Join us August 21-23, 2025, in New Orleans at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans. AHF’s National Conference is the best place for operators to expand their networking, gain new skills, and understand the latest trends. AHF and its members are leading the way in healthcare, senior dining, and hospitality. The conference will cover topics including (but not limited to) leadership, food traceability, AI, robotics, technology, C-suite insights, cultural competence, sustainability, supply chain management, revenue growth, retail, contract management, time management, employee incentives, renovations, malnutrition, and more!
AHF will be requesting up to 17.5 earnable CEUs at this year’s National Conference, of which 3.5 will be tradeshow hours. These have not yet been approved. Certificates of attendance for CEU submission will be provided for each accrediting body after the conclusion of the event. CEUs will be offered through the following credentialing bodies:
- Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals (ANFP) – Estimating up to 17.5 earnable hours
- American Culinary Federation (ACF) – Estimating up to 17.5 earnable hours
- Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) – Estimating up to 14 earnable hours
Find all the ways to gain attendance support on the Registration page. Scholarship applications are accepted on a rolling basis beginning in 2025.
AHF’s conference agenda is presented below. Some times are subject to change. As we confirm details this agenda will be updated accordingly.
Registration Open
Registration is open! Grab your badge and get ready for the Opening Reception.
[Area Activity:] Folgers Chef & Silo Plant Tour and Cupping Event (Operators Only) (Est. 1.5 CEUs)
While in New Orleans for the AHF national conference, your partners at the JM Smucker Co. are excited to welcome you to visit two of our state-of-the-art coffee roasting & manufacturing facilities and enjoy a coffee tasting and education (CE credits). You will tour two separate facilities where we receive, clean, blend, roast and manufacture Folgers®, Café Bustelo®, 1850® and Dunkin® coffees. You will learn how coffee is grown and cultivated and taste some great coffee all in the festive backdrop of the rich & strong New Orleans culture ahead of the AHF National Conference. Limit 40 operators. At this time this event will be available to operators only. Thanks to JM Smucker’s support, this activity is free of charge.
[Area Activity] TBA
AHF will be offering additional options for activities around New Orleans that attendees can register for. Stay tuned for more details. Area activities can be signed up for during registration. Some may be complimentary and some may carry a fee. Most area activities are open to all attendees, including business partners, to participate in.
[Pre-Con Charitable Activity] Project Sunshine & AHF - 'Kits For Play'
Project Sunshine is a national nonprofit organization providing free, therapeutic play-based programming to hospitalized children. They understand a hospitalized child impacts the whole family; their family-centric, model supports siblings and caregivers as well as patients, ensuring pediatric patients and their families have access to, the joy, creativity, and normalcy that play, provides during difficult times. Stop by to package 5-10 activity kits to help AHF and Project Sunshine provide hundreds of families with activity kits. This activity will be free, but registration will be required.
[Pre-Con Deep Dive] Every Dollar Counts: Align Financial Performance with Operational Goals (Est. 1.5 CEUs)
The motto of the day is “every dollar counts.” Now more than ever, it is critical for every healthcare foodservice leader to know, understand and optimize the key performance indicators of their unique operations. In today’s pressure cooker environment, effective management of foodservice financials is essential for operational viability and success. This session will explore the key performance indicators (KPIs) that drive financial performance in healthcare foodservice operations. Attendees will learn how to leverage benchmarks, interpret financial metrics, and develop actionable strategies for measuring and improving progress over time. Through real-world case studies and storytelling, participants will gain insights of how to align financial goals with operational excellence. Whether a new or seasoned healthcare leader, this session will equip you with the tools and confidence to make data-driven decisions that enhance both financial health and patient satisfaction while communicating the story of your operations to executive leaders.
[Pre-Con Deep Dive] Defining Deliciousness in Healthcare and Senior Living (Est. 1.5 CEUs)
Attendees will be engaged in an interactive discussion to explore and better develop a common tasting language within their operations. The discussion will include examples of how to develop deliciousness by adding different flavorful, textural, and visual ingredients to dishes to appeal to patients and improve the quality of healthcare meals. Examples of the different basic tastes (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami) will be provided. This session includes tastings and would require a classroom style set-up as well as time prior to the session to organize the tastings.
New Attendee Reception
Are you a first-time attendee at AHF’s National Conference feeling a bit nervous about not knowing anyone and potentially wandering aimlessly? Don’t fret any longer! Join us at our New Attendee Reception, happening an hour before our Opening Reception. This isn’t your typical networking event. Instead, you’ll be part of a small group led by an experienced AHF operator and business partner leader, ensuring you make genuine connections right from the start.
