Fall Franchise Conferences to Attend

Summer is winding down and kids are getting back to school. That usually means that it's getting time to start thinking about franchise trade shows and conferences again. I have to admit that after spending most of the summer in the office, I'm really looking forward to getting out and seeing many old friends, clients, and meeting new prospects.

The International Franchise Association (IFA) website has a fairly detailed list of franchise events listed but a few highlights for consideration through the end of 2010 are:

• Sept. 12-15: IFA Public Affairs Conference, Fall Leadership Meetings & Development Conference in Washington, DC
• Sept. 22-24: Franchise Update's Franchise Leadership & Development Conference in Atlanta.
• Nov. 3-4: IFA Franchise Development Super Session in Los Angeles.
• Nov. 5-7: West Coast Franchise Expo in Los Angeles.
• Nov. 8-10: Restaurant Finance Monitor's Restaurant Finance & Development Conference in Las Vegas.

Many of these events also qualify for credits through the IFA's Certified Franchise Executive program. Perhaps now is the time to seriously consider getting credit for attending events that many of us franchise industry folks go to anyway. It's easy to register and the IFA does a great job of keeping tracking of your status for you. Once registered into the CFE program, a simple email to the IFA letting them know what event you participated in quickly shows up on your online credit report so you can see how close you're getting to claiming CFE status.

There are complete books written and numerous online articles available about how to "work" a trade show or conference. All have very good advice on pre-show marketing, show floor strategy, etiquette, and the importance of post-show follow-up.

If I could add one more small bit of advice though: it's been my experience that the show doesn't end when the floor closes or the sessions end for the day. It's just as important to get involved in the evening networking opportunities that are generally available. Attending cocktail receptions and sponsored parties or setting up a small (or large) dinner party with some close networking associates to invite key business prospects to are all great business development opportunities. I know that I have gained new clients and networking contacts through these interactions. Some would even say that I do my best work with a beer and a cigar in my hand. Hey, it works for me and it might just work for you too.

See you at the shows!

--Tim Matey, CFE (Connect with me on LinkedIn.)