International Franchise Association Kicks Off 63rd Annual Convention in Las Vegas
4,000 global franchise professionals come together to protect, enhance, and promote franchising
LAS VEGAS, Feb. 26, 2023– The International Franchise Association (IFA) today kicks off its 63rd Annual Convention in Las Vegas, NV, bringing 4,000 franchise professionals from more than 40 countries together for the best event in franchising. Ranked as the number one event in franchising by Entrepreneur, participants include franchisors, franchisees, and supplier partners to learn about franchising trends and best practices and hear from an all-star line-up of business leaders.
“This year’s convention will be bigger and better than ever before,” said IFA President and CEO Matt Haller. “This is the one place where everyone in the business comes together for professional development and networking to ensure franchise business leaders uphold the highest standards in franchising while working together to protect, enhance, and promote the business model.”
Convention keynote speakers include NFL legend and multi-unit franchisee Drew Brees, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski, Dine Brands CEO John Peyton, Bitty and Beau’s founders Amy and Ben Wright, Ginny Clarke former director of executive recruiting for Google, and Emmy award-winning mentalist Oz Pearlman. IFA President and CEO Matt Haller will share the state of franchising and IFA’s work to protect, enhance, and promote the business model, and attendees will hear from IFA leadership and hundreds of franchising experts on issues and opportunities facing their businesses.
The IFA Board of Directors will hold its first meeting of the 2023 year, welcoming eight new board members. IFA Chair Charlie Chase, President and CEO of FirstService Brands, will offer concluding remarks as David Humphrey, Vice Chair of Ignite Fitness Holdings, assumes the 2023 Association Chairmanship.
IFA will also award six individuals with its highest honors for their contributions to franchising, celebrate 102 Franchisees of the Year, and honor 174 Certified Franchise ExecutiveTM (CFE) graduates.
In addition to the main program, IFA will host the Annual Leadership Conference led by the Women’s Franchise Committee, the Emerging Franchisor Bootcamp for up-and-coming brands, and 12 special CFE sessions. In between, convention attendees will network and develop business connections with 350 exhibitors in Franchise City, participate in more than 200 roundtable discussions and nine education tracks, and engage in community service projects. The IFA Foundation, through its Franchising Gives Back program, will host daily service projects including volunteering at Rundle Elementary School, assembling “Care Kits” for military families, and packing 50,000 thousand meals with IFA partner, Meals of Hope, on the exhibit floor.
More information and the full agenda are available here.
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Celebrating over 60 years of excellence, education, and advocacy, the International Franchise Association (IFA) is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations, and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising and the approximately 790,492 franchise establishments that support nearly 8.4 million direct jobs, $825.4 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy, and almost 3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees, and companies that support the industry in marketing, law, technology, and business development.