2010 Multi-Unit Franchising Conference Full Agenda
Click here for Agenda-at-a-Glance
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
7:30 am – 7:30 pm Registration Desk Open (Sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza Parlor)
8:30 – 10:00 am Concurrent Breakout Sessions
1. Growing to 20 Units: Lessons from Those Who Have Made It
What does it take to grow to 5, 10, or 20 units? What should your multi-unit organization look like when you get there? How do you sustain growth as a profitable multi-unit operator without stretching beyond control? Where are the opportunities in 2010 and beyond? Based on case studies of multi-unit franchisees who have grown to 20 units or more, this panel of franchisees will clarify the main issues on how to manage growth as you add more units. Drawing from the experiences of both successful and unsuccessful multi-unit owners, this session includes insights into HR, marketing, finance, accounting, operations, training, and more. If you are considering adding to the units you already own and operate, this seminar is a must.
Program Leader: Rocco Fiorentino, 2004/5 Conference Chairman, President, Eagle Tax Service and RowZone (Former Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Franchisee)
Gary Robins, Supercuts Franchisee
Jeff Rigsby, President, Boj of WNC, Bojangles' Famous Chicken 'n Biscuits Franchisee
Mike Flores, Jack in the Box Franchisee
2. Building a Winning Portfolio: Keys to Selecting New Brands
Sponsored by BGR The Burger Joint
Making the right choice on a new brand for your portfolio requires a lot. How do multi-unit franchisees shop for a new brand? If you’re in food, should you add a service or other retail concept, or stick with what you know? What should you look for in a new franchisor? Does your current franchisor offer additional brands? How do you evaluate earnings claims or analyze franchise agreements? How do you minimize risk? Should you go it alone or hire third parties or consultants? What type of relationship do you want with a new franchisor? Is a joint venture worthwhile? If a franchisor comes calling with a great deal, how much is negotiable? What turns franchisees off to brands they once considered attractive? What turns them on? Here’s your chance to learn from successful multi-unit and multi-brand operators how they’ve done it.
Program Leader: Steve Olson, Publisher, Franchise Update Media Group
Sean Falk, Wolfteam LLC; Nacho Gang LLC; Great American Cookies; Pretzel Time; Mrs. Fields Cookies; Pretzelmaker; Salsarita's Fresh Cantina
Greg Cutchall, Famous Dave’s, Sonic, Paradise Bakery, Tin Star, Burger Star, Rock Bottom Brewery
Norman Abdallah, Triple Tap Ventures, LLC
3. State of Security: Loss Prevention and the Bottom Line
Sometimes profit can slip right out the front (or back) door. Employee theft, shoplifting, vendor “miscounts,” and other internal losses come directly off your bottom line. While 100 percent prevention is the goal, security experts and business owners have been content to reduce, not eliminate losses. However, in today’s economy, with every dollar more critical than ever, operators are paying renewed attention to loss prevention. Advances in state-of-the-art security technologies, combined with a commitment to implementing policies, procedures, and practices to secure your operations, can go a long way to significantly reducing “shrinkage”—and provide a safe working environment for your employees. Would you like to provide better security measures for your employees and customers? This session features multi-unit franchisees and experienced security experts who know firsthand the value of securing franchise locations—and the ways to achieve it. They’ll detail the methods they’ve deployed successfully, explain how and why they work, and answer your questions about improving security at your locations.
Program Leader: Joe Szvetitz, Principal, Risk Management Services
10:30 am– 12:00 pm Concurrent Breakout Sessions
1. Multi-Brand Growth Strategies: Integrating New Concepts and Building a Power Portfolio
Sponsored by BGR The Burger Joint
Looking to diversify risk and find a growing brand that fits the times? The advantages of diversifying your brand portfolio are obvious: seldom have two brands lagged at the same time. But which brands, and which sectors, will be winners? And even with a winner, how do you integrate it into your current organization? Learn how successful multi-brand franchisees identified and resolved the critical issues involved in choosing a new brand and fitting it into their existing operation. How do you manage competing loyalties inside your company? How should your organizational model change? Where do economies of scale and synergies exist, and where must you keep your brands, and employees, separate? Issues such as choosing anternal brand champion, confidentiality, your changing role in the organization, training, budgeting, marketing, and more will be discussed by multi-concept franchisees and franchisors. Bring your questions to this all-industry forum addressing the intricacies of multi-brand franchise growth.
