The British & International Franchise Exhibition
19 & 20 March 2010, Olympia, London
What happened in 2009?
WHAT RECESSION? THE BRITISH & INTERNATIONAL FRANCHISE EXHIBITION PROVES THERE’S STILL BUSINESS TO BE DONE
The recent British & International Franchise Exhibition, which attracted thousands of visitors, proved there are still many businesses making profits and expanding within the UK, and many people keen to take control of their future by investing in a franchise.
Held at Olympia, London, the exhibition was constantly abuzz with aspiring business owners scouring the aisles looking for their next challenge. Whether made redundant, or just experiencing itchy feet in their current position, many people were serious about finding their next career move at the event.
“We’ve recently been made redundant and are now looking at possibly using part of our redundancy package to set up a franchise business. We just need to find out which franchise is for us because we know the business model has been proven to work,” said Janet Greenwood from South London, who attended the event with a former colleague.
As Janet pointed out, the success of the franchise business model is becoming increasingly known, and, considering the current climate, confidence in the model is growing day-by-day. Positive media coverage on national TV, radio and press in the days before the event highlighted how the business option is growing in popularity.
Many who are currently employed also see franchising as the way forward for them. Pritesh Badiani, a banking trading software manager from Ruislip said: “I am disillusioned with my work-life balance and am considering opening my own business. After hearing about this on the BBC, I decided to come along and find out more. It has been very interesting and has given me some good ideas.”
That was also the view of recent graduate Nick Peters from Wimbledon:
“Instead of looking for a job, I’m thinking of starting on my own. It’s been a very good way to learn about franchising.”
More and more people are learning about the benefits of an already established brand, proven business structure and on-hand support, that franchising offers.
“We all know franchising boasts particular elements of security that independent business start-ups don’t, and people are really starting to take notice of that because they need as much help and support as they can get, especially during a recession,” said David Tuck, Franchise Sales Manager at Venture Marketing Group, organisers of The British & International Franchise Exhibition.
Exhibitors were constantly busy with visitors, teaching them about their business model, the services they offer and the advantages of their franchise. Reporting a high calibre of attendees and many promising leads, franchisors were impressed with the entire event.
“We’ve had a fantastic time with people queuing to speak to us. The quality of visitors has been excellent and many of them had researched us before they came, with some specifically coming to meet us. We have several further meetings already booked for next week,” said Trevor Brocklebank, Managing Director of first time exhibiting company, Home Instead Senior Care.
McDonald’s’ National Franchise Manager, Andy Pitt, also reported a successful show, and values the face-to-face meetings the exhibition offers.
“We had a lot of interest in franchises with prospects for business all over the world. It’s been a good show, the exhibition has been excellent – well publicised and well marketed,” said Pitt.
“Face-to-face meetings are an important stage in the development process and The British & International Franchise Exhibition is a very good way to progress new and existing contacts.”
Papa John’s, Snappy Snaps, Revive! and Hometyre were just some of the other local and international exhibitors impressed with the show, with the high calibre of visitors ready to invest in franchising being the most popular observation.
The free seminar series, which were hosted by the British Franchise Association and representatives of reputable franchise companies, and held throughout the two-day event, were constantly over-flowing with visitors who were keen to hear from franchisees, franchisors, solicitors, bank representatives and business advisors. The event’s keynote speaker, Atul Pathak, one of McDonald’s UK’s top five franchisees, proved an event favourite with many visitors keen to learn how he uses innovation to enhance the success of his franchises.
“Many people believe you can’t be creative or innovative in franchising because you have to work within the franchisor’s parameters. Whilst there’s no point in reinventing the wheel as a franchisee, there’s still room to be creative and express your entrepreneurship,” said Atul during his presentation, How to be innovative in franchising.
“I’m always talking to my franchisor about my crazy ideas,” continued Atul, who explained how he introduced halal products to one of his fifteen McDonald’s restaurants.
David Tuck took the opportunity at the London exhibition to reveal news about the rebrand of The British Franchise Exhibition in June.
“In response to feedback from our exhibitors, The Scottish Franchise Showcase (formerly The British Franchise Exhibition) will be one-day event, jam-packed with seminars, initiatives and reputable companies, for aspiring franchisees,” said Tuck.
People are learning more about franchising and confidence in the business model is spreading to all demographics. If The British & International Franchise Exhibition is anything to go by, the June event will again produce fantastic results for exhibitors, speakers and the franchising industry, and that’s what the event is all about.”
Find out more about what happened at the 2009 British & International Franchise Exhibition in the Event Review and Post-Event Press Release or read some testimonials.
To find out how you can be a part of The British & International Franchise Exhibition 2010, contact the franchise team on +44 (0)20 8394 5207 or email adam.richmond@vmgl.com
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