Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue II, 2015 | Page 8

Chairman’
sNote

2015 MUFC Is Around the Corner!

G

reetings fellow franchisees,

It is nearing time to attend the 2015
Multi-Unit Franchising Conference
(MUFC) in Las Vegas, April 8–10. This year’s theme
is “Shaping the Future,” and it is a highly apt one
given the events of the past 12 months. Franchising has been faced with unprecedented and serious
challenges: historically punishing weather in the
Northeast and Midwest, drought in the West and
Southwest, the inability to find enough
dependable workers anywhere, crippling
new frontiers of regulation, and strident
attacks against the very franchise model
itself. What a year!
Since we last gathered for the MUFC,
many of the more controversial things that
were discussed have come to pass. Most
notably, the National Labor Relations
Board (NLRB) reached beyond its traditional purview into franchising in an
attempt to erase the distinction between
franchisee and franchisor. This, of course,
ignores the status of entrepreneurial franchisees who
own their businesses, the enormous amounts of independent capital that franchisees have invested in the
U.S. economy, and the distinct intellectual property
rights of franchisors, among many other issues. You
can expect much discussion of this and other hot topics in Vegas.
While all this has been happening, however, franchise leaders who are regular, repeat attendees at the
conference have been busy developing new means of
dealing with these headwinds, as well as devising new
ways to solve the age-old problems of high utility, insurance, and commodity costs and difficult real estate
markets. Even better, they are eager to share the fruits
of their efforts with their colleagues in April. They are
determined to shape the future—and none of them
envisions a future where they make less money than
they did last year.
The MUFC has forged a platform where many
of us can meet people in strikingly similar situations,
helpful people we otherwise might never encounter.
And, through its franchisee-only Conference Advisory
Board, the annual event has created a continuing me-

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dium of communication between extraordinary franchisees of all sizes and geographies, as well as many
new and ongoing friendships. This communication
channel has also spread to cutting-edge suppliers with
new and exciting technology, products, and services,
along with emerging and established franchisors, who
have faced and solved problems that others are facing
for the first time. All come to the MUFC prepared to
collaborate and move their businesses forward, shaping their future through preparation and innovation.
New attendees have told me they have
never received as much value from any
other conference or educational forum as
they do at this premier event. I felt precisely the same way after I first attended.
This results in return visits as the conference grows year over year. All of this will
occur this April in an invigorating venue
full of both business and social networking events, all developed based on the desires of previous attendees.
Since past attendees highly rated any
access they had to our experienced Advisory Board members, this year we are providing even
more access in an expanded Welcome Reception exclusively for franchisees, where fellow board members
and I will be available in an informal setting for freeranging discussions and socializing. Board members
will also be available at the new “Meet the Speakers”
roundtable event. This conference, by listening carefully to what past attendees and multi-unit franchisees
have requested, delivers.
So I invite you to join me and other franchising
leaders in Las Vegas. This franchisee from snowdriven New England is certainly looking forward to
trading giant snow banks for palm trees and warm
sunshine!

Robert Branca, Jr.
Chair, 2015 MUFC

MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE IS S UE II, 2015

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