If building or scaling a franchise in 2026 is in your list of new year goals— especially a service-based or multi-unit brand — then mark your calendar. The IFA Annual Convention returns February 23–25, 2026, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. This is where leaders, franchisors, franchisees, suppliers, and service providers convene under one roof to learn, network, and future-proof their franchise brands. Let’s see what to expect, how to prepare and make the most out of IFA 2026.
What to expect from the IFA 2026
Deep, Focused Education
The agenda is organized around learning paths and immersive workshops tailored for different parts of the franchise ecosystem: operations, growth, technology, compliance, brand development, and more. Expect content that gets real about challenges facing our industry today, whether you’re a founder refining your expansion strategy or a COO wrestling with unit-level ops.
Connections That Actually Matter
With hundreds of exhibitors and big names across suppliers, tools, and service providers, IFA 2026 offers a live “marketplace” for everything your franchise needs. But it’s more than just vendors: the convention environment — halls, networking receptions, exhibit-hall lunches, and organized meetups — is curated so you have real opportunities to meet people who understand franchising deeply.
Pulse on What’s Next in Franchising
The good folks running the convention (International Franchise Association) have designed IFA 2026 around evolution and growth. Attending gives you a front-row seat to trends, innovations, and shifts across the industry. That means early intel on emerging regulations, FranDev best practices, disruptive tech like AI, and market shifts.
ClientTether at the IFA 2026
Because every good conference needs a little fun after the meetings wrap up, ClientTether is sponsoring FranJam 2026 and hosting a Karaoke Night on Monday, February 23, 2026, from 9:30 PM to Midnight at Dino’s Lounge (Las Vegas).
No pressure to be a headliner — come sing, laugh, or just hang with some of the best in franchising.
