The International Franchise Show is an annual event showcasing the latest news and franchise opportunities for the UK market and this year's show was not one to be missed. Franchise Direct were at stand 568 to network with franchisors and prospective franchisees and there was great attendance on both days. The variety of franchises exhibiting this year was impressive, there was certainly a franchise opportunity to suit all ages and tastes!
The show ran on the 16th and 17th of February and featured 160 exhibitors and over 80 seminars. It was the perfect forum for anyone seeking advice, information and relevant news about the UK franchise industry. Our new website generated a host of positive feedback. We have seen a 10% increase in the number of leads received on our UK portal, compared with this period last year, and our conversion rates are up as well. The new website comes with better optimisation for portable devices, which is great news for the 51% of our visitors engaging with our website on a mobile phone.
One highlight of this year's show was the vast range of speakers discussing many different aspects of franchising, such as buying and managing a franchise. It was fascinating to learn about their experiences within the franchise industry and about their goals for the year ahead. The speakers this year included Steve Calvert from NIC Services Group, Paul Mitchell from Transworld Business Advisors and Paul Watson from Platinum Property Partners.
Karen Keeman, PR Manager of Razzamataz, was delighted that they were offered two speaker slots this year. The first speech was delivered by one of their top performing franchisees, Hayley Limpkin, who is the franchise owner of Razzamataz Medway. Karen says: "Hayley spoke about her phenomenal growth journey, how she’s reached 500 students, what that feels like for her, and how she has balanced her career with being a mum. Having a franchise enabled Hayley to live the life that she wanted and to give up her corporate career." Karen's speech focused on Razzamataz's wide range of franchisees and the various reasons that people decide to enter the franchise industry. "Some of them are parents, some balance a franchise with an acting career or a course. Running a franchise gives them stability and a healthy work-life balance," says Karen.
YourZone45 are a boutique fitness studio who deliver highly unique workouts for their customers. They were placed in the middle of the exhibition hall, which made it very easy for visitors and prospective franchisees to find them. Michael Jones from YourZone45 had high expectations for how the business would be received and this year did not disappoint. He states: "We came away with a large number of very solid leads and have high hopes for a positive return on investment."
Paul Mitchell, Franchise Director of Mr. Arkwright's Tool Emporium, commented: "The show was excellent. We spoke with quality potential franchisees. They all liked our stand and the unique franchise opportunity that we have to offer and felt that it was a great alternative to coffee or food outlets." Franchisees running a Mr.Arkwright Tool Emporium business have the choice of working hands-on or managing the business and can operate a franchise anywhere in the UK and Ireland.