Program Leader: Rocco Fiorentino, President, Eagle Tax Services and RowZone, Former Franchisee, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
Greg Cutchall, Famous Dave’s, Sonic, Paradise Bakery, Tin Star, Burger Star
Sherman Lewis, Jack in the Box, Franchisee
Tony Lutfi, MarLu Investments, Church’s, Arby’s, Little Caesar’s
2. MU101: Multi-Unit Franchising Fundamentals
Sound fundamentals and principles are the building blocks of any successful business. This workshop is for franchisors and franchisees seeking to grow through a relationship in which a single franchisee (individual, partnership, or corporation) is granted the right to open and operate multiple units within a geographic area. What have been the best sources for qualified multi-unit leads over the past year? What do modern development agreements look like? How have strategies changed to grow existing franchisees? What’s the right size for your infrastructure—what’s too much and what’s too little? What do successful developers need and want from their franchisors and suppliers? What creative financing techniques are they using to fund growth? Should defaults under existing franchise and development agreements be handled differently in today’s economy? How do growing franchisors deal with negative unit performance and overcome negative validation? How do you keep spirits high and drive excellence in this market? What tools are in place to assist franchisees and build upon the franchise relationship? Learn from multi-unit franchisees what characteristics are needed to succeed.
Program Leader: Lane Fisher, Partner, Fisher & Zucker
Todd Evans, Vice President of Franchising, Aaron’s
Michael D'Arezzo, Director, Franchise Sales - North America - Carl's Jr. CKE Restaurants, Inc.
Rob Gerstenfeld, Director of Franchising, Checkers Drive In Restaurants
Spencer Smith, TUR, Inc., Aaron's Franchisee
Michael Razipour, Carl's Jr. Franchisee
Aziz Hashim, Checkers Franchisee
3. Just Added! Jim Sullivan on Fundamentals: How To Be Brilliant on the New Basics -- The 7 Stages of Building High-Performing Partnerships and Teams
What differentiates high-performing operators from average ones? How do the best managers and franchisees get great and stay great by consistently building same store sales, high-performing teams, and more repeat business in their markets? This dynamic presentation, led by Jim Sullivan will answer those questions and more. It's based on 3 years of new industry-wide research and best practices with nearly 500 operators across 21 different brands.
The Fundamentals presentation focuses on the 7 best profitability practices of high-performing operators and franchisees in North America. This dynamic multimedia program takes a comprehensive and realistic look at retail and c-store leadership in challenging times, detailing the key strategies and tactics that will measurably improve your people, performance and profitability in the next three years. We'll examine the best practices of the USA's best-run and most profitable retail, c-store and foodservice operations relative to culture, team-building, profitability, hiring, retention, marketing, service, leadership, and training. We'll then detail how to implement those lessons in our stores to measurably improve our people, performance and profitability. We'll share the behind-the-scenes insight these companies use to make their crew and leaders smarter and operators earn more. Fundamentals is guaranteed to leave your team focused and energized, with tons of takeaways focused on execution back in your units.
Program Leader: Jim Sullivan, CEO/Founder, Sullivision.com
12:00 – 1:30 pm Private Multi-Unit Franchisee Luncheon Session – The Solution Zone (Franchisees Only) (Sponsored by Alamo Drafthouse Cinema)
1:45 – 3:00 pm Concurrent Breakout Sessions
1. Accelerating Growth through Area Representation
Misconceptions abound about area representation as a franchise growth strategy. Area representatives take on certain obligations traditionally performed by the franchisor and are compensated for doing so. This allows franchisors to grow rapidly without adding infrastructure, and provides area reps with an opportunity to expand their organization and reap greater rewards—in exchange for the greater risk and responsibility they assume. This workshop, for franchisees and franchisors considering area representation as a way to speed their growth in the U.S., explains the different types of area representation models (sometimes called area franchising or area development). Topics will include how area representative agreements typically are structured and executed; how franchise fees and royalties are divided; who is responsible for recruitment, site selection, and ongoing training and support; enforcement of operational standards, franchisee compliance, and collections; and how the economy has affected initial fees, development schedules, and territory size. Hear from experts on what makes a good area representative, where franchisors are finding the most qualified prospects, and if this is a growth strategy that could work for you. And, whether successful or not, how does one exit an area representative relationship? These questions—and yours—will be addressed throughout this drill-down workshop.
