The IFA World Franchise Show

What The IFA World Franchise Show does

The IFA World Franchise Show is a franchise exhibition event organized by Business Show Media Ltd, a UK-registered private limited company (registration number 12796121) that operates multiple business show brands across the UK, US, and Australia. The event is positioned as the only International Franchise Association (IFA)-branded franchise exhibition in the US, scheduled for September 25-26, 2026 at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It aggregates 300+ exhibiting franchise brands spanning restaurant, fitness, home services, education, health and beauty, and pet sectors, alongside 150+ educational seminars and international pavilions covering 20+ countries. The underlying technology consists of an event management platform and website registration system for managing exhibitor listings, attendee registration, and sponsor coordination.

The business monetizes primarily through exhibitor booth rentals and a tiered sponsorship structure that includes Headline (Glo Tanning), Gold (LEO Events), Silver (Haven Franchising, Neighborly), and specialized sponsorships covering lanyards, bags, floor tiles, registration pages, and seminar theatres. Attendee registration is free, positioning the event as a lead-generation marketplace where franchisors pay to access 5,000+ prospective franchisees. The go-to-market motion is event-driven, leveraging IFA brand association, digital channels (website, email), and exhibitor-driven promotion. The customer base includes franchise brands and franchisors as paying exhibitors/sponsors, and prospective franchisees as free attendees — with additional ecosystem partners providing financial (Benetrends Financial), legal (Spadea Lignana), consulting (iFranchise Group), and technology services. The company operates with approximately 9 employees across its UK headquarters in Bristol and the US event venue.

Name

The IFA World Franchise Show

Legal name

Business Show Media Ltd

Website

https://ifafranchiseshow.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The IFA World Franchise Show is a US-based franchise exhibition organized by Business Show Media Ltd, connecting 300+ franchise brands with 5,000+ prospective franchisees through a two-day event featuring exhibitions, seminars, and international pavilions under IFA endorsement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Franchise Trade Show / Exhibition Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (71132)

akta.pro primary industry

General Consumer Expos & Trade Shows (MPAGAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Exhibition & Trade Show Management (Conference-Adjacent) (THAHACAF)

Keywords

• Franchise exhibition
• Franchise expo events
• Business trade shows
• Franchise networking events
• Franchise lead generation

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Exhibitor Booth Rentals: Franchise brands pay to exhibit at the show to connect with prospective franchisees. The show features booth rentals at the Broward County Convention Center.
2. Sponsorship Packages: Various sponsorship tiers including Headline Sponsor (Glo Tanning), Gold Sponsor (LEO Events), Silver Sponsors (Haven Franchising, Neighborly), and specialized sponsors (Lanyard Sponsor, Bag Sponsor, Floor Tile Sponsor, Registration Page Sponsor, etc.)
3. Visitor Attendance: Free tickets available for attendees, with registration required to attend the event.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The IFA World Franchise Show is a bi-annual franchise exhibition held at the Broward County Convention Center, bringing together 300+ franchise brands with 5,000+ prospective franchisees over two days. The event combines a physical exhibition floor, 150+ educational seminars, international pavilions, a Finance Clinic, and a Multi-Unit Track. It is organized by Business Show Media Ltd and operates under official International Franchise Association (IFA) branding as the only IFA franchise exhibition in the US.

Product overview

The IFA World Franchise Show is a single, unified franchise expo event held annually at the Broward County Convention Center. The event features a main exhibition floor with 300+ franchise brand exhibitors, complemented by educational programming including 150+ seminars and speaker sessions, international pavilions for global franchise opportunities, a Finance Clinic for funding guidance, and a Multi-Unit Track for scaling operators. The show targets prospective franchisees and existing franchisors seeking growth, networking, and educational opportunities within the franchise industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The IFA World Franchise Show Event
• Exhibitor Booth Rentals
• Sponsorship Packages

