London's Olympia opens its doors to prestigious franchise event

On March 13th, The British & International Franchise Exhibition will return to the London Olympia. This prestigious event offers a fantastic insight into the world of franchising, with over 100 successful franchises exhibiting, giving visitors a unique opportunity to meet and discuss their next business venture.

Franchising has become an extremely popular and successful business model in the UK, with over 900 franchise models and over 500,000 people employed throughout the industry.* The British & International Franchise Exhibition comes at a perfect time to offer people the chance to meet face-to-face with international and UK franchisors and franchise owners to discover more about the business model.

Recognised as the leading international franchise event in the UK, there is something for all aspiring business entrepreneurs at this year’s British & International Franchise Exhibition. The event welcomes businesses from both the UK and worldwide, representing the vast opportunities that a career in franchising can offer. Platinum Property Partners, Anytime Fitness, Snack in the Box, Cafe2U, McDonald’s, Kare Plus, Mac Tools and Ewe Move are just a sample of the broad range of exhibitors that have attended the British & International Franchise Exhibitions in the past year.

Catering consultant from London, Paul Georgiou, found inspiration at last year’s exhibition. He comments: “Face-to-face meetings early in the process at an event like this are vital for franchisors and franchise owners to test and build relationships. I recommend prospective franchise owners to come along to future exhibitions.”

In order for visitors to make the most of their time at the exhibition, an online portal is available to pre-book one-to-one appointments with businesses of interest. This service is extremely popular and it is advised to book early to be guaranteed meetings with your chosen franchise. These appointments can be booked at www.franchiseinfo.co.uk where you can browse the extensive exhibitor list to assist in selecting which businesses to meet with.

Over the course of the two-day event, guests will have free access to an extensive seminar programme. These seminars offer a multitude of industry expertise, explaining what is required to manage a successful franchise. Key speakers will include the British Franchise Association (bfa), business advisers, legal and financial professionals, franchisors and franchise owners.

In addition to an extensive seminar programme, guests will also be able to join the ‘Growing Your Own Business’ conference and workshops. These interactive workshops and seminars are designed to inspire, motivate and advise new business owners, and will include presentations from keynote speakers such as Sach Kukadia of secretsales,com who will be inspiring visitors with innovative growth strategies and share his successful start-up journey and Rob Tominey of Mainstage Travel will divulge the essential toolkit behind his start-up success.

Senay Cevan who works in the travel and tourism industry, attended last year and found several programmes particularly useful. He comments: “The seminars have been really valuable because they gave us insight into areas to consider that we were not aware of before we came. It’s definitely an event I’d advise people to visit.”

Alongside the seminars, visitors can engage in open-floor discussion with a panel of franchise owners at the ‘Real Franchise Stories’ where franchise owners representing four different brands will share their experiences of their transition into a career in franchising.

The Finance Clinic is a popular feature as visitors have the opportunity to meet with experts from Franchise Finance and get advice on how to raise funds and prepare a business plan. Those unsure if their next career move can take advantage of the free CV and careers advice on offer at the Careers Clinic. The British & International Franchise Exhibition is the only exhibition in London this spring supported by the British Franchise Association (bfa). This is a result of maintaining a strong affiliation and sharing similar ethical stances on the franchising practice. All exhibitors showcasing their business at the event must meet the code of ethics held by the bfa, giving peace of mind to visitors attending the event.

In addition to the bfa, the exhibition is certified by the U.S. Commercial Service. Through these partnerships, the event continues to attract well established international brands such as McDonald’s, Anytime Fitness and Granite Transformations, year-on-year.Director of franchise sales at Venture Marketing Group, Adrian Goodsell, comments: “The British and International Franchise Exhibition offers aspiring business owners a unique opportunity to meet with a range of highly established global businesses and discuss the first steps to conceivable international ventures. The event offers an all-encompassing experience, enabling visitors to get advice, gain a wealth of knowledge, and see how franchising has successfully worked in the past for others.”