Never before has the industry needed to reconnect and rebuild together as much as it does today. Collective ambition and driving forward together will see franchising thrive.
The British Franchise Association’s annual conference is approaching and this year WorldPay are proud to be sponsoring the event. The two-day event commences on the 30th November at 9am, through to 1st December at 1:35pm) at The Vox, Birmingham. The conference includes keynote speakers, educational panels, interactive sessions, networking and debates covering subjects across franchising – from guidance on multi-unit expansion, media and PR approaches, team culture in the workplace, brand development, resale planning, legal issues, data strategies, financial planning and marketing.
The bfa conference is the most comprehensive event of the year, bringing together experts & pioneering figures in the industry to address the most up-to-date topics and issues in franchising. This annual event provides the bfa and its members with a combined opportunity to collectively connect, share and grow as we seek to raise the credibility and profile of franchising in the UK today and for the future.
Day 1 – 30th November:
The day begins with networking and an introduction from the bfa’s CEO, Pip Wilkins, and a presentation by Workbuzz on the 2021 Workbuzz Awards. Following from this is a series of concurrent sessions by leading figures in the industry: a franchisor-lead session on successful business strategies in line with current market trends by Dan Archer, Visiting Angels and Lucy Archer, Rev PR. Keeping up with evolution in business by Josh Valman, Founder & CEO of RPD International – RPD helps companies quickly develop new products, test them in their market, and scale for the first 12 to 24 months, reducing the cost and risk of innovation and exploring new ideas. Planning tips by Carl Reader, D&T, franchise expansion considerations by Ruth Brown and Catherine Chalton, Home Instead and marketing for growth by Naomi Eaton, Agency Express. The morning will finish with a panel hosted by the bfa’s CEO, Pip Wilkins, exploring the impacts of COVID-19 bringing innovative business strategies.
The afternoon, followed by a networking lunch, will start with a session lead by two of Britain’s finest Olympic athletes, Steve Backley OBE and Roger Black MBE, alongside Paul Mallinson. This session will look at performance in the workplace, covering the power of vision, collaboration and a strong team culture. Following a networking break, the day’s second series of concurrent sessions kick off, exploring themes like brand evolution and development, social media and franchisor coaching of franchisees. The day ends with a session by Tim Campbell MBE, the first winner of the Apprentice, where he will discuss the entrepreneurial mindset.
Day 2 – 1st December:
The second day starts with ‘The Big Debate’ – chaired by Pip Wilkins, legal professionals discuss the latest legal issues impacting franchise businesses. Following from this are QFP presentations – a celebration of the newest qualified members. The afternoon will hold a series of concurrent sessions hosted by franchisors Theo Millward, Swimtime, Paul Hansen, Hitachi Franchise Finance, Neil Randall, Anytime Fitness, and Charlie Lawson, Unnatural Networker and Paul Clegg, Adam Lovelock from Coconut Creatives. The afternoon will finish affiliate and supplier awards presented by the bfa, and keynote speaker Linda Moir. Linda specialises in implementing change within businesses and is well-known for her success at Virgin Atlantic as the Director of Customer Service. The session will cover the culture of a customer-focused organisation and how change can be implemented to the benefit of the business and individual employees.
The bfa annual conference is a member only event, serving industry leading education to franchise professionals, coupled with the opportunity to build and grow relationships whilst keeping up to date with industry trends. We encourage franchisors, franchisees and professional advisors to attend. A two-day ticket, which includes all-inclusive access to the entire conference, exclusive access to the bfa HSBC British Franchise Awards ceremony on the evening of the 30th November and overnight accommodation, can be purchased here at £550 per head. For those that are QFP qualified or registered, this is an upskill module worth 500 QFP points for your qualification maintenance.
Book your tickets here
This exclusive annual event is hosted and run by Your Trusted Partner in Franchising – The British Franchise Association (bfa). For any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact press@thebfa.org Looking forward to seeing you there!