Program Leader: Brian Schnell, Partner, Faegre & Benson
Don Fox, CEO, Firehouse Subs
Mike Pietrzyk, Fire Hydrant Management LLC, Firehouse Subs Area Developer
Chris Morocco, CEO, Petrus Brands Inc.
Jason Mann, Owner/Operator, Area Developer for Planet Smoothie
2. Buying and Selling: Valuation Trends in a Volatile Economy
In the current environment of economic uncertainty and tightening credit markets, are valuations holding for multi-unit franchise organizations—and how do you determine that? This session examines past, current, and future trends of valuation multiples and how buyers are seeing the market in a variety of industries today. What are the deal points? What are the timelines? Learn the critical points in the transaction process that can stop a deal dead in its tracks—and how to keep it moving forward; how the cost of capital is computed; benchmarking methods and strategies that pinpoint opportunities to maximize business value; the value drivers of a business; and how to evaluate the services financial consultants and business intermediaries can provide to maximize value when a business is sold. A panel of multi-unit franchisees, with experts on mergers and acquisitions, financing, and legal issues address the complex, interrelated factors involved in buying or selling a multi-unit franchise business.
Program Leaders: Dean Zuccarello, Partner, Cypress Group
Joyce Mazero, Partner, Haynes & Boone
Mike Elliott, Managing Director, Peak Franchise Capital
3. Real Estate: Negotiating Smart Deals in Today’s Marketplace
Commercial real estate values have taken a big hit in the past couple of years, with forecasts of further declines ahead. This reversal in fortune for landlords presents franchise organizations with opportunities to negotiate favorable terms that, until only recently, seemed unimaginable. With both landlords and bankers desperate to fill commercial space, both short term and long, franchisees are negotiating sweet deals on new leases and renegotiating old leases—and are winning concessions on such items as build-out and tenant improvement allowances. In this session, experienced franchisees and real estate experts offer insights into the market factors that are dramatically affecting commercial real estate. Learn how to improve the odds you can lower your rent, assume existing leases at reduced cost, extend your lease at current rates, link your rent to the continued presence of anchor tenants, eliminate the need for key money and personal guarantees, and even get marketing money from your landlord. There are great deals out there, just waiting for you. You’ll leave this session armed with the know-how to find them and the negotiating skills to land them.
Program Leader: John Metz, Denny’s, Dairy Queen, Hurricane Wings
Dale Willerton, Principal, The Lease Coach
Greg Vojnovic, Vice President of Development, Popeye's
4. Belt-Tightening Strategies to Boost Your Bottom Line
With consumer spending down, today’s savvy multi-unit operators are digging into every facet of their operation to reduce their expenses as a way to add dollars to the bottom line. Necessity, born of tough times, is bringing out the resourcefulness of hard-nosed operators looking to save dollars and cents on everything from napkins and condiments to cleaning supplies and energy bills. This survival-of-the-fittest mentality has helped some multi-unit franchisees find success in renegotiating vendor contracts and leases, and in fine-tuning the schedules of their hourly workers based on changing customer traffic patterns. From lawn service operators finding less expensive ingredients to fast food managers retraining front-line employees on maintaining service excellence even as they reduce staff size—hear how multi-unit operators are solving the problem of balancing the competing demands of maintaining customer service and product/service quality as they seek ways to reduce expenses to ride out the economic storm. Those who survive will be well-positioned for growth as the economy turns upward once again. Looking for some fresh ideas you can try? Bring your notepad! This is a session sure to send you home with a long list of money-saving ideas.
