November 2009 Franchising World



Celebrating a milestone—a 50th anniversary—assures a particularly significant and memorable IFA Annual Convention.



By Laura Fenwick 



All eyes are on your event, especially when it marks a major milestone in the organization. The wedding of preparation and execution produces expectation and then congratulations from those attending the event. This process is now under way as the International Franchise Association executes its convention-planning activities.



The conference staff of the International Franchise Association is charged with developing and carrying out the plans that will result in a successful convention. They must be aware that what spells success to a franchisor might be different from what success means to a franchisee or supplier. IFA’s conference staff combines its acute attention to details, superlative organizational skills and ability to transform what has worked in the past into what will work in the future. There is no singular formula to achieving an exceptional annual convention, but there are markers to check. And these markers become even more important in celebrating a 50th anniversary. 



Stay the Course 

Leading up to this year’s gathering, IFA’s 2009 Annual Convention made headlines with keynote speaker former President Bill Clinton whose message of encouragement advised that the franchising industry should “stay the course” by remaining a job creator to fuel the nation’s economic recovery. That advice is evident as the focus and number of convention attendees vary from year to year, but the goal of presenting a convention of sound, practical insights that are applicable to a diverse franchise audience remains the same. A determination to provide attendees with the best networking and opportunities that they can’t get elsewhere makes the job a challenging one. Staff isn’t alone when it comes to devising informative general and exacting programs featuring the latest trends, strategies and best practices.



The Convention Committee, chaired by IFA First Vice Chairman Kenneth Walker, CFE, CEO of Driven Brands, is tasked with providing recommendations and a general direction for the event. This mission often takes the form of suggestions for sessions, developing a marketing plan, providing recommendations for sponsorships and exhibits. The Conferences Dept. is led by Vice Pres. of Operations Debra Moss, who meets with the association’s committee two times a year. The committee includes 20 members who represent each of IFA’s committees, forums, councils and several at-large members. In this way, the committee can produce a program that is attuned to the needs of the association’s membership.



What About My Idea? 

The work necessary to produce the next convention begins immediately after the previous one ends. IFA members are asked to provide session ideas a few months after the convention ends. It then becomes the job of the Convention Committee to review these suggestions, and decide which ones to offer based on the timeliness and relevance of the topic to the franchising industry.



Once the topics and speakers are selected, IFA provides guidelines to share with speakers so they can produce effective presentations. The general guidelines address such areas as PowerPoint development, handout specifications, the three provisions of effective speaking: vivid, memorable and relevant, as well as deadline compliance.



The guidelines become more specific when it comes to preparation, planning, practice and presentation. Within these categories, presenters are provided advice to help get their points across, relate to their audiences and overcome anxiety. 



Interaction within these educational sessions is important to engage attendees and add to the take-home value of their convention experience. Therefore, the guidelines provide recommendations on hosting an effective panel discussion and differentiating the role of the moderator and the panel member. There is even advice on answering questions from the audience: “Try to listen carefully to every question being asked.” Next, those involved in roundtable discussions can find help in maximizing the session for participants. Suggestions to accomplish this goal include allowing enough time to thoroughly discuss a topic and the discussion topic should lie within the knowledge and experience of the group facilitator.



Review Checklists 

The IFA Conferences Dept. staff is responsible for handling a number of tasks that are essential to a successful convention. The staff is responsible for preparing promotional materials that involve close work with a graphic designer, developing an effective registration process, selling exhibit space and managing sponsorship inquiries, preparing a guide for the hotel that details logistical and audio-visual needs, making food and beverage selections and monitoring the weather for any last-minute logistical changes. These are only a few of the tasks association staff members are responsible for executing. 



Another key list on any convention planner’s schedule is contending with forecasting. If the thought of selecting the next hot stock pick is considered tough, try estimating the number of convention-goers each year. This task is made even more challenging with the current economic upheaval that is hampering the nation’s small businesses. The task of predicting hotel rooms and meeting space needs, for which contracts are made years in advance, can be a daunting job. However, IFA keeps meticulous records of attendance from previous functions that enable the association to watch for trends and use them as indicators for future planning. This tactic might work for your franchise event as well.



Forecasting 

There is no crystal ball allowing meeting planners to know exactly how many people will attend each session. One solution to consider is to ask attendees to register for workshops or events well before the activity begins to ensure that the rooms are appropriately matched to the size of the audience.



Preparing for nearly 30 educational sessions and numerous networking activities entails extreme attention to details and organization. To help make the process more manageable, take the time to create a one-page summary for each event that provides meeting requirements such as audio-visual needs and food and beverage orders.