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ leading brands covering all franchise sectors
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Glo TanningflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Headline Sponsor for the IFA World Franchise Show 2026. Glo Tanning is a tanning franchise brand that provides exclusive sponsorship benefits at the premier US franchise exhibition.
• LEO EventscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Gold Sponsor of the IFA World Franchise Show. LEO Events is an event services company providing sponsorship support for the exhibition.
• Haven FranchisingcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Silver Sponsor plus Seminar Theatre Sponsor. Haven Franchising provides franchise development services and supports educational content at the event.
• NeighborlycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Silver Sponsor. Neighborly is a home services franchise company with 28 global brands and 5,500+ franchise locations.
• bb.q ChickenminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Lanyard Sponsor. bb.q Chicken is a Korean fried chicken franchise brand participating in the show.
• Sonny's BBQminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Bag Sponsor. Sonny's BBQ is a barbecue restaurant franchise brand and event sponsor.
• World Of Smoke & VapeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Floor Tile Sponsor. World Of Smoke & Vape is a franchise brand participating as an event sponsor.
• Penn StationminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Event sponsor. Penn Station East Coast Subs is a restaurant franchise brand.
• Spadea Lignana Franchise AttorneyscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2026Event sponsor. Spadea Lignana provides franchise legal services and counsel for franchise transactions.
• iFranchise GroupcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2026Event sponsor. iFranchise Group is a franchise consulting firm helping brands expand through franchising.
• Latitude LearningminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Re-sign Area Sponsor. Latitude Learning provides learning and training solutions for organizations.
• BuildASignminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2026Printing Vendor Preferred Supplier. BuildASign provides signage and printing services for events.
• First Choice Business BrokersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2026Showguide Backpage Advertisement sponsor. First Choice Business Brokers assists with franchise and business sales.
• International Franchise Association (IFA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Official association behind the IFA World Franchise Show. The IFA is the leading trade organization representing franchising worldwide, providing credibility and member access for the exhibition.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Reed Exhibitions: One of the world's largest trade show and conference organizers across dozens of industries and geographies. Represents the broad-incumbent competitive threat if franchise expos were to be scaled by a major expo operator.
• Informa Markets: Global exhibitions and events division of Informa plc operating major trade shows worldwide. Analogous broad-incumbent expo operator with the resources to enter or consolidate the franchise-expo vertical.

Direct peers

• National Franchise & Business Opportunities Expo (Australia): Australia's leading franchise exhibition organized by Australian Exhibition Services, with comparable booth, sponsorship, and seminar structures. Targets the same prospective franchisee audience and serves a similar cross-section of franchise brands.
• Franchise Expo Canada: Canada's largest franchise exhibition run by National Event Management; features hundreds of franchise brands and educational seminars targeted at prospective franchisees. Same exhibitor/attendee model and same franchise-vertical focus as the IFA World Franchise Show.
• Going Global Live (UK): Another Business Show Media-operated exhibition focused on international trade and franchise expansion. Overlaps with the IFA World Franchise Show's international-pavilion offering and shares the same operating infrastructure.
• The Franchise Show (UK): Operated by the same parent Business Show Media, The Franchise Show UK is the direct UK franchise exhibition analogue. Identical business model (exhibitor booths, sponsorship tiers, educational seminars) and shared operating playbook make it the closest functional peer.
• The Business Show (UK): Sister event under the same Business Show Media umbrella featuring exhibitors and seminars for entrepreneurs and SMEs. Comparable trade show operating model with shared back-office, marketing infrastructure, and exhibitor management approach.

Others

• International Franchise Association (IFA): Leading global franchise trade association and Flagship partner of the show. Runs its own convention (Franchise Business Source) and provides the brand credential that underpins the show's exclusive positioning.

Emerging players

• Franchise Gator: Online franchise marketplace connecting prospective franchisees with franchisors, partially overlapping with the show's franchise-discovery function. Represents the digital-channel competitive vector that may erode in-person exhibitor demand over time.
• FranNet: North American franchise consulting and lead-generation network that helps prospective franchisees evaluate brands; partial functional overlap with the show's lead-generation value proposition for franchisors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-ifa-world-franchise-show

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The IFA World Franchise Show