Navigating IDDSI: Join Our 2026 Webinar Series & other exciting IDDSI events!

March 2026 Events e-blast

Meet our Feature Speakers for the March and April sessions! For their full bios and other speaker information go to the USIV Event

April 29, 2026:

Rose Britt, RDN, CNSC Rose has 14 years of experience as a Registered Dietitian. She has her bachelor's from Michigan State University and completed her Dietetic Internship at St. Louis University. Rose has experience in adult and pediatrics, although her passion and career has been focused on the pediatric population for the past nine years.
Rene Kanadet, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, Moderator Rene has been practicing as a speech pathologist since 2010 and has been board certified in swallowing disorders since 2019. She received her BS from the University of Illinois and her MS from Rush University.
Mary Rybicki, MS, RDN, LDN, Moderator Mary is a dietitian with diverse clinical and management experience in post-acute care settings. She has worked within multiple healthcare settings for quality improvement processes, including texture modified foods, and for assistance with the transition to IDDSI. Mary has an MS in Dietetics from MGH Institute of Health Professions and a MMHS, Master of Management of Human Services, from Brandeis University.

May 20, 2026:

Alexa Kirtley, Chef Alexa is the Culinary Training Director at Rubicon Foods, Alexa leads culinary and training support, working directly with kitchens to guide A-to-Z preparation, fully integrate Rubicon products, simplify workflows, and elevate the quality of texture-modified meals.
Lori Reamer, RDN Lori is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with over 30 years of experience, specializing in recipe and menu development including clinical menu review. She served as a Clinical Menu Specialist and Director of Menu Services. Lori attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she majored in Nutrition.
John Holahan, BS, MBA, Moderator John is President and Founder of SimplyThick, LLC, and an inaugural member of the IDDSI Hall of Appreciation. He is also a member of the Canadian IDDSI Reference Group (CIRG) and a founder of the US IDDSI Reference Group (USIRG). Mr. Holahan is also the inventor of the company’s original patented thickener - SimplyThick. Over the years, Mr. Holahan has presented to various long term care trade organizations on the topics of IDDSI, dysphagia, thickeners, and rheology.

For more information on Agendas, Program Details and Session Summaries, go to the US IDDSI Virtual Event page here: USIV Event

Please direct any questions or concerns pertaining to this event to usevents@iddsi.net.

Webinars and IDDSI Learning

Webinar: From Broth to Froth and Everything In Between: Making IDDSI Safe, Practical, and Achievable

Date: Thursday, May 7th, 2026

Time: 10:00 - 11:00am AEST

Presented by the Australia IDDSI Reference Group.

Come and learn about how to apply IDDSI drink testing methods confidently across clinical community and food service environments.

Topics:

What is a fluid?
Why is fluid important (clinical, social, safety aspect)
Learn what tools are required to test for IDDSI fluids
Demonstration of testing methods

This webinar is perfect for: Speech pathologists, Dietitians, Chefs, Food service teams & Carers seeking confident, practical understanding of fluid and IDDSI

To register and for more information please go to: this link

2026 Festival IDDSI: Latinoamérica

Tuesday, May 19th, 2026

9:30 AM – 4:30 PM

Venue: Anahuac University Mexico Av. Universidad Anáhuac 46 Lomas Anahuac, 52786 Lomas Anáhuac, Méx., Mexico

The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative is delighted to announce its first all-day educational event in Latin America: Festival IDDSI: Latinoamérica, to be held at the grounds of Anáhuac University, in Cancún, Mexico on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.

Festival Language

This Festival will be presented in Spanish.

Temas en el Programa

Implementación: teoría y consejos prácticos
Desarrollo del Plan de Implementación
Oportunidades para usar los métodos de prueba IDDSI: líquidos y comidas
Demonstraciones por parte de Chefs internacionales
Ponencia en el manejo de IDDSI con pacientes de cáncer de cuello y cabeza (Dr. Mario Landera)
Ponencia sobre aplicaciones del marco IDDSI en poblaciones pediátricas (Dra. Memorie Gosa)
Oportunidades para compartir con colegas internacionales

Todos usuarios del marco IDDSI son invitados. Este evento será colaborativo y de interés a profesionales, cuidadores y personas con disfagia.

Registration Fees

Early Bird (before March 4, 2026): $50.00 USD
Regular (March 5 – May 18, 2026): $70.00 USD
Late Registration: $70.00 USD
Student Rates (limited number of spaces available): $30.00 USD

To register and for more information please go to: this link

UK IDDSI Festival 2026 "Quality at Every Level"

Tuesday, September 15th, 2026

9:30 AM – 4:30 PM

Venue: Reach Conference Centre, Riverside Court, Pride Park,

Derby DE24 8HY

The only festival organised by the IDDSI UK Reference Group is back for

one day only!

Cost:

£65 Earlybird rate until 1st May (includes box lunch)
£80 Regular rate thereafter (includes box lunch)

Topics include:

Thickened drinks – rationale, methods, alternative approaches, where are we at?
The reality of achieving correct textures – ready-made products tips and practical training
Innovations and implementation success case studies
Inspirational products and recipes
NACC Care Chef of the Year Ilona Tomaz
Supporting older adults, and those with learning difficulties to eat and drink safely
Regulatory updates – how do regulators see IDDSI and how is it used within inspections
Suppliers showcase demonstrating inspirational innovations and solutions.
………..AND MORE

Delegates of any background are welcome; this event will be of particular interest to carers, clinicians, caterers and everyone who supports individuals with dysphagia.

More details will be available on the IDDSI website soon!

More INFO here

The Canada IDDSI Festival features a 6-part webinar series offering a wide range of speakers with practical IDDSI topics, tips and tricks. Everyone is welcomed to join!

We look forward to having you join us for inspiring and informative sessions focused on advancing safe and enjoyable eating and drinking for all.

Dates

17 September 2026
29 September 2026
15 October 2026
27 October 2026
12 November 2026
24 November 2026

Times

Sessions start at 1 PM Eastern Time and are 75 minutes long
Each virtual session will feature a keynote speaker and a selection of short presentations, followed by a live Q & A

Call for speakers at the Canada IDDSI Virtual Conference:

Interested in sharing about your IDDSI journey towards implementation, experiences with IDDSI or IDDSI recipes or resources. Please consider submitting to be a speaker at the Canada IDDSI Virtual Conference. Deadline for submissions is April 10, 2026.

We welcome submissions from across Canada and around the globe. Submit your applications here:

https://forms.office.com/r/uJnp0wueUT