A new-style franchisee recruitment event that is a hybrid of pre-booked appointments, presentations and an exhibition – Franchise Opportunities Live – is being introduced by the Venture Marketing Group at the Radisson Blu Edwardian hotel, Heathrow, on Friday and Saturday, September 7 and 8.
In another innovative step, Venture will initially carry out substantial research among exhibitors to ascertain their franchisee profile, capital requirement for their units, and the territories they have available to match them with potential franchisees, who register for the event or are listed on its extensive database of prospects.
This sophisticated matching process will pre-qualify applicants for their target franchise, check that they match the franchisor’s requirements, possess the necessary liquid capital, and are ready to commit to a deal.
Applicants, who match a franchisor’s requirements will be booked for one-to-one meetings with their chosen franchisors. Hot prospects will be offered overnight accommodation at the luxury Radisson. All pre-qualified visitors will also be invited to an ice-breaker networking event on the Friday night.
As with all Venture franchise exhibitions, Franchise Opportunities Live will be exclusively for British Franchise Association (BFA)-approved franchisors. This provides a guarantee to visitors that the exhibitors meet the ethical business standards required by the BFA, the industry’s only government-approved self-regulatory franchise body.
“This means visitors can be confident about investing in the brands they meet,” says Venture. “Exhibitors for their part can be assured of our commitment to promoting both the event and the industry as a whole.
“The essence of Franchise Opportunities Live is to match franchisors with well-informed prospects.”
In addition to the one-to-one meetings, the event will include all the usual features of Venture’s popular shows – presentations by exhibitors, seminars by BFA franchisors and its officials on buying a franchise, a business plan clinic on how to effectively apply to the banks for a business loan for a franchise, and franchisee panels at which successful franchisees describe how they joined and developed their business.
Adrian Goodsell, franchise exhibitions manager at Venture, comments: “This is a new and different way for prospective franchisees to progress their research into franchise opportunities.
“It is a valuable step in the process, enabling visitors to refine their choices by meeting key franchise businesses, receive advice and guidance, and network in luxury surroundings. This is targeted and structured to be of real benefit for those who are seriously considering making the move into franchising.”
The hotel, which is close to West London, is easily accessible, only five minutes from Heathrow airport with an extensive car park.