One of the best things that I have done to grow my franchising career is to attend industry conferences. Being able to engage with other franchise professionals, hear their insights, and offer ideas is a rewarding and fruitful way to become a better franchisor, franchisee and supplier - any franchise professional can benefit from building relationships at these events!
These days, there are so many franchise conferences out there. It's hard to keep track of them all! These conferences often range in size, focus, and format, and take place all over the country. If you're anything like me, you want to make sure that your time is being used as wisely as possible when attending a conference.
That’s why I wanted to put together a list of franchise conferences that I’ll be attending over the next few months, and how each of them can help you learn something new. Here are the four conferences that I’m most excited to attend over the coming months:
1) 2022 Franchise Leadership & Development Conference. October 18th - 22nd, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia.
This conference is great for franchisor executives looking to become better leaders and grow their brands. From workshops on franchise sales to the CEO roundtable, this event is jam-packed with different personal development opportunities. Every year, there is a mystery shopping contest in which franchise brands react to fake leads interested in purchasing a franchise. Talk about real-world feedback!
2) Emerging Franchisor Conference. November 2nd - 4th, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee.
This event is designed for new and emerging franchise brand executives. I was invited to speak as a panelist to discuss how advisory boards are beneficial to franchise systems. Working with emerging brands is refreshing, and it’s always exciting to hear about fast-growing franchise businesses. If your system is growing fast, then this one’s for you!
3) Franchise Business Review Summit. November 7th - 8th, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee.
I’ll be back in Nashville only a few days after the Emerging Franchisor Conference for this event! Unlike the others, this is a new conference, and I’ll be attending as a sponsor with ZorForum mastermind groups. This event will focus more on operations and systems. I’ll be facilitating a CEO workshop, which I’m very much looking forward to! Having been sold out for months, I suspect this event will grow in popularity.
4) The 2023 IFA Annual Convention. February 26th - March 1st, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Also known as the “Super Bowl of Franchising,” the IFA Annual Convention is the largest franchise convention in the country. Thousands will attend, and it will be very busy with workshops, speakers, receptions, and more. You won’t walk away from this conference feeling disappointed. This is the BIG ONE and lots of people and programs and exhibits and more!
These are only a handful of the dozens of franchise conventions that take place every year - there are many more you might consider! Take a look at my friend Katrina Mitchell’s Franchise Event Calendar. It’s an extremely valuable tool, and it takes her and her team quite a bit of time to maintain.
Are you attending any of these events? SEE YOU THERE! Let’s get in touch! Connecting in person is always a lot of fun.
Feel free to reach out with questions about your franchise brand - I’m happy to be a resource.
