Franchise Update Magazine Issue II, 2013 | Page 22
Grow Market Lead
Capt. Mark Kelly, keynoter
Driving Profitability
Multi-unit franchisees bring spirit of optimism to Las Vegas
R
By Kerry Pipes and Eddy Goldberg
esiliency and optimism
permeated the air at this
year’s Multi-Unit Franchising Conference, held
at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas March
27–29. In tune with this year’s theme—
Driving Profitability—these individuals are not only driven, they believe the
best is still ahead.
In her opening remarks on Wednesday morning, Franchise Update CEO
Therese Thilgen welcomed attendees,
saying, “Multi-unit franchisees continue
to evolve by facing reality. They’re a
resilient group that succeeds because
optimism is part of their nature.”
That set the tone for the next twoand-a-half days, which were filled with
high-octane panels and educational
presentations and participative sessions—along with hours of networking possibilities.
Once again, the event set several
new records. More than 1,200 attendees
flocked to Vegas for the event, more than
20
Franchiseupdate Iss u e II, 2 0 1 3
Once again, the
event set several
new records.
More than 1,200
attendees flocked
to Vegas for the
event, more than
450 of them
franchisees.
450 of them franchisees. Thilgen noted
that three quarters of the franchisees in
attendance said they were looking for
additional brands. The sold-out Expo
Hall, featuring a record 200 booths,
provided plenty of opportunity of all
kinds, as well as suppliers offering solutions for problems ranging from social
media and mobile to accounting and
financial services.
Thilgen was followed by 2013 Conference Chair Sean Falk, a multi-unit
franchisee with four different food
brands. Recalling his years as a U.S.
Marine, Falk cited the force’s motto
“Semper fidelis” (Always faithful) to
encourage his fellow multi-unit operators to choose a brand and believe in it.
He also noted some potential threats
looming for franchising: the Affordable
Care Act, a minimum wage hike, and
the increasing cost of fuel and commodities. “As small-business owners,
we have no idea how we’re going to be
taxed in 9 months, much less 5 years,”
he said. “All these challenges cannot be
met by raising prices.” He encouraged
the audience “to be more efficient, find
vendors who can do things better and
more efficiently than we can.” And he
continued to urge franchisors to develop
programs to help their successful franchisees manage more units.