Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue III, 2017 | Page 64

BY EDDY GOLDBERG
GROWING IN TOUGH TIMES
2017 Multi-Unit Franchising Conference shows how
M
ulti-unit and multi-brand op-
erators continue to grow in
both numbers and size—and
so does attendance at the Multi-Unit
Franchising Conference. This year’s chair,
Guillermo Perales, began his franchising
career 20 years ago with a single Golden
Corral, $100,000, and an SBA loan. Today
his company, Sun Holdings, with nearly
750 units, is one of the largest franchise
organizations in the country.
The conference offers something for
everyone, from single-unit franchisees
looking to grow, to multi-brand operators
looking to diversify further. It’s designed
each year by an advisory board consisting
of franchisees of different sizes, types of
businesses, and locations.
The annual gathering took place this
past April at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
And just as franchisees and franchisors
pride themselves on consecutive years of
same store growth, the conference racked
up another consecutive year of record at-
tendance.
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MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE IS S UE III, 2017
raises tens of thousands of dollars for worthy
causes, such as the Little Rock Foundation,
an organization of parents with children
living with blindness, visual impairment,
and other disabilities.
The day on the links was followed by
a welcome reception that evening at Car-
mine’s Italian restaurant in The Forum at
Caesars Palace. The reception featured
cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and plenty of
lively conversation.
Marcus Lemonis and
Guillermo Perales
Golf, charity, welcome
The conference, which this year ran from
Sunday through Wednesday, began with
the annual fundraising golf tournament.
The scramble-style outing is a chance to
relax and make new friends in the beautiful
Nevada desert—while raising significant
sums for charity. Each year the conference
Keynote & power panel
The conference kicked off Monday morn-
ing with a welcome from Therese Thilgen,
CEO of Franchise Update Media. She
CONFERENCE BY
THE NUMBERS
Aggregated statistics from
the 2017 Multi-Unit Fran-
chising Conference:
• Attendees: 1,651
• Franchisees: 716
• Units: 12,000+
• Exhibitors: 220+
• Revenues: $15 billion
• Employees: 200,000