October 22-24, 2024 | Denver, CO

The only event designed for franchise operations leaders and their teams that directly support franchisees.

#FBRSummit24

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FBR SUMMIT 2024

Join Us October 22-24

The Summit is back for the third year! Join us in Denver this October for the most-anticipated event of the year for franchise operations teams.

This isn’t your same-old panel-style conference. The Summit is all about working through your biggest challenges and getting hands-on, practical takeaways you won’t get anywhere else. Get ready to dig in, get down to nuts and bolts, and start making an immediate impact on franchisees’ long-term success.

Need approval to get your Summit expenses covered? We prepared a pitch you can use to convince your boss so you can meet us in Denver! How to convince your boss.

Location:
Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center
650 15th Street, Denver, CO 80202

Dates and Times:
October 22, 2024 6:00 p.m. –
October 24, 2024 4:15 p.m.

Is the Summit for You?

The Summit is a two-day intensive event created just for franchise operations leaders and their teams that directly support franchisees.

Get yourself to Denver if you’re a:

Franchise Operations Leader
Franchise Operations Manager
Franchise Business Coach
Field Support Staff
HR or Recruiting Pro

Heads up for our supplier friends: The Summit is only open to sponsoring suppliers. If you’re interested in sponsoring, drop us a line.

Just for Operations Executives

Executive Summit

OCTOBER 24
9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

The Summit features a special executive session exclusively for C-level and VP operations executives to work through strategies and tactics to support your FBCs and franchisee support teams. Learn how ops executives are leading their teams to drive maximum performance for your franchisees and your brand.

Seats are limited to 20. Email Michelle Rowan to reserve your spot.

Keynotes

Antonio L. McBroom
Visionary Leader & Developer
PRIMO Partners

Antonio McBroom is a distinguished multi-unit, multi-brand business and real estate developer with Ben & Jerry’s and Starbucks locations across the Southeast.

“Scooping his way up” from Ben & Jerry’s scooper to shop manager, he seized the opportunity to purchase the Chapel Hill, NC, location in 2008 becoming the youngest franchisee in the company’s history at age 21. His organization is now the largest and fastest growing Ben & Jerry’s franchise team in the world.

Scott Greenberg
Franchise Performance Expert
Author of Stop the Shift Show and The Wealthy Franchisee

Scott Greenberg is the go-to expert for organizations aiming to elevate their business metrics and the people behind them.

As a former multi-unit franchisee and author of the game-changing books Stop the Shift Show and The Wealthy Franchisee, Scott dives deep into the elements that directly impact business performance. His innovative management tool, 30-Second LeadershipTM, has revolutionized the way businesses enhance employee mindset, skillset, and overall performance.

