From trampolines to tradies, coffee to cleaning, movers to mailboxes, the Brisbane Franchising & Business Opportunities Expo had business ideas for everyone, whatever their budget, interests or expertise.
The show drew large crowds to the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre over the weekend 19-20 July, all keen to find out more about the benefits and rewards of being their own boss.
“We thought the show this year was even more colourful and exciting, reflecting the myriad of opportunities on offer,” says Exhibition Manager Fiona Stacey, adding that both exhibitor and visitor numbers were up by around 25 per cent on last year’s show.
The Expo was also a great place to meet with industry experts who could assist with the nuts and bolts of franchising, offering legal, financial and business advice.
“We were delighted with the high level of enquiry from both prospective franchisees starting their franchising journey and franchisors looking to stand out in a crowded market,” says Darryn McAuliffe, CEO of franchise business intelligence provider FRANdata.
McAuliffe was one of the speakers at the seminar theatre, and commented that his session “Where to go for franchise finance” had a very attentive audience.
Jane Garber-Rozensweig from Franchise Legal also presented a seminar session, which gave a general overview of franchising in Australia. “I was really pleased by the response to our seminar and to the show in general,” she says.
“I have been to many shows and this was by far the best. It was very well advertised and promoted, so attendance was great and we met very valuable people.”
The Franchise Council of Australia (FCA) also presented fascinating daily panel sessions with representatives from a wide range of successful franchise companies including PoolWerx, Paleo Café, Fastway Couriers and Pack & Send.
Most importantly, the Expo was a showcase for 81 successful Australian and international companies, all eager to share their success with potential investors and franchisees, or to assist and advise them in their journey.
First-time exhibitor Flip Out is one of the newer franchise opportunities to enter the market. “We did not know what to expect, but the show went very well for us and we received over 200 enquiries,” says Flip Out’s Franchise Co-ordinator Erisa Lluca. “By the end of the first day we knew we just had to book for the next show in Melbourne.”
And the exhibitors weren’t the only ones to get a lot out of the Expo. “The day was most instructive and left me with a lot to think about and do, commented one visitor, William Bass. “Great work from all speakers, folk at booths and organisers.”
Fiona Stacey says the Brisbane Franchising & Business Opportunities Expo gave visitors the opportunity to compare and research a diverse range of franchise opportunities with investment levels from under $10,000 to more than $500,000.
“We are now preparing another exciting show in Melbourne, and there are only a few exhibitor stands still available, so exhibitors will need to get in quick if they want to be there.”
The next Franchising & Business Opportunities Expo will be held in Melbourne 22-24 August. Entry is $15 at the door or free with pre-registration by 21 August.
For more information and to pre-register go to www.franchisingexpo.com.au