agenda at a glance October 22-24, 2025 | Austin TX

Register Now

Registration Open

9:00- 10:00AM | Foyer

C-Level Executive Workshop (invitation only)

10:00AM- 4:00PM | 615A

This is the place to talk about the hard stuff. These small-group sessions, moderated by FBR executives and strategic partners, are an opportunity to come together to tackle operational realities, create deeper connections, and find solutions to the challenges specific... Read More

Registration Open

12:00- 7:00PM | Foyer

Preconference Workshops (separate registration required)

1:00 - 4:00PM | 615A

VP + Directors Session

615B

This is your chance to step away from the usual hierarchy and have real, honest conversations with other senior leaders who get it. In this small-group session (yes, that means no direct reports… and no boss), we’ll dig into the... Read More

HR Executive Session

614

Let’s talk about the stuff that doesn’t make it into the boardroom slides. Culture clashes, burnout, retention struggles—this session is your space to dive into the real human challenges behind franchise success. Join fellow HR and People leaders for an... Read More

Happy Hour for Preconference Attendees

4:00- 5:00PM | Foyer

Workshop attendees are invited to wrap up the day with a cocktail or mocktail.

Franchising For Good + Awards Toast

5:00PM- 7:00PM | Foyer

Join the FBR Team and our sponsors in the foyer during our VIP check-in to do some good! Build much-needed care packages for kids in need at the Pine Ridge Reservation, meet new friends, and enjoy a champagne toast. Missed... Read More

Registration Closes

7:00PM | Foyer

Registration (Open All day)

7:30AM- 5:00PM | Foyer

Breakfast Buffet

7:30- 8:30AM | Foyer

Welcome

8:30AM | Salon H

Keynote + Q&A

9:00AM | Salon H

Better communication skills pay dividends in every conversation for the rest of your life. There are no downsides to becoming a better communicator, but the upsides may be more powerful than we know. Studies show that people with high interpersonal... Read More

Networking Break & Book Signing

10:00AM | Foyer

Spark Sessions

10:30AM | Salon H

Reputation Management

More info coming soon

AI & Franchising

More info coming soon

Hand & Stone Ditched the Old Field Support Playbook—Here’s What Happened

Salon H

What happens when you shift your field team’s role from auditors and trainers to strategic business partners? At Hand & Stone, that transformation delivered measurable results. The visionaries behind this success story, Julie Hauser-Blanner and Kit Roveda, will walk you... Read More

Hot Topics Roundtables

11:30AM | Salon H

This is where YOU get to drive the conversation! Topics will be based on the morning’s poll of the biggest roadblocks for franchise ops and HR teams. 

Lunch & Awards Presentation

12:30PM | Salon H

Breakout Sessions

1:30PM

Onboarding: Tactics for Improving Speed to Open

Salon J

Info coming soon

Triple Threat for Franchise Success: Operational Excellence, Technology, and Accountability

Salon K

Franchise success requires the right system, the right technology, and the right people to work in harmony, and when it does, your operations team is a triple threat that can take your franchise to the next level. In this session,... Read More

Beyond Engagement: Bold Kind Culture as a Catalyst for Business Performance

615A+B

Culture isn’t a perk—it’s your strategy. In this session, we’ll challenge outdated HR playbooks and explore how bold, human-centered leadership drives real business outcomes. We’ll reframe culture with learnings from Bold Kindness, not as an initiative, but as an ecosystem... Read More

Breakout Sessions

2:30PM

The Franchisee Lifecycle: Matching Support to Stage

Salon J

New franchisees have very different needs than mature ones, which means operations teams need to tailor a support model that meets each franchisee where they are. We’ll break down the stages of the franchisee lifecycle and identify strategies for developing... Read More

Scaling Support: What Multi-Unit Franchise Owners Need to Succeed

Salon K

Multi-unit ownership is a smart way to expand your franchise system, but it does require specialized systems and support to ensure that successful single-unit owners can maintain success across two, three, or more locations, and franchisees joining your system with... Read More

Customer-Facing, Business-Shaping: Frontline Perspectives That Matter

615A+B

Frontline employees see it all… customer frustrations, operational roadblocks, and the everyday moments that define your brand. These employees are the direct link between your business and its customers, yet their insights often go unheard at the corporate level. In... Read More

Networking Break

3:15PM | Foyer

Spark Session

3:45 PM | Salon H

Litigation Landmines: Avoiding Franchise Blow-Ups Before They Start

Even high-performing brands run into tension with franchisees when expectations aren’t aligned. Small issues can explode into major legal risks. In this fast-paced, interactive session, we’ll explore real-world scenarios where miscommunication, mistrust, or missteps between franchisor teams and franchisees led... Read More

General Session & Roundtables

4:15PM

Ready Before the Storm: Crisis Planning in Franchising

Subway’s spokesperson scandal. Papa John’s PR nightmare. KFC running out of… chicken?! Franchising has seen its fair share of “oh no” moments—and if you think it can’t happen to you, think again. In this fun-but-serious session, we’ll break down the... Read More

Wrap Up

5:15PM | Salon H

Summit 20th Anniversary Par-Tee!