Speakers

Chris Andrews

CIO, Unleashed Brands

Michele Balcerzak

Franchise Owner, The Cleaning Authority – Denver East

JoBen Barkey

CEO, Soccer Shots Oahu

Stephanie Benze

Director of Education & Field Support Advisor, AC Inc

Jordan Black

Multi-Unit Franchise Owner, Two Maids

Karen Booze

Director of Business Development, AnswerConnect

Jay Canaday

Vice President of Operations, British Swim School

Amy Cheng

Partner, Cheng Cohen LLC

Angela Coté

CEO, AC Inc

Nicole Dudley

Director of Client Relations, Franchise Business Review

Marisa Faunce

Partner, Plave Koch

Rob Flanagan

CEO & Cultural Co-founder, Hounds Town USA

Doug Gabbard

Head of Growth, Delightree

Scott Greenberg

Author and Franchise Performance Expert

Ann Hammell

VP of Operations, Homewatch Caregivers

Kim Hanson

CEO, LearningRx

Dean Hatzitheodosiou

Vice President Sales & Business Development, serviceminder

Jam Hashmi

CEO, ClickTecs

Jeff Horst

Senior Franchise Sales Advisor, Thryv

Katie Kimbrell

Director of Growth and Acquisitions, Papa Murphy’s

Maddie Koeppe

Onboarding Specialist, Bloomin’ Blinds

Antonio McBroom

Visionary Leader & Developer,
PRIMO Partners

Kate McEuen

Owner and Acting Executive Director, Primrose School of West Gilbert

Kyle McEuen

President & COO, ProfitKeeper

Shray Mehra

COO, EZee Assist

Rebecca Monet

CEO, Zorakle Profiles

Mary Ann O'Connell

President, Franwise

Raphael Rajan

Co-founder and CEO, EZee Assist

Michelle Rowan

President & COO, Franchise Business Review

Jami Stigliano

Founder & CEO, DivaDance

Courtney Stillings

Director of Client Development, Franchise Business Review

Eric Stites

CEO and Managing Director, Franchise Business Review

Crystal Ware

Chief Strategy Officer, Location3

Lizzy Young

Senior Manager, Partnership Acquisition, CareerPlug

Chris Andrews

CIO, Unleashed Brands

Michele Balcerzak

Franchise Owner, The Cleaning Authority – Denver East

JoBen Barkey

CEO, Soccer Shots Oahu

Stephanie Benze

Director of Education & Field Support Advisor, AC Inc

Jordan Black

Multi-unit Franchise Owner, Two Maids

Karen Booze

Director of Business Development, AnswerConnect

Jay Canaday

Vice President of Operations, British Swim School

Amy Cheng

Partner, Cheng Cohen

Angela Coté

CEO, AC Inc

Nicole Dudley

Director of Client Relations

Marisa Faunce

Partner, Plave Koch

Rob Flanagan

CEO & Cultural Co-founder, Hounds Town USA

Doug Gabbard

Head of Growth, Delightree

Scott Greenberg

Author and Franchise Performance Expert

Ann Hammell

VP of Operations, Homewatch Caregivers

Kim Hanson

CEO, LearningRx

Dean Hatzitheodosiou

Vice President Sales & Business Development, serviceminder

Jam Hashmi

CEO, ClickTecs

Jeff Horst

Senior Franchise Sales Advisor, Thryv

Katie Kimbrell

Director of Growth and Acquisitions, Papa Murphy’s

Maddie Koeppe

Onboarding Specialist, Bloomin’ Blinds

Antonio McBroom

Visionary Leader & Developer
PRIMO Partners

Kate McEuen

Owner and Acting Executive Director, Primrose School of West Gilbert

Kyle McEuen

President & COO, ProfitKeeper

Shray Mehra

COO, EZee Assist

Rebecca Monet

CEO, Zorakle Profiles

Mary Ann O'Connell

President, Franwise

Raphael Rajan

Co-founder and CEO, EZee Assist

Michelle Rowan

President & COO, Franchise Business Review

Jami Stigliano

Founder & CEO, DivaDance

Courtney Stillings

Vice President of Growth, Franchise Business Review

Eric Stites

CEO and Managing Director, Franchise Business Review

Crystal Ware

Chief Strategy Officer, Location3

Lizzy Young

Senior Manager, Partnership Acquisition, CareerPlug

Schedule and Program

October 22

6:00 p.m. Franchising Gives Back

Agate, Level 3

6:00 p.m. Registration Open

Capitol Foyer

Join us for a complimentary glass of champagne during VIP check-in for FBR guests.

8:00 p.m. Registration Closes

Capitol Foyer

October 23

7:30 a.m Registration Open

Capitol Foyer

8:30 a.m. Welcome

Capitol Ballroom

8:45 a.m. General Session

Are You REALLY Coaching Your Franchisees? Transforming Franchise Support from Reactive to Strategic Coaching
Capitol Ballroom

Move beyond traditional, reactive franchisee support with proactive and strategic coaching designed for growth. This session is a deep dive into what true franchisee coaching should look like. Join interactive roundtables to debunk myths about traditional field support methods and learn how to create effective field support in your system.

You’ll learn the steps to crafting a coaching strategy that doesn’t just put out fires as they arise but fuels sustainable growth and success. Leave with an action plan to transform your franchisee support approach and empower your franchisees to achieve their goals.

Stephanie Benze, Director of Education & Field Support Advisor, AC Inc
Angela Coté, CEO, AC Inc

10:00 a.m. Networking Break

Capitol Foyer

10:15 a.m. Spark Sessions

Can You Hear Me Now? The Untapped Potential of Phone Communication

The average American business is losing up to 1.5 million dollars annually due to missed customer phone calls or inadequate follow up—the majority of them small businesses. In today’s world of digital communication, actual human-to-human telephone communication is too often overlooked as a strategy for business growth and differentiation. In this session, you’ll learn how to coach franchisees on actionable steps to identify gaps in their phone communication approach, master telephone communication skills to win more customers, and prevent missed opportunities that can cost their business.

Karen Booze, Director of Business Development, AnswerConnect

Franchisee Onboarding: How to Turn Newbies into Franchise Superstars!

We’re taking a fun and engaging approach to franchise onboarding. We’ll explore how to make the onboarding process exciting, empowering, and effective, transforming new franchisees into brand ambassadors who hit the ground running, while looking at a few of the most critical areas, including: acing the first 90 days; innovative training methods (think gamification, interactive modules, and friendly competitions) to keep it fun; the power of mentorships; getting franchisees to go all in on your tech; and living and breathing your brand culture. You’ll leave with tips and tricks for smoothing franchisees’ transition while keeping them excited about their new role as business owners.