It’s Negotiable 

Your company is bringing considerable business to a hotel, so ask for concessions. It is possible while finalizing the hotel contract to negotiate conference needs such as the room rate, meeting space rental and attrition clauses. A room attrition clause stipulates that a specific percentage of the room nights that are booked must be fulfilled. If the organization missed this percentage, it will be charged a fee or become responsible for the rooms. During negotiations, don’t fall into the trap of failing to ask for concessions from the hotel of facility where the event will be staged. For example, if your program meets the food and beverage costs minimum, it is possible that meeting space will be offered on a complimentary basis. More importantly, think about the particular requirements of your convention or event that will make it even more cost effective. Your needs might include asking for additional complimentary rooms, suites for VIPs, food and beverage discounts or staff room-rate reductions. Creative Revenue Generation



Another powerful method in reaching your financial target is through sponsorship offerings. Add a measure of creativity when deciding what to offer as sponsorships and the possibilities will be limitless.



Raising visibility is a potent force that is likely to attract companies to a sponsorship opportunity. Offer various benefits for getting their name out there, such as signage, logo placement or adding promotional material to the attendee registration bags, complimentary registrations and more. However, sponsorships make up only are small part of the overall convention budget. The sponsorship pool can be deepened by offering opportunities at different levels. The greater the sponsorship amount, the better the benefits.



Registration sales can also make up a major portion of the revenue stream. There are several things to consider when determining the cost of the registration. Factoring in the cost-per-head for meals (if provided), they include:

   • conference materials,

   • general session production,

   • printing and promotion,

   • audio-visual, and

   • speaker expenses



Taking these factors into account will help meeting planners determine a suitable price point, one that is attractive to potential attendees and covers the organization’s costs.



Another revenue generator is the sale of exhibit space. Franchise executives enthusiastically visit the exhibit hall during the IFA convention in pursuit of solutions to better manage and expand their systems. Representatives of supplier firms who exhibit during the IFA show are eager to showcase their problemsolving options. Suppliers also exhibit because of an excellent buyer-to-seller ratio.



Often the barometer of a convention’s financial success depends on food and beverage expenses. These expenses have a significant impact on whether your meeting goes down as one for which the budget went bust or profits soared. The IFA Conferences Dept. suggests that companies track attendance annually on a percentage basis so that if the percentage stays relatively consistent over several years, it can be used to determine future guarantees.



IFA’s 2010 Convention 

IFA’s 2010 Annual Convention will kick off the 50th anniversary celebration activities with high- profile speakers, topical educational sessions and unparalleled networking opportunities. Focusing on learning best practices, engaging your peers and charting the future, the convention will also direct special recognition toward franchising’s extraordinary leaders, as well as look back at what has been accomplished over the past 50 years.



Leaders from the franchising community will be honored and recognized as IFA Hall of Fame, Entrepreneur of the Year, Bonny LeVine and the Ronald E. Harrison Awards will be presented.



IFA Convention Committee Chairman Ken Walker explains that “Franchise leaders won’t want to miss this historic event as we celebrate 50 years of education, growth, relationship building and excellence.”



Walker noted that the date pattern of the convention has been adjusted from previous years due to the 44th Super Bowl scheduled for Feb. 7.



“The Super Bowl provides opportunities for added fun and excitement to the convention,” Walker said. “Our convention team is working to integrate the viewing of the Super Bowl into our activities, and has already rescheduled official convention events to begin Friday and finish with the Closing Gala on Monday evening.”



On Feb. 5, the Women’s Franchise Committee Annual Leadership Conference will feature Donato’s Pizzeria Pres. and COO Jane Abell as the keynote speaker. That evening, attendees will join their colleagues for one of the most exciting and popular programs of the convention: the Taste of Franchising reception that showcases many of the savory delights that franchising has to offer in a relaxing atmosphere.



While the networking events enable attendees to share ideas and insights within informal settings, the IFA convention holds true to its reputation for informative and timely educational forums. The program includes workshops, roundtables and general session topics of interest for mature and emerging franchise representatives, as well as single- and multi-unit franchisees. A host of summits are being offered to stimulate new ways of addressing existing issues. The summits include international development, circumventing financial roadblocks, implementing technology solutions, taking advantage of new urban markets, working through tough economic times and safeguarding your franchise using IFA’s revised franchise sales management and compliance initiative. 



IFA’s 50th annual convention, which will be conducted Feb. 5-8 in San Antonio at the San Antonio Convention Center and Marriott Rivercenter, is an investment in your business’ future achievements.

Laura Fenwick is manager of publishing for the International Franchise Association. She can be reached at 202-662-0761 or lfenwick@franchise.org  .