How Event Planners Can Save Lives: A Food-Allergic Guest’s Perspective

Food allergies aren’t just a dietary preference. For millions of people, they are a daily negotiation with risk, anxiety, and belonging. This week is Food Allergy Awareness Week, and for Day 3 of Eating at a Meeting LIVE, I’m sitting down with someone who has been in the trenches of this conversation for years — Lindiwe Lewis, allergy advocate and host of the Behind the Allergy podcast. Lindi has lived with severe, anaphylactic food allergies for over 30 years. She’s had reactions to entire food groups. She’s navigated dining rooms where staff didn’t wash their hands and restaurants where she felt like an inconvenience for asking a question. She’s also experienced the flip side — places like Hawksmoor in London, where staff handled her allergies with confidence, care, and genuine kindness. The difference? It’s everything. Through Behind the Allergy, Lindi doesn’t just talk about what she can’t eat. She talks about the anxiety, the isolation, the relationships, the travel, the identity of living with a condition that can turn a meal into a medical emergency. Her platform is a lifeline for the food allergy community — and a wake-up call for the hospitality industry. For those of us who plan, design, and serve food at meetings and events, this conversation is not optional. It’s essential. If you’ve ever wondered what your guests with severe allergies are actually thinking when they sit down at your event table — this episode will tell you. Join us LIVE, bring your questions, and let’s talk about what it really means to make every guest feel seen, safe, and included.