Maddie Koeppe, Onboarding Specialist, Bloomin’ Blinds
Courtney Stillings, VP of Growth, Franchise Business Review

11:00 a.m. Keynote and Q&A with Antonio McBroom

Capitol Ballroom

C.E.O Life: Creating an EXTRA-Ordinary Life in Franchising
An inspirational story of how franchise leaders work together to create extraordinary lives by being passionate, selfish, and tenacious.

Pardon this passion-packed session that inspires tenacity and gives both permission and advice on how to be more selfish: more self-aware and more self-confident, with a plan for self-improvement. Drawing from both indirect and direct stories from over two decades in franchising, success leaves clues and we’ll uncover a handful of timeless lessons that help in Creating an EXTRA-Ordinary Life or C.E.O. Life. C.E.O. Life is at the heart of the franchising industry and we will leave this session more capable of doing for ourselves and those we work and serve closest with.

12:00 p.m. Lunch

Capitol Foyer

1:00 p.m. Spark Sessions

Capitol Ballroom

Mind Matters: Elevate Your Thinking with Brain Training

Prepare your mind for an immersive session that combines theory with practice as we explore the principles of brain training and their impact on everyday life and coaching others. Learn what cognitive skills are and why they are so important to how we learn and perform daily through fun, targeted exercises designed to stimulate different areas of your brain.

Kim Hanson, CEO, LearningRx

Franchisee Vision Plans: The Most Effective Tool You’re NOT Using

Every great franchise company has one thing in common: A crystal clear vision that everyone in the entire organization shares. But the mistake many franchisors make is not requiring their franchisees to have their OWN vision. In this session, we’ll walk you through the one must-do exercise that every franchisee should complete, no matter what stage of their business is in, to ensure they—and your system—are positioned for growth and success.

Eric Stites, CEO & Managing Director, Franchise Business Review

How to Better Integrate Operations and Marketing Teams to Maximize Franchise Owner Revenue

In today’s competitive landscape, the synergy between operations and marketing teams is essential for driving franchise owner revenue. In this 20-minute discussion you’ll explore effective strategies for integrating your ops and marketing departments to unlock greater business potential. Gain insights to help you better understand the intersection of their roles and goals, where they overlap, and how to drive revenue through greater alignment. We’ll also discuss how to approach communication tactics that ensure clear and consistent messaging between teams, while emphasizing the importance of shared data insights to inform decisions that benefit the entire franchise system.

Crystal Ware, Chief Strategy Officer, Location3

2:00 p.m. General Session

Capitol Ballroom

Franchise Jargon Jamboree: Decoding the Language of Franchise Success

It’s the million dollar question…does the information in your operations manual ACTUALLY match up with the details of the franchise agreement? Before you give your final answer, we’re going to test your knowledge and reveal the potential legal consequences for your franchise system if you’re wrong. Come prepared to laugh, learn, and leave with practical knowledge of the legal pitfalls to watch out for and tactics to improve franchisee support and satisfaction.

Amy Cheng, Partner, Cheng Cohen
Marisa Faunce, Partner, Place Koch
Mary Ann O’Connell, President, Franwise [Moderator]

3:00 p.m. Networking Break

Capitol Foyer

3:15 p.m. Franchise Family Feud & Roundtable Discussions

Capitol Ballroom

Survey says… Can you guess the Top 10 responses on the topic of field support from surveys of 35,000+ franchisees and the Top 10 challenges according to FBCs? Find out in a Family Feud-style showdown! Following the show, we’ll break out into roundtable discussions around the answers revealed.

4:45 p.m. Franchise Operations Rock Star Award Presentation

Capitol Ballroom

6:00 p.m. Mile-High Mixer

ACE EAT SERVE
501 E 17th Avenue, Denver

Join us for the Mile-High MIxer in one of Denver’s favorite hotspots. Sample award-winning Asian fusion cuisine, breathe in the Rocky Mountain air at the locals’ favorite patio bar, and get ready for some friendly competition in the pong hall.

October 24

7:30 a.m. Registration Open

Capitol Foyer

7:30 a.m. Breakfast

Capitol Foyer

8:30 a.m. Keynote with Scott Greenberg

Capitol Ballroom

Stopping the Franchise Shift Show

Hourly employees are the face of most franchise brands. But too often they’re not adequately trained, motivated, or managed to succeed by the franchisees who employ them. In this presentation, franchise performance expert Scott Greenberg will discuss how franchisors can better prepare owners to become better people managers so they can turn their hourly teams into high-performance brand ambassadors.

