IFA 2020 Recap

IFA 2020 brought professionals from all over the world together to learn the best business tactics, leadership skills, networking opportunities and more. It also set a record for being the largest non-Vegas convention that IFA has ever had. Take a look at what each day brought to attendees down in Orlando, Florida, during IFA 2020.

Friday: Franchising Gives Back day of service

So many wonderful things happened during our annual Franchising Gives Back day of service at the nonprofit, Give Kids the World Village, that we made a separate blog post about it. Read it here. 

Saturday: Networking, learning labs, bootcamps and more.

On the first day, attendees arrived at the Orlando World Center Marriott and signed in at registration, picking up numerous badges to highlight their accomplishments in the industry, from CFE to VetFran and more.

Some attendees got the opportunity to start their day at Golf Outing at Hawk's Landing Golf Club, where they networked and enjoyed the Florida weather. Later on, numerous committees met to discuss action items for improving the industry through Franchise Relations, Marketing and Innovation and more. 

The ICFE Special Sessions were a hit. With topics from "Six Critical Practices of Leading a Team," to "Taking Your Franchise Global in Interesting Times," attendees were challenged to brainstorm the ways their business is thriving and what they can do to be better leaders, mentors and coworkers.

The Annual Leadership Conference highlighted a real-world case study of an actual franchise system and championed a collaborative experience among attendees to problem solve and network with one another. Dippin' Dots Franchising, LLC, CEO, Scott Fischer, spoke to attendees regarding the topic, "Evolve with the Market: Your Brand's Future Depends On It." Congratulations to Paul Pickett, CFE with Wild Birds Unlimited, Inc. for winning this year's Crystal Compass award!

Franchise professionals that attended the Emerging Franchisor Bootcamp heard from leaders that helped them maximize their time with mentor and peer input that went towards solving a key business problem, and a run-down of who's who in franchising. The opportunity to connect with road-tested leaders who have been in their shoes was extremely valuable as attendees took away tips to help them navigate their business issues.

The day ended with The Buzz, our opening reception, where attendees networked with both new and old friends. Forging new relationships seeing franchise friends is a highlight of Convention every year.

Sunday: Simon Sinek, state of the association, award winners and more.

The day started off with franchise professionals attending the Prayer Breakfast, choosing between Summit programs with topics such as Operations, Franchise Relations, Marketing and Innovation, Labor Issues and more, then heading into the Mini-Super Sessions led by speakers and thought provokers that were ready to talk business and best practices to further your your business for the future to come. Sunday's Learning Labs gave attendees the chance to expand their knowledge on a range of subjects surrounding franchising. 

IFA President & CEO, Robert Cresanti, CFE, spoke of the State of the Association, showcasing the original, handwritten bylaws from IFA's founders. He spoke of the profound progress we have made and the impact members have on advocacy and efforts to protect franchising.

David Barr, IFA Chair, welcomed everyone to IFA 2020 and elaborated upon the theme of Franchising's Future Starts With Us. Attendees were given detailed sheets that explained the threats to franchising we are currently facing on Capitol Hill. It is imperative that franchise professionals know the upcoming and current laws that threaten the franchise business model.

A big congratulations is due to all the hardworking award winners honored. Gordon Logan, Founder and CEO of Sport Clips, Inc. is the IFA Hall of Fame's newest member and was surprised on stage by his long-time friend Lou Holtz. Geoff Seiber, CEO of FranFund, Inc. is the FAN of the Year. Dave Mortensen, President & Co-Founder and Chuck Runyon, CEO & Co-Founder of Self Esteem Brands, are this year's Entrepreneur of the Year Award recipients.

Simon Sinek gave his keynote speech during the Opening General Session at IFA 2020, asking: "What does it take to live an infinite life?" This question was one of many that encouraged attendees to think about the way they run and operate their business, with insights on personal connection with coworkers.

"How do we create an environment where people feel they can work at their natural best?"
-Simon Sinek

Simon spoke of taking a step beyond being a leader and taking the initiative to nurture your work environment, while blending it effortlessly with your personal life. It was an inspiring speech that had attendees captivated and excited.

Attendees strolled the popular Exhibit Hall to learn about different products and services that can better their business. Thank you to our attendees, sponsors, exhibitors and speakers.

Monday: Inspiring speakers, CFE graduates, business solution roundtables and more.

The morning kicked the 2020 CFE Graduates were honored, with Harvey Homsey giving a speech about the values of the ICFE Program. The 2019/2020 Student Scholarship Recipients were awarded, with Tony Valle, CFE, giving a speech on the State of the Foundation Report.

KFC President and Chief Concept Officer, Kevin Hochman, spoke to attendees about the rebranding of the Colonel and how the brand bounced back into the mainstream media. People got an inside look at how the franchise started, grew over the years and what its strategy is now for staying relevant and revered.

The Big Ideas — Franchise10x talks were given by George Chanos, TEDx Speaker and Former Attorney General of Nevada and Chairman of Capriotti's, Steve Bigari, Chairman & CEO of SYNQ3, Raj Rao, General Manager of IBM Food Trust and John Teza, CFE and Principal at NRD Capital Management. They spoke of emerging trends that are transforming the way we do business.

Business Solution Roundtables gave attendees a chance to have informal discussions on a wide range of topics that are critical for keeping your franchise system running profitably in today's challenging and highly competitive marketplace. Attendees followed different tracks based on their interests in business, with a financial track, franchise sales track, international track and more. 

The Exhibitor Reception marked one last time to check out services and products that can have a direct impact on your business. The night ended with The Bash, where dinner, drinks and music helped connect new and old friends. 

Tuesday: Welcoming Incoming IFA Chair, Catherine Monson, Trent Shelton motivated attendees, new connections and more.

The last day of IFA 2020 included more award recipients and the passing of the gavel, from IFA's now Immediate Past Chair, David Barr, to the Incoming Chair, Catherine Monson, CFE. 

Trent Shelton spoke to attendees about his journey from football to being a motivational speaker, with detailed anecdotes that made the audience analyze who is toxic in their lives, what people they feel encourage their success and more. He spoke of how, "mindsets are wildly contagious," and talked about not risking and sacrificing your growth due to others not being able to see your vision. This statement and more were important for franchise and business professionals to hear and take away as they go back to their business with all that they learned at IFA 2020.

This event would not have been possible without the help and dedication from our attendees, speakers, exhibitors, sponsors, staff and more. Thank you for your contributions to franchising, and see you next year in Las Vegas, Nevada, February 21-24, for IFA 2021!