All under one roof

Sheree Muir from Caterham, a visitor to 2012’s event, highlighted one of the many benefits of a visit to The British & International Franchise Exhibition.

The UK’s leading international franchise event returns to London Olympia on 15 and 16 March 2013 and is set to showcase an extensive variety of franchise opportunities from the UK and abroad. Businesses across sectors such as food and drink, property, travel, retail, home improvement and finance will all be present for visitors to meet. These include Leisure Leagues, Home Instead Senior Care, Value Doors, Calli’s Corner, Auditel and Agency Express.

The event is the only franchise exhibition in London supported by the British Franchise Association (bfa) and only companies that have met the Association’s Code of Ethics can exhibit. This means visitors can have confidence in the franchise opportunities on offer, as they are an ethical entity within the franchise market.

Visitors can ensure they are able to make the most of their visit and secure meetings with the businesses that interest them by pre-booking appointments in advance online.

Dave Williams from East London, who visited the exhibition earlier this year, explained the benefits of meeting businesses face-to-face: “There are a wide range of franchises to see – it’s good to meet face-to-face to gain a better feeling about the people. This has helped me to take my thoughts and ideas forward.”

A variety of free features will provide visitors with further guidance including the chance to learn from the experiences of existing franchise owners at Real Franchise Stories and receive professional advice on drafting a business plan at The Business Plan Clinic.

An extensive conference features seminars from the bfa, members from the legal and finance professions, business advisers, as well as both franchisors and franchise owners.

Mandeep Rauli, a Pharmacy Manager from Barnet who visited the event earlier this year, commented: “The seminars were useful in terms of hearing ideas and new ways of thinking about business that I would not have otherwise considered. It is an exhibition worth visiting.”

For those looking to capitalise on international opportunities in the UK or set up a franchise abroad, the International Zone will be of particular interest, providing important information on what franchise opportunities are available, how to gain funding, advice on procedures and pitfalls to avoid.

The British & International Franchise Exhibition is open from 10am each day, closing at 5pm on Friday 15 March and 4pm on Saturday 16 March 2013. Admission to the exhibition is £15, however advanced tickets can be purchased for free.