The Great American Franchise Expo
The Great American Franchise Expo is a private US franchise trade show circuit that hosts 12 annual expos across major cities, connecting prospective franchise buyers with franchisors through in-person events, educational seminars, and a lead-generation platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersCoral Gables, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Great American Franchise Expo does
The Great American Franchise Expo is a privately held, event-driven franchise trade show circuit that connects prospective franchise buyers with franchisors, franchise consultants, and franchise suppliers through in-person expos. Founded around 2019-2020 by Nick Neonakis and headquartered in Coral Gables, Florida, the company operates under the DBA "FranExpoUSA" and claims to be the only American-owned franchise trade show platform. Its 2026 calendar spans 12 events in major US markets — Houston, Tampa, Nashville, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Columbus, NY/NJ, Detroit, Denver, Dallas, and Phoenix — held at convention centers and exhibition venues, with a cumulative track record of 70+ expos and 100,000+ attendees over seven years.
The company's core product surface consists of three integrated offerings: (1) the in-person franchise expo events themselves, (2) free educational seminars covering franchise law, FDD documents, SBA financing resources, real-estate strategy, and absentee ownership, and (3) a lead-generation platform that captures attendee data through badge scanning and QR-code interactions and distributes it to exhibitors and sponsors. Supporting assets include an educational blog, exhibitor-targeted sales infrastructure (booth reservations, contact number 516-604-3332, and a Director-led outreach motion), and an affiliated franchise consulting entity (The Franchise Consulting Company) led by the same founder. The company has endorsements from more than ten franchise industry associations (IFA, AAFC, Veterans Council, First Responders Council, WFA, Latino Franchise Council, CFA, Diversity Fran, Franchise MBA, ISLAM, DECA) and a portfolio of philanthropy partnerships.
The business runs a two-sided, transactional revenue model. Franchisor/exhibitor booth fees are the primary revenue stream, with named exhibitors including enterprise franchise systems such as Supercuts (Regis Corp.), Meineke, Mahana Fresh, Abrakadoodle, Young Chef's Academy, and Rhino 7, alongside dozens of mid-market and emerging franchise brands across automotive, restaurant, fitness, home services, education, and children's verticals. Attendee revenue is split between free online pre-registration (used as a demand-capture and lead-list-building mechanism) and a $29 walk-up door fee. Lead generation and matching — sharing attendee information with exhibitors, sponsors, and franchise consultants — is explicitly described as a revenue stream in its own right. The company does not disclose revenue, funding, or unit economics.
The Great American Franchise Expo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Great American Franchise Expo
- Legal name
- The Great American Franchise Expo
- Website
- https://franexpousa.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Great American Franchise Expo is a private US franchise trade show circuit that hosts 12 annual expos across major cities, connecting prospective franchise buyers with franchisors through in-person events, educational seminars, and a lead-generation platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Great American Franchise Expo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Franchise Trade Show Services
- NAICS
- Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industry Trade Shows & Expos (MPAGAGAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Retail, Consumer Goods & Lifestyle Shows Organizers (THAHABAJ)
Keywords
Where The Great American Franchise Expo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Coral Gables
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
The Great American Franchise Expo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Exhibitor booth fees: Revenue generated from franchise brands and companies that pay to exhibit at the trade shows
- Attendee admission: Free admission for online registrants; $29 fee for walk-up attendees at the door
- Lead generation and sharing: The company operates as a lead generation and matching platform, sharing attendee information with exhibitors, sponsors, and franchise consultants
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | One time/ perpetual license | Online pre-registration |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Door/walk-up admission |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Great American Franchise Expo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Great American Franchise Expo operates a franchise trade show circuit, hosting live expo events across 12 major US cities per year (with 12 shows scheduled for 2026 in Houston, Tampa, Nashville, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Columbus, NY/NJ, Detroit, Denver, Dallas, and Phoenix). Each expo gathers franchise brands as exhibitors and prospective franchisees as attendees, supported by free educational seminars on franchise law, financing, and SBA resources, with attendee leads captured via badge scanning and shared with exhibiting franchisors and sponsors.