Opening Reception
Now that you’ve kicked started your conference with some deep-dive education and training, it’s time to relax, network and eat! Join us for an evening of light music, tasty food, and drinks. Thank you to our 2025 Opening Reception sponsors Hormel Foods and Sysco Corporation.
Registration is Open
Grab your badge and welcome materials at the AHF registration booth and then enjoy the conference.
Breakfast Provided
AHF’s National Conference provides meals and snacks as part of its full conference registration fees. Grab some breakfast, get ready to learn, and chat with other attendees in the main ballroom.
[Keynote & Welcome] Control the Controllables (Est. 1 CEU)
First join us for our welcoming words. We will have some fun surprises in store, so don’t be late!! Then former NFL star Raymont Harris shares his journey from hardship to success through his “Control the Controllables” framework. Drawing from his NFL career and personal challenges, Raymont reveals eight fundamental skills divided between mindset and performance controls. This engaging presentation equips audiences with practical tools to achieve elite performance in both life and business.
Networking Break
Take a break and then join us back at the mainstage for our AHF’s FISH Talks.
[Awards Presentation] Exemplary Leadership & Future Horizons Awards
Join us as honor and celebrate the 2025 winners of the Exemplary Leadership Award & Future Horizons Award.
[Mainstage] AHF Fish Talks - Theme TBD (Est. 1.25 CEUs)
AHF FISH Talks are short 15 minute ted-talk style presentations followed by a panel discussions with the presenters. FISH Talks give high level innovative presentations on industry trends on “Food, Innovation, Service, and Hospitality.”
Networking Break
Take a 15-minute break to stretch your legs and then join us back at the mainstage for our next presentation.
[Mainstage] Maximizing Impact: Proving Value, Protecting Teams, and Responding to Threats in Operations Big & Small (Est. 1 CEU)
In today’s healthcare foodservice landscape, leaders in self-operated facilities must actively prove their value to prevent contractor takeovers. This session, led by Lori-Ann Williams and other AHF members, will explore strategies for demonstrating the unique benefits of self-operation and protecting your facility from contractor bids. Drawing from Lori-Ann’s experience transforming a community hospital from contracted to self-operated management, the session will focus on actionable tactics for responding to contractor bids and how contractors are evolving their tactics to reassert control over self-operated facilities. Lori-Ann will share how her team overcame challenges like limited resources, low staff engagement, and strained relationships, while also building trust with the C-suite and securing critical funding. Attendees will learn how to showcase the value of their operations through staff engagement, community partnerships, and operational improvements that resonate with both leadership and the local community. This session is essential for leaders looking to protect their self-operated facilities from contractor bids and ensure long-term success. Join us to explore how passion, leadership, and innovation can safeguard your foodservice operation and prove its value to key stakeholders. Additional speakers TBA.
AHF Tradeshow & Lunch
Our National Conference Tradeshow is one of our most loved events. Our vendors will be ready and waiting for you in the AHF Tradeshow Hall. Head over to explore new products, services, innovations, and more from our valued partners and sponsors. Be sure to prepare with AHF’s Business Partner Directory and our tradeshow guide. Your time will be best used if you have a plan of who you’d like to talk to. Lunch will be served by vendors in the hall. Grab some plates while you explore the hall and taste the latest offerings. This is your chance to line up new products and services tailored to support self-operators.
Transition Break
Now that the tradeshow is over, pop your stuff in your room and then head over to your selected concurrent session for the last sessions of the day.
[Concurrent Session] Transforming Tomorrow's Leaders: Strategies for Foodservice Management Rotations (Est. 1 CEU)
With the changing landscape of healthcare and a projected shortage of newly credentialed registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs), it is increasingly important to recruit dietetic students into the healthcare foodservice sector. While most dietetic students enter clinical practice after completing their dietetic internship, fewer students actively pursue a career in healthcare foodservice. In this session, speakers will describe Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) requirements related to management and leadership development. Attendees will learn practical tips on planning and facilitating an effective foodservice management rotation.
[Concurrent Session] Retail Strategies in a Lean Healthcare World (Est. 1 CEU)
Healthcare foodservice directors can enhance their retail programs by forming external partnerships. It’s important to determine when it’s most efficient for a director or manager to collaborate with external entities versus handling tasks internally. Strategically incorporating elements like food trucks, guest restaurants, vending machines, and leased onsite restaurants can diversify food service options for customers while reducing labor costs. Effective oversight of these partnerships ensures smooth operations and potential financial benefits for the organization. When managing third-party vendors, food safety is a crucial consideration. For food trucks, directors need to address sourcing, rules of engagement, scheduling management, and placement. Guest restaurants require careful contracting, rotation planning, return on investment analysis, and integration with existing menu offerings. Vending strategies should consider smart vending options, suitable conditions, and optimal locations. Leasing third-party restaurants involves negotiating contracts, assessing investments and ROI, selecting menus, and planning for contingencies if the vendor leaves. Understanding customer perceptions and enhancing their experience is key to the success of these initiatives.
