The highly anticipated Franchise Expo South will showcase over 200 exhibitors with more than two dozen workshops and sessions on Sept. 6 and Sept. 7 at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale. As the largest event in the franchise industry in the South, it is expected to attract over 2,000 entrepreneurial candidates to explore business ownership opportunities through franchising on the active trade show floor.
“As a resident of Fort Lauderdale myself, I can share from firsthand experience that South Florida is the perfect business-friendly venue to host the Franchise Expo South event,” says Martin Joksimovic, president of MFV Expositions and Comexposium, the nation’s leader in connecting the franchising world with motivated entrepreneurs, which is hosting the trade show. “We’re looking to maintain our momentum this year, as our International Franchise Expo in New York and the Franchise Expo West show in Los Angeles both attracted record-breaking crowds. For franchisors looking to connect with a diverse audience of motivated entrepreneurs, and vice-versa, Franchise Expo South is the perfect opportunity to experience the potential that exists in today’s thriving franchise industry.”
The Franchise Expo South event is set to feature various franchise industries and sectors, encompassing food and beverage, healthcare, retail, services and more. The event has garnered interest from emerging brands and well-established franchisors in the industry, such as 7-Eleven, Burger King, IHOP, Little Caesars, Retro Fitness, and Dream Vacations. All are aiming to establish enduring connections and finalize significant deals. At MFV’s most recent expo, exhibitor TruGolf Links secured a deal with an attendee to launch 40 new locations, marking a considerable achievement for this up-and-coming franchise brand.
With over 200 exhibitors, attendees will also have the opportunity to connect with first-time exhibitors such as Afuri Ramen + Dumpling, ComputerXplorers, Hydrogen Fitness, La Diperie and Silbar Security. The trade show floorspace has been set aside for long-standing franchise industry supporters such as Entrepreneur.
The Franchise Expo South event has recruited an all-star cast of influential speakers, including:
- John Hayes, the Titus Chair for Franchise Leadership at Palm Beach Atlantic University
- Mark Siebert, CEO of iFranchise Group
- Matthew Jonas, president and co-founder of TopFire Media
- Steve Beagelman, CEO and founder of SMB Franchise Advisors
- Andre Kay, founder and CEO of SociallyBuzz
Franchise Expo South will also feature exclusive and original programming and events such as:
- Emerging Pavilion – reserved exclusively for emerging franchisors, brands with 10 units or less can showcase their brands at the Emerging Pavilion, a busy location on the trade show floor.
- Business Resource Center – this section of the expo floor is reserved for a wide range of business suppliers and vendors that cater exclusively to the franchising industry.
- South Unplugged – during the two-day expo, MFV Expositions and the franchise industry’s wildly popular Social Geek Radio team will be conducting podcast interviews on their South Unplugged Show direct from the trade show floor
At Franchise Expo South, attendees can expect more than 25 insightful workshops and panel discussions. These will include themed sessions on topics such as Franchising Your Business, the A to Z’s of Buying a Franchise, how to Build a Digital Lead Generation Program That Delivers Franchise Sales, Minorities Building Wealth in Franchising, and Women in Franchising: Being Successful in Today’s Marketplace. Hosted by the IFA’s Women’s Franchising Committee, these sessions are designed to offer a wide variety of topics and panels to help entrepreneurs and franchisors learn more about the franchise investigating process, scaling, marketing, selling, organizational strategies, and how to secure the right resources and connections.
For more information, including details on travel and hotel stays, please visit https://www.franchiseexpo.com/south.