Product overview
The Great American Franchise Expo is a franchise trade show circuit operating as a marketing, educational, and networking platform designed to connect franchise businesses with potential owners. The company hosts franchise expos in 12 major US cities in 2026 (Houston, Tampa, Nashville, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Columbus, NY/NJ, Detroit, Denver, Dallas, and Phoenix). The core product portfolio includes the franchise expo events themselves (the main trade show circuit), free educational seminars covering franchise law, financing, and business concepts, and a lead generation platform that facilitates connections between attendees and franchise brands through badge scanning and information sharing. Related services include franchise consulting through an affiliated company and educational blog content covering franchise investment strategies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Great American Franchise Expo Live Events Live in-person franchise trade show events held at major US convention centers (e.g., American Dream Mall, Oakland Expo Center, National Western Center, Irving Convention Center, Mesa Convention Center), connecting franchisors and franchise brands with prospective franchise buyers.
- Educational Franchise Seminars Free educational seminars delivered at each expo covering franchise law, franchise financing, SBA resources, FDD documents, real estate strategy, and related business concepts for prospective franchise buyers.
- Franchise Consulting Services (affiliated) Affiliated franchise consulting services offered through The Franchise Consulting Company, leveraging nearly 100 experts in the US, Canada, and India, and tied to founder Nick Neonakis's authored book The Franchise MBA.
Quantifiable outcome
- 70+ major expos in 7 years
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The Great American Franchise Expo
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Great American Franchise Expo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Great American Franchise Expo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Feeding AmericacoreThe nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization. The Feeding America network provides over 4.3 billion meals annually, helping 1 in 7 Americans facing hunger. Listed as a philanthropy partner of the expo.
- Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC)coreSince 1974, RMHC has created programs that strengthen families during difficult times. Provides vital resources and compassionate care to children and their families through Ronald McDonald Houses, Family Rooms, and Care Mobiles. Listed as a philanthropy partner.
- Cardon Children's Medical Center / Banner HealthsupportingA top health system recognized for clinical quality, headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, operating 28 hospitals across six states. Listed as a philanthropy partner of the expo.
- Stanford Children's Health - Lucile Packard Children's HospitalsupportingThe only health care system in the San Francisco Bay Area exclusively dedicated to pediatric and obstetric care, ranked in all 10 pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. Listed as a philanthropy partner.
- University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CentersupportingMission to eliminate cancer in Texas, the nation, and the world through outstanding programs integrating patient care, research, and prevention. Listed as a philanthropy partner.
- Nicklaus Children's Health SystemsupportingThe region's only healthcare system exclusively for children, including Nicklaus Children's Hospital, outpatient centers, Nicklaus Children's Hospital Foundation, and Pediatric Specialists of America. Listed as a philanthropy partner.
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA)supportingA not-for-profit children's healthcare system, one of the largest pediatric systems in the United States, formed in 1998 from Egleston and Scottish Rite medical centers. Listed as a philanthropy partner.
- Beating The Odds FoundationsupportingProvides financial and therapeutic support for children with cancer and other debilitating diseases through the healing power of rhythm. Listed as a philanthropy partner.
- UMASS Children's Medical CentersupportingThe only pediatric hematology/oncology program in Central Massachusetts, offering comprehensive children's cancer program services. Listed as a philanthropy partner.
- DECAsupportingPrepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. With nearly 70-year history, DECA has impacted over 10 million students since 1946. Listed as an endorsed partner.
- Veterans CouncilsupportingEndorsed by Veterans Council for franchise opportunities and support for veteran entrepreneurs.
- American Association of Franchise Consultants & Advisors (AAFC)supportingEndorsed by AAFC, an organization representing franchise consultants and advisors.
- First Responders CouncilsupportingEndorsed by First Responders Council supporting franchise ownership opportunities for first responders.
- International Franchise AssociationsupportingEndorsed by IFA, the leading trade association for the franchise industry.
- International Scalable Leaders (ISLAM)supportingEndorsed by ISLAM, a franchise industry association.
- Latino Franchise CouncilsupportingEndorsed by Latino Franchise Council supporting Hispanic business ownership through franchising.
