The Franchise Leadership & Development Conference

The Franchise Leadership & Development Conference is an exclusive event for franchisor CEOs, Presidents, COOs, CDOs and Franchise Development Executives. Our conference advisory board is comprised of the brightest experienced leaders in the franchise industry today. They provide direct input in the development of the quality programs and content for this conference. With our dynamic agenda touching facets of franchise development, the conference provides education to enhance franchisee recruitment, sales and development as well as professional leadership.

Our STAR Awards program is the premier industry awards program honoring the best franchise development programs.

National franchising activity largely bounced back to the pre-pandemic level in 2021, but states have experienced different levels of economic recovery because of states’ disparities in business climates, migration trends, and change of consumer preferences, among others.

Texas is expected to witness the most growth in franchise activity in 2023, as was the case for 2022. Growth in the Southern U.S. will outpace the rest of the U.S. franchise market.

The top 10 fastest-growing states are Texas, Illinois, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Arizona, Colorado, and Indiana.

Like 2022, Texas remains the fastest growing state in terms of franchise establishments. Residents with disposable income, vast infrastructure, low tax rates, and investments in advanced manufacturing and service industries are the key growth drivers in Texas. Texas continues to outperform the country in terms of job growth. (Franchising data from IFA Franchising Outlook 2022 and 2023)

Texas grew 20.68% from 2010 to 2023, the third-highest increase of any state, and has an estimated 2023 growth rate of 1.34%. Because Texas is the second-most-populous state and has more than 30 million residents already, a 1.34% annual growth rate means that the population of Texas grows by more than 1,100 people per day. (US Census 2020)

Whether you are trying to kick-start your franchise system or take it to the next level, IFA’s Emerging Franchisor Conference was designed for entrepreneurs like you.