National Franchise Expo enjoys more visitors than ever

The organisers of the National Franchise Exhibition 2006, which took place on October 6th and 7th, report that the event was the largest franchise exhibition ever staged in Britain, with more visitors than ever before attending and over 250 established and new franchise companies exhibiting.

The exhibition hosted informative seminars with thought-provoking speakers including Phillip Molloy, Managing Director of iSOLD It; Nigel Botterill, Managing Director of Raring 2go; Carol Stewart-Gill, Founder of Dublcheck; Wayne Sharpe, Founder of Bartercard; and Matthew Hughs, Managing Director of Bargain Booze.

Other initiatives at the event included the Women in Franchising Zone, where female entrepreneurs could speak with other likeminded people and listen to experts for invaluable advice. Speakers included Rosemary Conley of the Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness Clubs and Rachel Elnaugh, founder of Red Letter Days and former Dragon on the BBC's The Dragons' Den who gave an account of her rise to success.

A new initiative this year was The Franchise Matchmaking Zone, which helped many visitors find the franchise opportunities that matched their interests.

The event also incorporated the Growing Your Own Business Exhibition & Conference, where audiences gathered to listen to presentations from speakers including Jeremy Taylor, Co-Founder of LA Fitness Clubs; and Alex Cresswell Turner, Founder of furniture and homeware retail chain Lombok.