Hotel and Conference Information

Click the links below for more information on the location, conference space, and hotel room booking.
Click the link to access the SEEDS room block.

Reservations by attendees must be received on or before October 13, 2026*, (the “Cut-Off Date”). At the Cut-Off Date, Hotel will review the reservation pick up for the Event, release the unreserved rooms for general sale, and determine whether or not it can accept reservations based on a space- and rate-available basis at the Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy group rate after this date.

*Please note that the hotel room discount is based upon availability in our group room block.

Group receives discounted parking of $27.00/night for self parking or $47/night for valet.

Conference Details

Thursday, November 5, 2026

Registration & Breakfast begin at 8:00 am
Program runs 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Cocktail Party 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Friday, November 6, 2026

Breakfast begins at 8:00 am
Program runs 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Media Release

Photo and Media Release Authorization
By registering for the SEEDS Conference, participants acknowledge and agree to the terms of the Photo and Media Release. Please find the terms on the conference registration page.

Online Auction

Don’t miss your chance to stand out! Our online auction lets you compete for exclusive sponsorship spots with maximum exposure!

Items up for Auction are: Step & Repeat, Swag Bags, Lanyard, WiFi

• Keynote Speaker: Laura High – Stand Up Comedian & Donor Conceived Advocate
• Making the Invisible Visible: Unconscious Bias in Surrogacy and Egg Donation – Presenter: Melanie Funchess
• President Message – Board Updates: State of SEEDS
• State of the Field Updates
• A Lawyer’s Guide on How to Not Get Sued
• The Evolving Landscape of Genetic Testing in Egg Donor Screening
• Business Liability Insurance: What are you actually protected on
• The Modern Birth Team: Non-Traditional Professionals Who Improve Outcomes
• Beyond Birth: Understanding Postpartum Mental Health in Surrogacy
• Scandals Don’t Happen In Isolation: Systemic Weaknesses in Agencies
• All Things Escrow: Access and Transparency for All Parties
• The Sustainable Agency: How Coaching Helps You Grow Safely and Profitably
• Three Voices, One Pregnancy: Navigating Autonomy, Medical Judgment, and Surrogacy Ethics
• Automated, but Still Human: Using AI Without Losing Empathy
• Expanding Support for Gestational Carriers
• Unlocking the potential of AI in Ovarian Stimulation and ART
• Red Flags and Green Lights: A Physician’s Field Guide to Surrogate Vetting

Keynote Speaker

Laura High is a stand up comedian and advocate for donor conceived rights. You may have seen her on your social media as ‘Your Donor Conceived Person of TikTok.’ Laura has now amassed over a million followers across all of her social media platforms while providing humorous educational content on how the fertility industry functions. Laura has helped lobby for fertility fraud legislation, and organized the first protest for donor conceived rights. Laura has helped donor conceived people get their story published by CNN, USA Today, and LGBTQ Nation. Laura has also headlined all around the country and has been featured in the New York Comedy Festival, Big Pine Comedy Festival, Vermont Comedy Festival, and SLO Comedy Festival.

Emcees

Ashley Mareko is the Director of Partnerships & Community Development and part owner at SurrogateFirst, where she is passionate about building meaningful relationships between agencies, clinics, attorneys, and industry partners to better serve intended parents and gestational carriers. She also serves as a Surrogacy Coach for medical provider, helping families navigate one of the most important journeys of their lives.
A longtime advocate for ethical surrogacy, Ashley serves on the SEEDS Officers Team as Co-Secretary and is an active member of both the Education and Mentorship Committees. She is passionate about collaboration, transparency, and elevating best practices across the industry.
Outside of work, Ashley calls Hawaii home, where she enjoys outrigger canoe paddling, homesteading, horseback riding, and tackling just about any DIY project she can find. She is also the founder of the TAZ Pathways Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to creating opportunities for underserved communities through education, athletics, recovery support, and housing initiatives.
Known for her energy, quick wit, and ability to connect with just about anyone, Ashley believes the best conferences are the ones where people leave with new ideas, new friendships, and maybe a few good laughs along the way.

Amber Patterson is the Chief Operating Officer for IARC Surrogacy and All Families Surrogacy, part of the RSW Fertility family of companies, and this fall, she’s trading at least a few spreadsheets, strategy meetings, and surrogacy logistics for the microphone as your conference emcee.
With more than 20 years in third-party reproduction, Amber has experienced this industry from nearly every angle: Clinical Coordination Advisor, Intended Parent Coordinator, executive leader, three-time gestational surrogate, and one-time egg donor. Her commitment to family building is both professional and deeply personal, sparked decades ago by a story of selfless sacrifice that became a lifelong mission to help make parenthood possible.
Amber’s work has taken her around the world, including serving as an medical contract intermediary while living in Turkey and Germany. She holds an MBA with a focus in marketing and public relations and is a passionate advocate for transparency, ethical practices, and the kind of honest conversations that move our industry forward.
Her story began on a dairy farm where cows outnumbered people and somehow led to championing family building on a global stage. She’s spent two decades bringing people together, solving complicated problems, and doing her best work when there’s a room full of people to connect—so handing her a microphone seemed like the natural next step.
As your emcee, Amber promises to keep things moving, keep things interesting, and, whenever possible, keep us on schedule. No promises on that last one.