Visitor quality was strong at the final Franchising & Business Opportunities Expo for 2018, held in Melbourne last weekend as part of the Victorian Small Business Festival.
Exhibition Manager Fiona Stacey said “We were thrilled to see the franchising industry out in force at this show and also the huge response from visitors. Franchising has had a tough year, but the model remains the best way for everyday Australians to get into their own business.”
Kevin Lacey, national franchise manager, Snap Print Design Websites, brought the brand back to the expo after a five year absence.
He said showcasing the heritage brand gave the team a chance to connect with not only prospective buyers and talk to those who are looking to own their own businesses, but also to build relationships with some of the other franchisors in the industry.
“Our purpose for being here is to reintroduce our brand. We have a new offering and it is very exciting, and we need to be seen here to show we are serious about our brand.”
Lacey said “We have some very solid leads, more than I expected, so I’m pleasantly surprised.”
Flatpack Assembly Services was just one of many new franchise businesses launching at the show. Operations manager Andrew Wilcox says “this is a great new brand and the expo is the best place to show that to people. I have been coming to this event for many years in various roles and this is the best one yet. We have already booked next year with a much bigger stand.”
For Gutter Knight co-founder and franchisor David Myles, co-founder and franchisor, this was his first expo. “I’m very impressed, we have over 45 leads to follow up. It has been very worthwhile for us – not just in the good number of leads, but also in meeting the other franchisors, many of them are very experienced and have been more than helpful.”
Most exhibitors were Australian, but there were also some exciting concepts from the US, Europe and Asia. These included a national pavilion from Malaysia coordinated by the Malaysian Government and Franchise Association.
The speaker program featured keynotes from Jim Penman from Jim’s Group, John O’Brien from Poolwerx and Mary Aldred from the Franchise Council.
Stacey said “In Melbourne we also welcomed Frank Milner, President of global tutoring franchise Tutor Doctor; Peter Sidonis who is CEO of Snap Franchising; and the Victorian Small Business Commissioner Judy O’Connell.”
In 2019 there will be three Franchising & Business Opportunities Expos. They will be staged at the ICC Sydney in March, the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre in June and the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre in August. The Perth expo will return in 2020.