9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Executive Summit (Invitation Only)

Quartz, Level 3

9:30 a.m. General Session & Roundtables

Capitol Ballroom

Growing Pains: How to Successfully Navigate the Five Stages of Growth

Every franchise system goes through five predictable stages of growth. Within each stage there are challenges and predictable crises. Many franchise systems struggle to grow because they don’t understand these crises and/or don’t act proactively.

In this collaborative workshop-style discussion, we’ll first outline each stage or growth. Then we’ll gather in smaller groups to discuss, share, and brainstorm ways to navigate over, under or through these crises for continued growth.

Rebecca Monet, CEO, Zorakle Profiles

10:30 a.m. Networking Break

Capitol Foyer

11:00 a.m. Breakout Sessions

The AI Advantage: Time to Get Beyond ChatGPT and Implement AI More Meaningfully
Capitol Ballroom 1-4

This is an essential and immersive session for franchise leaders looking to harness AI’s potential and drive their businesses forward. It goes beyond AI basics, exploring the transformative impact of AI in the franchising industry through a deeper dive into real use cases. You’ll learn everything you’ve wanted to know about the business case of AI in franchising, weaving in the implementation and security considerations you need to know about. We’ll share insights on how AI is revolutionizing operations, enhancing customer experience, and driving growth. Discover the opportunities franchisors must consider in the pursuit of staying competitive in this rapidly evolving franchise landscape.

Chris Andrews, CIO, Unleashed Brands
Shray Mehra, COO, EZee Assist
Raphael Rajan, Co-founder and CEO, EZEE Assist
Jami Stigliano, Founder & CEO, DivaDance

Mo’ Units, Mo’ Problems: How Ops Support Teams Smooth the Way for Brand Expansion
Capitol Ballroom 5-7

Multi-unit franchisees are in high demand and can be tough to reel in, so for brands looking to grow, looking within your own system for franchisees ready to expand to more units can be an effective strategy. Franchisee support teams play a critical role in removing the roadblocks that could be keeping existing franchisees from becoming successful multi-unit owners. In this session, we’ll explore how to instill a growth mindset in your FBCs so they can identify roadblocks that might be keeping franchisees from opening more units and provide coaching to ensure multi-unit readiness, from goal-setting and financial planning to hiring and structuring their own teams for growth.

Jordan Black, Multi-Unit Franchise Owner, Two Maids
Jay Canaday, Vice President of Operations, British Swim School
Katie Kimbrell, Director of Growth and Acquisitions, Papa Murphy’s
Kate McEuen, Owner and Acting Executive Director, Primrose School of West Gilbert
Lizzy Young, Senior Manager, Partnership Acquisition, CareerPlug

12:00 p.m. Lunch & Learn

Capitol Foyer

There Ain’t No Party Like a Third-Party Data Party: Tips and Tricks for Uncovering Insights in Your Survey Results

Large data sets can seem overwhelming, which can hold you back from using your survey data to its full potential. But it doesn’t have to! In just 15 minutes we’ll show you the best insider tips and tricks for uncovering insights in your survey results, identifying risks and opportunities in your system, and creating custom reports in seconds. So put on your party pants and get ready to impress your ops team, leadership team, HR team, and even your development team, with actionable intel on how to better support franchisees and employees for maximum performance.

Nicole Dudley, Director of Client Relations, Franchise Business Review

1:00 p.m. Breakout Sessions

Tech Stack Reboot: How to Remove Technology Roadblocks for Your Franchisees
Capitol Ballroom 1-4

Technology is consistently one of the lowest rated areas of FBR’s franchisee satisfaction survey, yet it is unquestionably one of the biggest drivers of franchise performance. In fact, brands ranking in the top 25 percent for overall satisfaction are rated 77% higher by franchisees on effective use of technology. So what’s the secret formula? A tech stack that is seamlessly integrated and easy to use. In this session, our franchise tech stack whisperers will come together to walk you through the steps you can take (even if you’re not a tech expert) to evaluate your current tech stack and where gaps and opportunities exist, including how to:

Identify what your franchisees really need and want from tech solutions
Reduce login bloat and streamline systems
Assess (and increase) franchisee usage rates and engagement
Demonstrate value and get buy-in from your franchisees

Doug Gabbard, Head of Growth, Delightree
Jam Hashmi, CEO ClickTecs
Dean Hatzitheodosiou, Vice President Sales & Business Development, serviceminder
Jeff Horst, Senior Franchise Sales Advisor, Thryv

Enhancing Mutual Success: The Crucial Role of Financial Review Processes, KPIs, and Budgeting
Capitol Ballroom 5-7

Franchising offers entrepreneurs an opportunity to own and operate their businesses under an established brand name and system. However, the success of the franchise model relies heavily on the symbiotic relationship between franchisors and franchisees. While franchisors provide branding, operational support, and guidelines, franchisees are responsible for executing these strategies at the local level. A robust financial review process bridges this gap, ensuring alignment, transparency, and accountability.

