FOOD ALLERGY CONFERENCE and EXPO

FOOD ALLERGY CONFERENCE & EXPO
Education - Awareness - Connection
Sheraton Boston Needham Hotel , 100 Cabot Street, Needham, MA
Saturday, May 31, 2025
12:30 pm - 5:30 pm

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Our half-day, afternoon Food Allergy Conference & Expo will be held at the Sheraton Boston Needham Hotel, a location easily accessible for attendees traveling from around the region. The program will include food allergy management workshops, time designated for informal "Chat and Connect" and an exhibitor area. The event will provide meaningful opportunities for attendees to learn from recognized experts, to connect with others in the local food allergy community, and to explore related products and services.

Topics and Speakers

•  Updated Recommendations for Food Allergy Management at School, K-12
  Speakers:
  Michael Pistiner, MD MMSc - Director of Food Allergy Advocacy, Education and Prevention MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Food Allergy Center
  Christine Creter - Learning and Performance Strategist
  Principal and Founder, Creter Group, Inc

• Anxiety and Food Allergies: Strategies for Patient and Caregiver Wellbeing Through the Ages
  Speakers:
  Lisa Bartnikas, MD - Attending Physician, Division of Allergy, Boston Children's Hospital
  Assistant Professor or Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
  Sara Voorhees, PhD - Attending Psychologist, Boston Children's Hospital
  Instructor of Psychology, Harvard Medical School
  Emile Baker, LICSW - Psychotherapist in Private Practice
  Associate Professor of Practice, Simmons University School of Social Work

• What's New in Food Allergy Treatments
  Speaker:
  Sarita Patil, MD - Co-Director, Food Allergy Center, MassGeneral Hospital for Children
  Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Allergy & Immunology, Harvard Medical School
  

• Traveling with Food Allergies
  Speaker:
  Kyle Dine - Founder, AllergyTravels.com
  Co-Founder Equal Eats
  Food Allergy Educator. Performer. Musician. Puppeteer. Speaker 
  Allie Bahn - Founder, MissAllergicReactor.com
  Co-Founder, Allergy Travels
  How to Dine Out with Food Allergies, Tuesday Travel Tips on Instagram

Breakout: Chat & Connect!      Expo: Food-Allergy Friendly Companies!      Book Corner!

Who Should Attend

• Parents*
• Adult Patients
• Caregivers
• School Nurses
• Family Members & Friends*
• Other Interested Individuals
• Teachers

*Please note - there is no child/teen component to this Conference and Expo

Tickets

• Tickets to attend the Conference and Expo are $45
• Anyone interested in providing the opportunity for someone, for whom pricing is a deterrent, to attend the Conference and Expo, can purchase a Donated Ticket.*
• If the ticket price is a deterrent for you to attend, please contact Lori Rohleder at 781-444-7778 or [email protected] for details on requesting a Donated Ticket.*

*Please note - the number of Donated Tickets available for distribution is dependent upon the number of Donated Tickets purchased. Purchasers and recipients of Donated Tickets will remain anonymous. The purchase of a Donated Ticket is not a tax-deductible donation.

Accomodations

Great News! Discounted room rates at the Sheraton Boston Needham Hotel are available for attendees interested in staying overnight!
For reduced overnight rooms, please use this link to book: https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1679062829223&key=CORP&app=resvlink

 Book your corporate rate for Local Corporate Rate, or alternatively, please feel free to use the Local Corporate Promotion Code: L6C in the "Special Rates - Corporate Rates" section when booking on the Marriott website.

Important Note: Please add "AAFANE Food Allergy Conference" to your reservation in the note section, OR, after you've made your reservation, you may call Jenn Gironda, Senior Catering Sales Manager at 781-292-3875 to have your name added to the List of Conference attendees.

A Message from Our Executive Director

The idea for a regional conference - one that provides valuable opportunity to learn, to connect and to strengthen our local food allergy community - came from conversations with many of YOU, our community members. We listened, discussed your suggestions and put together a meaningful program, featuring accomplished speakers and engaging exhibitors, with a pricing structure to welcome our community.

We hope that you are as excited as we are!

I look forward to seeing you at our Food Allergy Conference & Expo on May 31!

Lori Rohleder
Executive Director
AAFA New England

Questions?

Contact us at [email protected] or 781-444-7778