[Concurrent Session] Elevating Senior Dining: Creating Flexible Meal Plans that Satisfy Residents and Meet Budget Goals (Est. 1 CEU)
With rising food and labor costs, senior dining plans can become restrictive and stale without adapting. Flexible meal plans create a balance between balancing your budget and meeting and exceeding the expectations of your residents. Explore the steps to implement and enhance a flexible meal plan in your senior dining community.
Free Time
Free time to take a break, explore the city, or connect with other attendees.
Culinary Competition & Reception
Join us as five culinary teams meet on the national stage to compete for AHF Culinary Gold! Each year our five teams compete for Gold, Silver, and Bronze spots across a 75-minute timed competition with set ingredient options selected from AHF’s curated Market Basket. Join us to cheer on our competitors while you enjoy dinner and drinks. No special attire is required, simply come ready to eat, network, and celebrate our competitors! Thanks to our sponsors: JM Smucker, Delegate Group, Zink Foodservice, Schwan’s Food Service, and Butterball Foodservice.
Registration Open
The registration desk will be open during these hours.
Rise & Shine! It’s AHFs Free Morning Exercise Activity
Join us for AHF’s free exercise activity! This will be a short and fun way to make new friends and wake-up before starting the day’s sessions. The exact activity will be announced soon, but will be inside.
[Sponsor & Exhibitors Only] Debrief Breakfast
A breakfast for AHF’s sponsors and exhibitors. Each company is asked to send just one representative to join us and provide feedback on their experience while mingling with AHF leadership.
Breakfast Served
Enjoy some breakfast in our main ballroom before the day’s sessions begin.
[Mainstage] The Future of Foodservice: C-Suite Perspectives on Innovation, Strategy, and Flexibility (Est. 1 CEU)
Join us for a dynamic C-Suite panel moderated by Georgie Shockey from Ruck-Shockey Associates. Top executives will discuss the future of foodservice in healthcare and senior dining. This session will provide valuable insights into how foodservice operations are becoming integral to broader organizational strategies. Panelists will explore the evolving role of foodservice in patient/resident satisfaction, employee well-being, cost containment, and program flexibility. This session offers a unique opportunity to hear directly from senior executives on how they envision the future of healthcare foodservice, and how leaders can stay ahead of trends such as innovation, technology, and flexible program models. Don’t miss this engaging discussion, designed to help foodservice leaders adapt and thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape.
Networking Break
Take a break and then join us back at the mainstage for our next awards presentation and mainstage session.
[Awards Presentation] Partnership in Leadership and Impact & Innovations Awards
Join us as we honor and celebrate the 2025 winner of the Partnership in Leadership Award & Impact & Innovation Award
[Mainstage] Back to Basics: Operational Success through Process Improvement (Est. 1 CEU)
If there is one constant that we have all learned as healthcare and senior dining foodservice leaders over time, it is that change will continually occur. With frequent change happening, it is sometimes difficult to stay on track with meeting departmental goals. One way to do that is to focus on process improvement and getting back to basics. This educational session effectively combines the leadership component and the management aspect of optimizing your operation, while working towards enhancing the patient experience and achieving financial outcomes. The complementary skill-sets of foodservice & clinical nutrition leaders that create a synergy to support performance enhancement, culture development, along with evidence-based practice advancement will also be discussed. Join us for a unique presentation full of tools and real-life examples of how removing barriers and challenging the status quo are both keys to ensuring operational success.
AHF Chapter Networking Break
Take a break while you meet up with AHF’s chapter leaders and make local connections.