In this interactive session, a franchisor-franchisee team will walk you through what a winning financial review process looks like in practice. You’ll learn proven techniques for implementing effective financial reviews and leave with the tools to empower your franchisees to exceed their financial goals and pave the way for mutual growth and profitability.

Michele Balcerzak, Franchise Owner, The Cleaning Authority – Denver East
Ann Hammell, VP of Operations, Homewatch Caregivers
Kyle McEuen, President & COO, Profitkeeper

2:00 p.m. Networking Break

Capitol Foyer

2:15 p.m. General Session

Capitol Ballroom

The 4 T’s of Giving: Building an Intentional Culture That Guides and Inspires Your Business, Your Team, and Your Life

JoBen Barkey, visionary leader and Soccer Shots franchisee, has made it his mission to positively impact the lives of children beyond the game of soccer and beyond his local community. He’ll share the enriching work he does to help youth in developing countries escape cyclical poverty and oppression through his franchise business—how he structured his organization to fuel his passion and the impact it has had on employee engagement and retention. You’ll learn how to incorporate the 4 T’s of giving—Time, Talent, Talk, Treasure—into your own system and leave with practical takeaways to inspire franchisees to create an intentional culture within their own businesses, develop meaningful core values to guide their organizations, and improve recruitment, retention, and employee satisfaction.

JoBen Barkey, CEO, Soccer Shots Oahu

3:15 p.m. Closing Session

Capitol Ballroom

Case Study: Franchisees at Odds

Now it’s time to take what you’ve learned and put it into practice. You’ll hear the true story of two franchisees operating in the same metro area who were once friends, but let differences of opinion about how to run their businesses break their relationship, in turn, putting the franchisor in the middle. Working In small groups, you’ll come up with strategies to help mend the franchisor-franchisee relationship, set expectations with the franchisees, and improve store operations. We’ll then reveal what really happened and you’ll get to hear directly from the franchisees and franchise support team about the challenges they faced and how they were able to save the relationships and improve franchisee performance.

Rob Flanagan, CEO & Cultural Co-founder, Hounds Town USA

4:15 p.m. Closing

Capitol Ballroom

Mile-High Mixer

October 23 | 6:00 p.m.

ACE EAT SERVE
501 E 17th Avenue, Denver

Don’t worry, we saved some time for fun, too! Sample award-winning Asian fusion cuisine, breathe in the Rocky Mountain air at the locals’ favorite patio bar, and get ready for some friendly competition in the pong hall. And as always, we’ll be serving the Summit’s famous signature cocktails and mocktails.

Accommodations

Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center

650 15th Street
Denver, CO 80202

Discounted Room Block: $279/night (plus applicable taxes). Subject to availability.

Includes complimentary wifi ($15/day) and self-parking ($47/night).

Book online or call central reservations at 1-800-233-1234 and mention group code G-10FR.

Reserve early to save your spot. Discounted rate expires September 10.

Franchise Operations Rock Star Award

Nominations are now open!

FBR presents the annual Franchise Operations Rock Star Award at the Summit. The award recognizes outstanding operations support team members who are total rock stars when it comes to supporting, coaching, and helping franchisees manage their businesses.

Tell us who you think should be this year’s Ops Rock Star! The winner will receive a free pass and hotel for the Summit ($1,400 value) and will be honored on stage.

Deadline: September 6, 2024

Submit a Nomination

Conference Themes

Operational Excellence
Franchisee Onboarding
Change Management
Marketing & Technology Execution
Flexible Workforce Management
Leading a Culture-First Organization
Successful Field Visits
Supporting Multi-Unit Owners

Operational

Excellence

Franchisee

Onboarding

Change

Management

Marketing &

Technology Execution

Supporting Multi-Unit Owners

Flexible Workforce Management

Leading a Culture-

First Organization

Successful

Field Visits

Thank You to Our Partners!

The Fine Print

Refunds and Cancellations

Registration fees are not refundable but are transferable to a person in the same company, pending approval from FBR, up until 2 business days prior to the event. Substitutions will NOT be allowed on-site. Please email [email protected] for assistance.

No refunds if you cancel or do not show up. Your completed registration constitutes a binding agreement.

Don’t Miss Out!

Tickets are limited! Register early to save your spot.