6:00PM | Holey Moley

807 E. 4th Street, Austin, TX 78702

We’re tee-ing up the fun at Holey Moley to celebrate FBR’s 20th Anniversary! We’re firing up the wayback machine and heading to 2005 for an evening of shenanigans featuring trivia, karaoke, putt-putt, and signature cocktails and mocktails from the first... Read More

Revive & Thrive

6:30AM | Meet In The Lobby

Get the blood pumping with one of our sunrise sessions. Join us for yoga and meditation, a friendly game of pickleball, or a walk and talk around Austin.

Registration Open

7:30AM | Foyer

Breakfast Buffet

7:30AM | Foyer

General Session

9:00AM | Salon H

Blueprint for Success: Lessons on Leading a Franchise to #1

What does it take to be a #1 franchise? In this session, we host a candid conversation with leaders of franchise systems that have all reached Best in Category status multiple times, including Payroll Vault, the #1 rated tax and... Read More

Networking Break

10:00AM | Foyer

General Session

10:15AM | Salon H

The Human-Centered Leader: How to Build Emotionally Intelligent Franchise Systems

Most franchise systems are built for efficiency. Very few are built for actual humans. This workshop is for leaders who want to change that. Inside every brand are people carrying stories you can’t see- employees, franchisees, customers, and yes, you... Read More

Closing

11:45AM | Salon H

Don't Take Our Word For It...

  • Overall I was so impressed with the entire event. The layout, presentation and timing was thoughtful, the presenters were well vetted and were engaging, and there was still a good amount of time to network. I left feeling energized and educated.

  • This was probably the best franchise conference I've ever been to as it was all Operations-focused folks and the content was SO applicable to everything Franchise Operations needs to be focused on. I personally feel as though EVERY franchisor needs to send their Ops folks to this conference and will be spreading the word!

  • What I really like about Summit is that it doesn't feel like there is as much ego as other conferences. People are more humble yet smart and willing to share and learn from each other. Good vibes!

  • It was my first time attending and I thought it was great! I went home with a lot of knowledge, met a lot of wonderful people, and had a wonderful time! I look forward to attending the next one!

  • The round tables were one of the most unique aspects of this conference in my experience. I got a ton of great information from the speakers, but felt I got just as much good information from people at my tables during the roundtable discussion. I am horrible at networking, but the people I hit it off the best with were the people I got to speak at during these times.

  • First and foremost, having an event specifically for operations was amazing. And getting to connect with other franchise operations peeps throughout the event was absolutely the best.

  • I truly enjoyed the event far more than I expected to and everyone I encountered, especially the FBR team, was kind and willing to offer help at anytime. The networking relationships were very valuable to me while the content was mostly affirming that what we have already done and are working towards are the right things.

Overall I was so impressed with the entire event. The layout, presentation and timing was thoughtful, the presenters were well vetted and were engaging, and there was still a good amount of time to network. I left feeling energized and educated.

This was probably the best franchise conference I've ever been to as it was all Operations-focused folks and the content was SO applicable to everything Franchise Operations needs to be focused on. I personally feel as though EVERY franchisor needs to send their Ops folks to this conference and will be spreading the word!

What I really like about Summit is that it doesn't feel like there is as much ego as other conferences. People are more humble yet smart and willing to share and learn from each other. Good vibes!

It was my first time attending and I thought it was great! I went home with a lot of knowledge, met a lot of wonderful people, and had a wonderful time! I look forward to attending the next one!

The round tables were one of the most unique aspects of this conference in my experience. I got a ton of great information from the speakers, but felt I got just as much good information from people at my tables during the roundtable discussion. I am horrible at networking, but the people I hit it off the best with were the people I got to speak at during these times.

First and foremost, having an event specifically for operations was amazing. And getting to connect with other franchise operations peeps throughout the event was absolutely the best.

I truly enjoyed the event far more than I expected to and everyone I encountered, especially the FBR team, was kind and willing to offer help at anytime. The networking relationships were very valuable to me while the content was mostly affirming that what we have already done and are working towards are the right things.