Top challenges facing franchise conventions (and tips to solve them).

Planning a successful franchise convention is no small feat. 

Whether you're organizing an event for 700 or 3,000 attendees, the complexity of managing logistics, ensuring attendee engagement, and measuring the return on investment (ROI) can be overwhelming. 

If you’re gearing up for your next annual convention, here are some of the key hurdles you might encounter—and tips on how to tackle them.

1. Attracting franchise owners in a busy market.

One of the biggest challenges faced by franchise event planners is getting your franchise owners to attend. 

Franchisees have their own business to take care of, so taking time away from it is often challenging. Not only that, many franchisees own several franchises, which means you might be vying for attention from several brands.

It’s important to remember that how you position your conference to your franchisees matter. Everything from the messaging to the agenda should reiterate that this is a can’t-miss event.

And to do that, you need to fully understand what your franchisees value and what they want out of your event.

💡 Tip: Focus on building a targeted marketing strategy that highlights the specific benefits attendees will gain from the convention—whether that’s networking opportunities, education, or exclusive content.

2. Managing logistics on budget.

Just like any conference, a franchise convention requires balancing several moving parts while trying to keep everything in budget. Typically, franchise companies cover the cost of the event itself, while franchise owners cover their travel and accommodations.

Even then, budgets can still be hard to manage, and logistics even more of a nightmare.

We always go back to value here.

👉 What are the things your franchisees care the most about?

👉 What will make a difference at your event?

Can you pass up coordinating and paying for one dinner so your workshops are extra engaging?

Or is it more important that you have well-planned networking events but can skimp a bit on the production value?

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach for franchise companies, but as long as you’re keeping an eye on your audience, you’ll find the right solutions.

💡 Tip: Prioritize key logistical elements and seek out cost-effective solutions, such as using registration technology to streamline the sign-up process and reduce manual work. Additionally, negotiating group rates with hotels and vendors can help you stretch your budget further.

3. Maximizing attendee engagement.

Once attendees are at your convention, keeping them engaged is another hurdle to overcome. 

It’s not enough to just have a packed agenda—convention-goers expect opportunities for meaningful interaction, whether that’s through networking, Q&A sessions, or interactive workshops.

Pre-surveys can be helpful for you to pinpoint what topics are most important to franchisees each year.

Incorporate fun activities throughout that go beyond just cocktail hours. Get people up and moving, solving challenges, or simply enjoying a bit of live entertainment together. 

Most importantly, don’t worry if franchisees are disengaged for a portion of the event. It’s likely that they will need time to manage their own business, and then will come back to your sessions refreshed.

💡 Tip: Our biggest tip is to try to focus on producing helpful, high-value content and effective networking where attendees feel like they are gaining real insights to improve their business.

4. Delivering education that resonates.

Many franchise conventions place a strong emphasis on education, providing valuable insights and learning opportunities for franchisees. However, it’s tough to find the right content that will resonate and won’t feel like “this could have been an email.”

You can offer CE credits or certifications to your attendees as one opportunity.

💡 Tip: You can also try to break the standard keynote → breakout session mold by offering more roundtables, group problem-solving sessions, and theater sessions in your show floor. Attendees can move around more freely between sessions and find tactical sessions to solve their biggest challenges.

Bring your franchisees onstage.

We also recommend incorporating user-generated content or case studies into your presentations to give franchisees real-world examples. Bring your franchisees onstage to share their successes and how they overcame challenges. Have them share content throughout the event on social media and within your event app.

💡 Tip: Tailor the content to various attendee groups, offering specialized sessions for different franchisee needs—whether that’s new franchisees looking for basic guidance or seasoned veterans seeking advanced strategies.

5. Measuring success and ROI.

Finally, event planners must assess the success of their conventions, not only in terms of attendee satisfaction but also the long-term impact on franchise performance. 

You want to know that your efforts result in improved franchisee success, higher retention, and increased engagement after the event.

This isn’t an easy thing to measure and attribute directly to the convention.

The important thing to remember here is that you’re looking to see a general trend upward along with positive sentiment from franchisees. Qualitative feedback can be just as important as quantitative data when it comes to understanding convention success.

💡 Tip: Use surveys and feedback forms to measure attendee satisfaction, and track long-term success metrics, such as post-event franchise growth or improvements in franchisee performance. Incorporating these insights will help you refine future conventions and demonstrate clear ROI to stakeholders.

Conclusion.

Planning a successful franchise convention is challenging, but with the right strategies in place, you can overcome these obstacles and create a memorable event that drives value for your franchise network. 

From attracting attendees and managing tight budgets to ensuring meaningful engagement and measurable outcomes, the right approach can make all the difference.

Ready to get started planning? Let’s chat about how GoGather can help you take your franchise conference to the next level.