Program Leader: Gary Grace, 2009 Conference Chair, Franchisee, Supercuts
Greg Jones, Five Guys Burger and Fries Franchisee, CEO of Bookkeeping Express
Ron Millard, Partner, Redstone Capital Partners
Rabi Viswanath, Jack in the Box, Franchisee
3:10 – 4:15 pm Concurrent Breakout Sessions
1. Maximizing Human Capital: Best Practices for Recruiting and Retaining Top Talent
This fast-paced session examines the major shifts in the employment market that have occurred in the past year, and how to identify trends and opportunities to navigate successfully in 2010 and beyond. How does the nation’s 10 percent unemployment rate translate into better candidates for your front-line staff, managers, and franchisees? If you have to lay off employees, how do you determine which positions to eliminate, and which individuals to let go? How do you retain your best employees if you need to reduce their hours? Does cross-training make sense to allow employees to move among your different locations and/or brands? What are the key questions you should be asking yourself and your management team as you examine these options? Hear what other multi-unit franchisees are doing to answer these critical questions. Get a fresh perspective from employment professionals on how to find the opportunity in crisis. Learn how to motivate your employees and managers through performance-based incentives that pay for themselves through increased sales—and why the number-one motivator isn’t money. Bring your questions and be prepared to go home with solutions you can implement immediately.
Program Leader: Mel Kleiman, CEO, Humetrics
Cheryl Robinson, Sapphire Ventures, Supercuts Franchisee
Dave Melton, Domino’s Pizza Franchisee
2. Mega-Franchisees: How They Keep on Growing in Any Economy
Beyond multi-unit operators is a special breed of large operators who oversee dozens, perhaps hundreds, of units. They didn’t get there by accident. Hard work, skill, shrewd management, intuition, and a little luck all played a role in making these operators who and what they are today. At this session a panel of successful “Mega Zees” share their views on measuring and managing growth; hiring and retaining the best people; negotiating with vendors, landlords, and real estate professionals; and building the optimal organization and infrastructure to maximize their operations, get the most out of their resources, and continue to expand—even in the toughest times. Looking to expand your empire? Need tips on finding the best people for your system? If you’re serious about serious growth, this session is for you. Personal stories of struggle and success, mistakes and victories, are sure to inspire and send you home with a burning desire to make your growth dreams real.
Program Leader: Charles Smithgall, Aaron’s, 2011 Conference Chair
Dave Griffin, Griffin Fast Lube, LLC (Jiffy Lube)
Jim Bodenstedt, MUY Brands
Glen Helton, Strategic Restaurants Acquisitions Corp.,
3. Building Winning Franchisee Associations and Advisory Councils
The franchisee-franchisor relationship is the linchpin of franchising success: when it’s going well, an organization prospers; when it goes negative, well…Despite the best intentions of both franchisees and franchisor, there are times when the relationship becomes adversarial, or two parties with similar goals honestly disagree on the best way to reach them. Resolving these conflicts with the greater good of the franchise system in mind is not always smooth sailing. That’s why some of the best franchise systems use franchisee associations and advisory councils to balance discussions and bring about fair resolution. In this session, leaders from franchisee associations and franchisors will discuss such sticking points as how to represent franchisee interests and protect brand integrity; when to compromise and when not to; supply chain benefits; advertising fund management; and engaging franchisees in system-wide compliance. When franchisees and franchisors are in alignment, everyone wins. Learn the best practices of successful franchisee associations through a frank discussion among experienced franchise association and advisory council representatives.
Program Leader: Lyndon Johnson, Conference Chair, Reciprocity Group, Church's Chicken Franchisee Association President
Gary Grace, 2009 Conference Chair, Supercuts Franchisee, Supercuts Franchisee Association President
Anil Yadav, Jack in the Box and Denny's Franchisee, Jack in the Box Franchisee Association President
4. Driving Returns: Best ROI Strategies for Local Marketing
As multi-unit operators build out their territory, how do they tailor their marketing to the buying behaviors of the different demographic, ethnic, and age groups they’re sure to encounter? For multi-brand franchisees the challenges are even greater. In this session, a panel of franchisees and franchisors address the power of “inside-out marketing” and share their solutions on how to build an aggressive customer acquisition program through local media and grassroots efforts. You’ll learn how their techniques, ideas, and campaigns are working; and the latest tools and tips for successfully targeting micro-markets through database marketing, online optimization, cross-promotions, coupons, circulars, radio, newspaper, community events, sponsorships, PR, instant cell phone and mobile media coupons, and more. Today’s customers are more value-driven, cost-conscious, and tech-savvy than ever. Smart marketers who adapt to their changing needs and preferences will thrive. Attend this session and take home some real live revenue-generating solutions.
