Every December, when the cold hits Utah and my email inbox shifts into “annual planning mode,” I start thinking about one thing: franchise events our team will attend the next year.
If you’re leading a brand in 2026, you already know the game is getting harder and faster at the same time: rising CAC, tighter labor markets, tech overload, franchisee expectations climbing by the month.
You can’t afford to run your system in a vacuum, and that’s where great conventions come in.
Think of the right events as your off-site, your R&D lab, and your advisory board, all rolled into one. That is, if you know which franchise events are designed to give you that kind of insight into running your business.
Find our handpicked list of the best franchise conventions of 2026 below.
- January
- February
- March
- April
- May
- June
- August
- September
- October
- November
- Why Franchise Conventions Matter
- How to Get the Most Out of Franchise Conventions
Best Franchise Conventions in 2026
January
- Franchise Expo South | January 16–17 (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
This franchise expo is built to showcase franchise offering and find potential franchisee candidates, put on in conjunction with the IFA.
February
- IFA 2026 | February 23–25 (Las Vegas, NV)
This is expected to be the largest franchise event of the year, and it provides a wide range of franchise education through round tables, great session content, keynotes, and networking. You’ll find plenty of learning resources along with a robust vendor/exhibitor area. You can learn more about why to attend on our blog.
March
- Multi-Unit Franchising Conference | Mar 24–27 (Las Vegas, NV)
This is a FranDev focused franchise conference with a unique spin. MUFC focuses on multi-unit operators and scaling franchise systems by attracting and better supporting more experienced franchise operators.
- Franchise UnConference | Mar 17–19 (Park City, UT)
This is a networking-oriented, intimate franchise event. Not your typical Franchise Expo, with skiing, snowmobiling, and cooking classes on the curriculum, so be sure to check out their website and see if it fits your goals for 2026.
April
- The Chicago Franchise Show | Apr 11–12 (Rosemont, IL)
Large franchise expo showcasing many leading brands and ownership opportunities.
- International Franchise Show London | Apr 17–18 (London, UK)
European-focused franchise expo with global opportunities, perfect for brands looking to expand to Europe and beyond.
May
- IFA Legal Symposium | May 17–19 (Washington, DC)
Franchise legal and compliance-focused conference with expert sessions.
June
- Franchise Customer Experience Conference – FCXC | June 2–4, 2026
Event targeting customer experience innovation in franchising. ClientTether will be attending this year’s FCXC, so come to see our team at this great event, or learn more about it in our blog.
- BAI Annual Conference “Full Steam Ahead” | June 1-4, 2026 (Salt Lake City, UT)
Join one of the top Franchise Broker groups in the industry with their top franchise brokers and some of the best franchise brands, as they meet to improve FranDev strategy and enjoy well-crafted networking events. This is one you won’t want to miss.
- Service Franchise Summit | June 24–26 (Sundance, UT)
Probably our favorite franchise conference of the year! SFS brings adventure and strategy to the mountains of Utah. Click here to learn more about how the Service Franchise Summit hits different and why you shouldn’t miss this one if you’re looking to grow your brand.
August
- Faegre Drinker Franchise Summit | August 18–19 (Minneapolis, MN)
Every year, this Summit promises 2 days dedicated to issues faced by franchise executives, with interactive sessions led by franchising expertsto discuss obstacles, challenges and franchise opportunities.
September
- Springboard for Emerging and Re-Emerging Brands | September 23–25 (Ft. Worth, TX)
Educational and networking event put on by Fisher Zucker law firm and the Fishman PR Group. Traditional learning environment with great networking events each night. This is must-attend event, and you’ll see our team there!
- IFPG Retreat | September 28–30 (Hollywood, FL)
Event for IFPG consultants, franchise brands, and suppliers to meet and network. An excellent opportunity to get face time with IFPG brokers and growing FranDev teams. Learn more about the 2026 edition here. We’ll see you there!
October
- FBR Summit | October 22–24 (Austin, TX)
Focused on franchisee success and operations. Two-day intensive event created just for franchise operations leaders and their teams that directly support franchisees. Come see our team at the Summit!
November
- Emerging Franchisor Conference | November 16–18 (Nashville, TN)
Similar to SpringBoard, but smaller in scale. The content for the conference is focused on brands that have fewer than 100 units and are looking to grow.
Why Franchise Conventions Matter
I hear people say, “Everything’s online now — why go in person?”
Well in franchising, complexity isn’t solved on Zoom.
Seeing operators face-to-face. Learning how top brands are adapting. Challenging your assumptions. Finding partners you can trust.
That’s the stuff you can’t replicate on a screen.
In fact, most of the brands I work with tell me the most valuable part of each event they go to isn’t the keynote or even the sessions, it’s the personal conversations they have with other brand leaders.
Franchise conventions are where the industry shows you what’s coming, and where you get the tools to stay ahead of it.
So as you plan your 2026 strategy, don’t just choose events based on location or hype. Choose the ones that help you:
- Grow your system
- Support your franchisees
- Strengthen your operations
- Build a better future for your brand
How to Get the Most Out of Franchise Conventions
Over the years — as a founder, operator, partner, and guy who’s logged more conference miles than I care to count — I’ve learned that the value you get from an event has almost nothing to do with the headcount and everything to do with how you show up.
Here’s the playbook I still use today.
Show Up With One Big Problem to Solve
Maybe it’s franchisee adoption of your CRM software. Maybe it’s lead follow-up gaps. Maybe your ops team is drowning in manual tasks.
Bring the one problem that’s costing you momentum, and hunt conversations and people that help you attack it.
The best insights often come from the hallway conversations that start with: “Hey, what are you seeing…?”
Be Strategic With Your Time (and Shoes)
Conferences are a time warp. You blink, and the day is gone.
Before you arrive, map out:
- 3 sessions you must attend
- 5 people or brands you want to meet
- Tools or vendors you want to evaluate
- Topics you want real-world feedback on
Then leave space for serendipity, that’s where the magic usually happens.
And yes, wear comfortable shoes. Trust me.
Don’t Vendor Hop, Vendor Vet
In franchising, your tech stack and supplier partners can make or break franchisee success.
But most teams walk an expo floor the way my kids walk through Costco samples: everything looks good until you get home.
Instead:
- Ask every supplier for one real case study.
- Ask how long it takes to onboard franchisees — really.
- Ask what adoption looks like after 90 days.
- Ask what the most common “we thought this would be easier” moment is.
The truth is always in the follow-up questions.
Network Like a Human, Not a Business Card Machine
Some of the best relationships of my career started with small talk about baseball or hiking boots.
Find your people. Build your circle. That’s where the good ideas live.
Block Time After the Event (This One’s Non-Negotiable)
If you want to know why most people don’t get ROI from conferences, here’s the reason: they jump straight back into the fire.
Before you go, block a half-day on your calendar the day after you return. Use it to:
- Review notes
- Build a 90-day plan
- Assign next steps
- Communicate takeaways to your team
Franchise momentum is forged in follow-through, not just inspiration.
And when you’re walking those floors, stop by and say hi to me and our crew.
The ClientTether team will be out there right on most of those — listening, learning, and helping franchisors build stronger, simpler, smarter systems.
Here’s to a big year ahead.