[Mainstage] State of the Industry: Current and Future Trends, Challenges, and Solutions in Healthcare and Senior Dining (Est. 1 CEU)
Join Distribution Market Advantage (DMA) for an in-depth exploration of the current and future landscape of healthcare foodservice in this dynamic session, presented in partnership with Datassential. The industry faces numerous challenges across its three primary segments, from evolving consumer demands to rising operational costs. This session will provide operators with key insights and strategies to tackle these issues head-on. Datassential will kick off the session with a presentation on segment-level forecasts and the critical trends shaping the healthcare foodservice industry. Gain a deeper understanding of the drivers behind these shifts and how they’ll impact operations in the coming years. Following the presentation, a panel of healthcare foodservice experts will share their solutions, offering actionable strategies to help operators address challenges and leverage distribution resources effectively. Moderated by Datassential, this panel will highlight key insights from regional distributors on how to mitigate emerging risks, streamline operations, and drive success in an increasingly complex industry. Don’t miss this opportunity to stay ahead of industry trends, learn from experts, and discover how to apply practical solutions to navigate future challenges. This session is made possible thanks to the support of Distribution Market Advantage (DMA).
Networking Break
Take a break and then head over to your selected concurrent session.
[Concurrent Session] Revolutionizing Healthcare Foodservice: AI and Robotics from Meal Production to Patient Delivery (Est. 1 CEU)
This presentation explores the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics in healthcare foodservice, addressing critical challenges while enhancing patient care and operational efficiency. Attendees will gain insights into current applications, including AI-driven menu personalization, inventory optimization, and robotic systems for meal preparation and delivery. Real-world examples illustrate measurable benefits such as improved patient satisfaction, reduced food waste, and streamlined workflows. The session also ventures into future concepts, envisioning fully autonomous kitchens, 3D food printing for custom dietary needs, and advanced delivery systems like drones and robotic arms. These innovations promise to redefine how meals are produced and served, enabling faster, safer, and more personalized services. Key takeaways include the strategic advantages of adopting AI and robotics, practical steps for implementation, and overcoming barriers such as initial investment and staff training. Case studies highlight success stories, offering actionable insights for healthcare foodservice leaders. Finally attendees will take away lessons on how to utilize technology, AI and robotics to reduce labor needs and ease staffing pressures.
[Concurrent Session] Aligning Administrative QAPI Directives with Foodservice's Operational Objectives (Est. 1 CEU)
In healthcare foodservice, we are often asked to measure performance using methods or measures that were designed for clinical environments. The use of the Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) method of continuous improvement in healthcare can be difficult for foodservice to use when healthcare organizations direct the programs through clinical education and nursing service lines. The challenge is finding ways to tie QAPI metrics to the true operational objectives of healthcare foodservice while still working within the frameworks established by hospital administration and nursing leadership. This connection can be made by defining where our foodservice operations and clinical objectives connect, identifying specific opportunities for improvement within our operations, pinpointing measurable metrics that are true representations of our work and its progress, and establishing transparent and collaborative relationships with nursing leaders and hospital administration. This more intentional approach to QAPI offers foodservice the opportunity to use their QAPI program to leverage improvement and gain meaningful and effective support from nursing leadership and hospital administration.
[Concurrent Session] Be Your Own Mentor: Building Connections, Confidence, and Career Growth (Est. 1 CEU)
Finding a mentor can seem daunting, but what if you could be your own? This session is designed for newcomers to healthcare foodservice and senior dining who want to chart their own path to success. We will explore how to leverage volunteering, networking, and self-advocacy to build a support system that includes multiple mentors and resources. Attendees will learn to confidently navigate challenges, ask questions, and embrace opportunities to grow in their roles. With practical exercises like crafting an elevator pitch and networking simulations, this session empowers attendees to develop skills that are immediately applicable in their professional journeys. Whether you’re just starting out or seeking inspiration to take the next step, you’ll leave with actionable strategies and the confidence to create your own opportunities. Together, we’ll redefine mentorship—because success starts with you.
Networking Break
Take a break after your concurrent session and then head to the mainstage for our closing keynote speaker.
[Keynote & Closing] TBA (Est. 1 CEU)
Join us for our closing words, presidential service awards, and our closing keynote speaker. We will announce our incredible closing keynote speaker shortly. They will tie together the conference and leave you with takeaways to bring back to your operations! Stay tuned.
AHF Fundraising & Networking Event
AHF will host a fun fundraising activity where you can join friends and colleagues, make new connections, and support AHF’s scholarship programming. More information coming soon.
Free Time
Free time to relax, network with other attendees, or explore the city!
[Celebrate AHF] Closing Gala & Awards Dinner (Cocktail Attire Requested)
Our closing dinner and gala reception. We’ll start off by honoring our Lifetime Achievement and Making a Difference Award Winners during dinner. Following that, we’ll highlight our 2025 Culinary Competition winners and other AHF leaders. AHFs leaders and Culinary Competition Winners. Of course, we can’t forget about our live band, dancing, and drinks. Dinner and drinks will be provided. Cocktail attire is requested.