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.
9:00- 10:00AM | Foyer
10:00AM- 4:00PM | 615A
12:00- 7:00PM | Foyer
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 MoreHR 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 More4:00- 5:00PM | Foyer
Workshop attendees are invited to wrap up the day with a cocktail or mocktail.
5:00PM- 7:00PM | Foyer
7:00PM | Foyer
7:30AM- 5:00PM | Foyer
7:30- 8:30AM | Foyer
8:30AM | Salon H
9:00AM | Salon H
10:00AM | Foyer
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 More11:30AM | 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.
12:30PM | Salon H
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 MoreBeyond 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 In this session, we’ll challenge outdated HR playbooks and explore how bold, human-centered leadership drives real business outcomes.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 More2:30PM
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 MoreScaling 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 MoreCustomer-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 More3:15PM | Foyer
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 More4:15PM
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 More5:15PM | Salon H
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 More6:30AM | 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.
7:30AM | Foyer
7:30AM | Foyer
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 More10:00AM | Foyer
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 More11:45AM | Salon H
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.