- Women's Franchise Association (WFA)supportingEndorsed by WFA supporting women's participation in franchise ownership.
- Diversity FransupportingEndorsed by Diversity Fran supporting diversity in franchise ownership.
- Christian Franchise Association (CFA)supportingEndorsed by CFA, a Christian franchise industry association.
- Franchise MBAsupportingEndorsed by Franchise MBA, a franchise education and training organization. Founder Nick Neonakis authored The Franchise MBA, the #1 bestseller on Amazon for franchise books.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Great American Franchise Expo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Franchise Times: Long-running franchise industry trade publication covering news, rankings, and conferences (e.g., Franchise Times Dealmakers). It is an adjacent media-and-events participant that influences the same franchisor marketing budgets as The Great American Franchise Expo.
Emerging players
- Franchise Business Review: Independent franchise research and lead-generation platform producing surveys, rankings, and virtual discovery tools for prospective franchisees. An emerging digital player that addresses the same prospective-buyer research pain point as The Great American Franchise Expo's seminars and matchmaking.
Direct peers
- 1851 Franchise: Franchise-focused media and events platform covering brand storytelling, rankings, and franchise expos. Operates in the same event-plus-content category as The Great American Franchise Expo and competes for franchisor marketing dollars.
- Franchise Expo (National Event Group): Multi-city franchise trade show operator running parallel franchise expos in the US and Canada. It is the most directly comparable live-event competitor to The Great American Franchise Expo, competing for the same franchisor exhibitors and prospective franchisee attendees.
- Franchise Update Media (Multi-Unit Franchising Conference): B2B franchise media and events company producing the Multi-Unit Franchising Conference, franchiseo.com conferences, and adjacent expo formats. Directly competes for enterprise franchisor marketing budgets alongside The Great American Franchise Expo.
Broad incumbents
- International Franchise Association (IFA): The largest US franchise industry trade association, which operates its own IFA Annual Convention and educational programming. It is a broader incumbent with an aligned event franchise portfolio that overlaps with The Great American Franchise Expo's franchisor network.
- Entrepreneur (Franchise 500 / Entrepreneur Franchise events): Mainstream business media brand running the Franchise 500 rankings and related franchise education. A broad incumbent whose franchise content and adjacent events create downstream competitive pressure on Expo attendance and exhibitor attention.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Great American Franchise Expo social profiles
Digital presenceThe Great American Franchise Expo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Great American Franchise Expo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Great American Franchise Expo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Great American Franchise Expo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Great American Franchise Expo
What does The Great American Franchise Expo do?
The Great American Franchise Expo operates a franchise trade show circuit, hosting live expo events across 12 major US cities per year (with 12 shows scheduled for 2026 in Houston, Tampa, Nashville, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Columbus, NY/NJ, Detroit, Denver, Dallas, and Phoenix). Each expo gathers franchise brands as exhibitors and prospective franchisees as attendees, supported by free educational seminars on franchise law, financing, and SBA resources, with attendee leads captured via badge scanning and shared with exhibiting franchisors and sponsors.
Is The Great American Franchise Expo a public or private company?
The Great American Franchise Expo is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Great American Franchise Expo founded?
The Great American Franchise Expo was founded in 2020. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The Great American Franchise Expo based?
The Great American Franchise Expo is headquartered in Coral Gables, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Great American Franchise Expo make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Exhibitor booth fees are the primary driver. The others are attendee admission and lead generation and sharing.
Who are The Great American Franchise Expo's main competitors?
Franchise Times is listed as an others. Franchise Business Review is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are 1851 Franchise, Franchise Expo (National Event Group) and Franchise Update Media (Multi-Unit Franchising Conference). Broad incumbents are International Franchise Association (IFA) and Entrepreneur (Franchise 500 / Entrepreneur Franchise events).
Does The Great American Franchise Expo have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Great American Franchise Expo.
What industry is The Great American Franchise Expo in?
The Great American Franchise Expo's product category is Franchise Trade Show Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAGAA, Industry Trade Shows & Expos, with a secondary code of THAHABAJ, Retail, Consumer Goods & Lifestyle Shows Organizers. Its NAICS code is 56192.