Karren Brady
The BFA annual conference will take place at the East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham on 23rd and 24th June 2016. The theme of the event is The New Age of Franchising – Past, Present, Future.
The keynote speaker at the event is Baroness Karren Brady CBE. She is a successful businesswoman who has served on several company boards including Mothercare, Arcadia, Channel 4 and the Women in Sport Advisory Board, as well as appearing alongside Lord Sugar on his TV show, The Apprentice.
Lady Brady is the current vice-chairman of West Ham United football club. She was appointed a Government business ambassador in 2013 and her CBE was awarded for services to women in business and entrepreneurship.
Pip Wilkins, the chief executive of the BFA commented: “It was important we continued the outstanding record of attracting big-name speakers and in Karren we have one of the biggest business personalities there is.
“After many years of encouraging and inspiring others to follow a similar entrepreneurial path, there is a lot of Karren’s story that is ideally suited to franchising and we are thrilled she will be joining us at what promises to be the best annual conference yet held by the association.”
Marc Priestley
Other speakers at the conference will be Marc Priestley, a former McLaren F1 crew mechanic and pit stop team member, and Jason MacKenzie, the president-elect of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.
There will also be a variety of interactive seminars and roundtable discussions at the conference on topics from staying head of the competition and responding to buyer behaviour.
This year’s event is supported by the Franchising Centre, Coconut Creatives, d&t accountants and What Franchise. The two-day conference package (including the Franchisor of the Year Awards dinner on the Thursday night) and one night’s hotel accommodation is £450 plus VAT. thebfa.org/conference