AllergyEats, the leading guide to allergy-friendly restaurants nationwide, has finalized their roster of best-in-class speakers for the 3rd annual AllergyEats Food Allergy Conference for Restaurateurs & Food Service Professionals: How to Maximize Safety and Increase Customer Engagement, Loyalty, and Revenue.  The expert panelists for the upcoming conference will include well-respected restaurateurs that excel at accommodating food-allergic guests, as well as notable food allergy trainers, prominent physicians/allergists, experts in the financials of food allergies, specialists in creating allergy-friendly recipes, and others. These presenters will provide valuable information about accommodating food-allergic and gluten intolerant guests, reducing the fear around food allergies, and building customer loyalty and profits.  They’ll also share actionable tips to make restaurants safer for food-allergic and gluten intolerant diners.

AllergyEats’ Restaurateur Conference

The AllergyEats conference, the only industry conference of its kind, is a must-attend event for restaurant chefs, owners and managers, college and university dining directors, and other food service professionals that strive to become more knowledgeable about accommodating food-allergic and gluten intolerant guests safely, comfortably, and profitably.

This year’s speakers will include:

• Matt Abdoo, Chef de Cuisine at Del Posto Restaurant, New York, NY
• Robin Hamm, Director, Food Safety, Quality, and Commercialization at Red Robin International, Inc.
• Jared Schulefand, Owner and Operator of Home, Branford, CT
• Betsy Craig, Founder and CEO of MenuTrinfo
• Julie Kuriakose, MD, Physician, Educator, Author and Co-Founder of Hudson Allergy
• Robert Landolphi, Culinary Development Manager at the University of Connecticut and Author of Gluten-Free Every Day Cookbook, Quick Fix Gluten Free and Cooking Light Gluten Free Baking
• Scott H. Sicherer, MD, Elliot and Roslyn Jaffe Professor of Pediatrics, Allergy and Immunology, and Chief of the Pediatric Division of Allergy and Immunology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY
• Michael Pistiner, MD, MMSc, Pediatric Allergist for Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, Voluntary Instructor of Pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital, Co-founder and Content Creator, AllergyHome
• Lisa Giuriceo, Support group leader of the Food Allergy and Asthma Support Group of North Jersey
• Beth Hillson, Founder of the Gluten-Free Pantry, Author of Complete Guide to Living Well Gluten Free and Gluten-Free Makeovers, Food Editor for Gluten Free & More
• Lori Sandler, Owner of Divvies and Author of The Divvies Bakery Cookbook
• Colette Martin, Author of The Allergy-Free Pantry and Learning to Bake Allergen-Free and advisory board member, Kids with Food Allergies
• Paul Antico, Founder and CEO of AllergyEats and former financial analyst and portfolio manager at Fidelity Investments

“Our speakers will provide valuable, actionable tips, advice and best practices for restaurateurs and food service professionals, showing them how to elevate their food allergy protocols and better accommodate guests with dietary restrictions,” said Paul Antico, Founder and CEO of AllergyEats, father of three food-allergic children and passionate food allergy advocate.  “Conference attendees will learn that the process of becoming allergy-friendly doesn’t need to be overwhelming, complicated or expensive to implement, yet the benefits to their business can be tremendous.”

The conference will be held on Tuesday, October 21, beginning at 8:00 am, at the Radisson Martinique on Broadway, 49 W 32nd Street in New York City.  A limited block of discounted overnight rooms is available for conference attendees who register early.  The event is sponsored by Mylan Specialty L.P., as well as Nation’s Restaurant News,  the New York State Restaurant Association, MenuTrinfo, and Gipsee.

Topics will include:

• Food Allergy Basics – This session will spotlight fundamentals, statistics, and the realities of accommodating food-allergic and food-intolerant guests. It will also showcase how food-allergic individuals deal with everyday life, and what they look for in a restaurant when dining out.
• Restaurants That Get it Right – Expert restaurateurs who excel at accommodating food-allergic guests will spotlight their restaurants’ best practices, as well as their successful food allergy procedures and protocols.  They’ll explain why they’re committed to being allergy-friendly and describe guests’ reactions, including their increased loyalty.
• Basic Training – Top restaurant trainers who specialize in food allergies and other special dietary requirements will speak about the process of becoming more allergy-friendly.  This session will discuss how restaurants can become more accommodating, improve safety and minimize risks, implement and execute food allergy protocols and become more confident in their food allergy procedures.
• Modifying Recipes for the Food-Allergic Diner – Expert food allergy chefs will provide simple solutions for recipe substitutions, teaching food service professionals how to replace common allergens in their commercial kitchens.  Whether it’s dairy, gluten, eggs, or soy that guests need to avoid, stocking a few go-to items in their restaurants will help chefs easily adapt recipes for food-allergic customers.
• Food Allergies in Colleges & Universities – Colleges and universities have unique challenges serving food-allergic and gluten-intolerant diners 3 meals per day, 7 days per week.  This session will highlight valuable solutions to improve food allergy protocols on campus, including staff training, menu development, communications with food-allergic students, optimal practices, and more.
• The Financials Around Food Allergies – This session will explore the economics of accommodating food-allergic diners, including the increased loyalty and profit opportunities, demonstrating how restaurants can make significantly more money by becoming allergy-friendly.

Attendees will enjoy lunch with the experts and have ample time for Q&A during each session.  They can also sample vendors’ allergy-friendly products and meet with our sponsors at the event.

The 3rd annual AllergyEats Food Allergy Conference for Restaurateurs & Food Service Professionals: How to Maximize Safety and Increase Customer Engagement, Loyalty, and Revenue has been approved by the American Culinary Federation for 7 continuing education hours.

Advanced registration is required.  Registration is $279 per person. Early bird registration is $259 until September 21, 2014.  Group discounts are also available.  To register and for more information, please visit www.allergyeats.com/conference.