth needs, please complete the form below. This form should be completed by all sponsors providing F&B product at their exhibit booth as well as anyone providing F&B product for an event or meal throughout the conference. However, especially those shipping PERISHABLE items must complete the form and their shipments MUST be labeled with an AHF shipping label (which can be found in the exhibit booth ordering portal above).
Refrigerated, Frozen, and Dry Food Product for use in meals or use in exhibitor Marketplace booths may be shipped to the hotel in advance, to arrive between: Date TBA
Do not send perishable food product to the advance warehouse.
The form will also provide the option to request kitchen prep time and outline what equipment you might need.
Please complete the online Food Sponsorship Collection Form included in the PDF below, and submit by: August 12th
What’s Included in a Booth?
Standard 10X10 Booth:
- 8’H Backwall Drape – Grey
- 3’H Siderail Drape – Grey
- 1 – 6′ Skirted Table – Grey Skirt
- 2 – Side Chairs
- 1 – Wastebasket
- Standard Booth Identification Sign
New/Emerging Brand Table:
New/Emerging Brand spaces are unique. They are smaller, but comfortable networking spaces meant for first-time brands to experience the power of the AHF community. New/Emerging Brands will be contained in a comfortable “networking area” near the AHF lounge. The AHF Lounge will not block the view of the New/Emerging Brand lounge.We are sorry but these booth spaces do not accommodate equipment and F&B sampling.
- Networking area with 1 high boy table 42″ high and 32″ diameter
- 2 Stools
- Space to include x1 pop-up banner with a maximum size of 3 ft wide and 8 ft high
- Booth Identification Sign
Booth Notes & Details:
- The Exhibit Hall is Carpeted
- If you are sending large equipment – please contact us for support coordinating: edwardl@mmsmeetings.com & lreily@healthcarefoodservice.org
- AV & Electrical will need to be purchased through the hotel’s AV Provider. The form can be accessed in the Exhibitor Portal.
- If you will be using a cooking device in your booth, a Fire extinguisher is required (Bring your own, or rent from Alliance Exposition). Only electric or butane cooking equipment is permitted for use in the Exhibit Hall. All other cooking equipment is prohibited (i.e. no open flames, propane, etc.). You may provide your own fire extinguisher or order one through the booth portal above.
- Exhibitors ARE allowed to use Sterno as a fuel source. Fire extinguisher is required.
- Exhibits using food, beverage, ink, chemicals, or other liquids must install visqueen to cover the entire booth area. If carpet is being used, the carpet may be laid on top of the visqueen; however carpeting does not substitute for the full coverage visqueen requirement. You may provide your own visqueen.
Certificate of Insurance
All exhibitors must provide a certificate of liability insurance if not sending booth products through AHF’s primary vendor, Alliance Expositions, and using a third-party broker for setup or delivery. Certificates of liability must be sent by August 12th. The certificate information and requirements are below:
– $2,000,000 General Liability (Each Occurrence).
Email your certificate to: Edward Lonsinger – edwardl@mmsmeetings.com
CERTIFICATES SHOULD NAME ALL OF THE FOLLOWING AS ADDITIONAL INSURED:
Association for Healthcare Foodservice (AHF)
4201 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 110-267
Arlington VA 22203
Hyatt Regency New Orleans
601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113, United States of America
Sanitation & Safety Rules
As we plan to meet safely in New Orleans, LA, we want to provide you with any updated policies and procedures related to sanitation. All participants in the expo hall must be in compliance with the regulations set forth below.
- Food and beverage can be served – and is encouraged (please note that AHF’s marketplace is the lunch so we encourage you to serve food and drinks if desired), but should be served in single-serving containers.
- If serving food you will need a sanitation station at your booth (e.g. bowls to wash hands, hand sanitizer, sanitation wipes, towels for cleaning) – Basically, a way to sanitize your station properly throughout the show.
- If serving food and drinks from your booth, the booth attendants serving and preparing food must wear gloves
AHF Operator Raffle
AHF plans to host a raffle with prizes offered by the Association and our sponsors. If you wish to contribute an item as a prize for the raffle, please complete our raffle submission form below and tell us what you’re providing. This form and notification are due by August 1st.
Here’s how the raffle will work:
- Operators will receive points using our mobile app for completing actions in the mobile app. More points will be awarded for sponsor and exhibitor activities like “favoriting” a vendor or viewing their mobile app profile. They will get points for other activities as well.
- AHF will distribute sponsor-contributed raffle prizes to the winners. The number of operators we distribute to will depend on how many raffle prizes we receive.
- Operators can select the gifts they receive based on their ranking. The game, and points collection, will run from the time the mobile app opens until the end of the tradeshow on Saturday.
How are items distributed to operators?
- Most items should be distributed by the vendor directly to the operator. We recommend planning to mail anything too large to fit in a suitcase, and if you cannot find the operator. AHF will connect you with the winning operator to provide them with your raffle prize.
- AHF staff are unable to receive and distribute large items on your behalf. Please arrange for appropriate mailing to the winning operator.