Behind the Curtain: Why Franchise Conferences Still Matter
Behind the Curtain breaks down what’s actually working inside franchise systems, cutting through surface-level best practices to spotlight the strategies brands are using to win right now, pulled directly from our monthly insider newsletter, Franchise Unfiltered. Each edition captures the behind-closed-doors conversations, experiments, and proven tactics shaping real franchise growth before they become industry talking points.
It’s bittersweet to say goodbye to summer, but fall is the season I have so much to look forward to. It’s not only the time of year when I’m blindly optimistic about the Bears, but also the beginning of conference season. Conferences have always been one of my favorite parts of working in franchising because there’s something energizing about getting back on the road, reconnecting with old friends, and spending time with the franchise community in person.
At the same time, the way people approach conferences has changed quite a bit.
When my parents were growing Fishman PR, attending more than 20 conferences a year was normal. I would hear my father say it all the time: “If you’re not there, they’ll forget you.”
He may like to exaggerate, but there was definitely some truth to it. Being active on the conference circuit was almost a necessity if you wanted to make a name for yourself, build relationships, and stay connected to what was happening across the industry. I think that is a big reason why the franchise community developed such a strong family feel in the first place. The same people were constantly running into each other, sharing ideas, doing business, and building relationships year after year.
Conference Calendars Have Changed
Today, people are much more selective about where they spend their time and money, and conference calendars have gotten smaller as a result. Technology has simply made it easier to stay connected, build relationships, and conduct business without always needing to be in the same room.
That shift also reflects how much franchising itself has changed. The industry used to be smaller and more close-knit. As franchising has grown, private equity, technology companies, AI suppliers, and a whole new generation of service providers have become a much bigger part of the ecosystem.
There are simply more people involved and more money flowing into franchising than there used to be. That growth has created a tremendous amount of opportunity, but I also think it has made the industry feel a little less personal.
When there are more companies, more suppliers, more platforms, and more ways to communicate, it becomes easier to know of someone without actually knowing them.
In-Person Relationships Still Matter
Maybe that is exactly what makes conference season even more important today.
We may not need to attend 20 events a year anymore, and I don’t think anyone is arguing that we should go back to that model. But there is still something you cannot replace about being in the same room with people.
A Zoom call can be productive. LinkedIn can help you stay connected. Email can move a conversation forward. None of those things quite replace sitting down over dinner, bumping into someone between sessions, or having the kind of spontaneous conversation that only happens when everyone is together in one place.
Those interactions are where relationships tend to deepen, and franchising is still an industry that runs heavily on relationships.
Holding Onto the Franchise Family
In a world that is increasingly reliant on technology, conferences give us a reason to step away from our screens and spend time with the people behind the brands, businesses, and ideas we interact with every day.
The industry is going to keep growing, and technology is going to keep changing how we communicate and do business. That’s a good thing. But as franchising evolves, I think it’s worth holding onto the parts of the industry that made it special in the first place.
We may not need to be everywhere anymore. But when we do choose to show up, being there still matters.
And for me, that is what conference season is really about: reconnecting with the franchise family and making sure that family feel doesn’t get lost as the industry grows.
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