Program Leader: Dawn Kane, President, Hot Dish
Robert Parson, Synergy Dining, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Franchisee
Doug Miller, Papa Murphy's Franchisee
4:30 – 5:30 pm Private Franchisee-Only Tailgate Party (Sponsored by Petrus Brands)
5:30 – 7:30 pm Kickoff Cocktail Reception in Expo Hall Stadium (Sponsored by Fuddruckers Inc)
Thursday, March 25, 2010
7:30 am – 7:30 pm Registration Desk Open (Sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza Parlor)
9:00 – 9:30 am Conference Opens: National Anthem by Rocco Fiorentino, Jr.
Conference Chair’s Welcome and Opening Address
9:30 - 10:30 am Keynote: Mike Ditka — Playbook for Success
Coach Mike Ditka brings his game of enthusiasm, passion, and humor to present a winning coach’s recipe for success. Coach of the 1985 NFL champion Chicago Bears—perhaps the greatest (and quirkiest) football teams to ever take the field—Ditka also is one of only two men in the history of professional football to win championships as a player, assistant coach, and head coach. Following his brief career as an analyst for NBC’s NFL Live, Ditka returned to the game he loves, taking over as head coach of the New Orleans Saints for three seasons, 1997 to 1999. Currently a contributor to the team on CBS’s NFL Today, Ditka’s successes, both on and off the field, make him one of the most compelling speakers on the circuit today. In this inspiring keynote presentation, he will share his experience of how commitment, attention, and attitude result in victory, whatever the game.
10:30am–10:45am Break
10:45 – 11:40 am Thom Winninger — Trendforces: Creating Distinctive Value from the Consumer’s Perspective
Are you ready for tomorrow? You’d better be: it’s coming faster than you think, with more change and volatility than you ever believed possible—even after the economy of the past couple of years. This session will cover the five consumer trends essential to business survival and growth. You’ll learn how to target trends, become more innovative, implement trending strategies, get closer to shifting markets, and recognize techno-applications; understand what motivates consumers to take advantage of your product or service; what “sharp angle marketing” is and how to get the most bang for your buck; and how to identify niches or gaps for your product or service by keeping ahead of changing consumer trends. Reinvention is the name of the game in the coming decade for businesses that want to survive and grow. As Winninger says, “Somewhere at this very moment someone is scheming to replace you in the market.” Those who fail to “use the force” of changing consumer trends will be outmaneuvered by those who do.
11:45 am – 12:30 pm Jim Sullivan — Multi-Unit Leadership Fundamentals: 10 Ways to Be Brilliant at the New Basics
What key new strategies and tactics did the most successful foodservice and retail brands deploy in the past 18 months to succeed in a challenging economy and marketplace? This presentation answers that question and more by detailing the 10 best leadership practices of high-performing franchisors and franchisees in North America. Sullivan should know: they’re his clients. This fun and fast-paced session also examines the new leadership fundamentals of the coming decade, as well as the 10 best ways to improve service, increase sales, reduce costs, drive traffic, find and retain high performers, build strong teams, and create strong multi-unit leaders. As for takeaways, you’ll also learn how to implement these fundamentals in your company to measurably improve your people, performance, and profitability in the critical areas of operations, service and sales, training, marketing, and team-building. Be sure to arrive early, Sullivan’s sessions are always standing-room-only!
12:30 – 2:00 pm Lunch in Expo Hall Stadium
2:00 – 3:00 pm Concurrent Breakout Sessions
1. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (and sports arenas, colleges, kiosks, and more)
Sponsored by Fish Consulting
Is the captive or “non-traditional” market a place you can expand your organization and increase your sales? Is there an opportunity for your product or services in unexplored venues? More and more, customers are a moving target. If you can attract their attention for a snack, a massage, a sit-down meal, or even a tan, you’ve added a new revenue stream. But where to begin? Airports are complicated and expensive. College campuses have their own rules and a very specific demographic. Learn the benefits and pitfalls of non-traditional locations; how to stay one step ahead of growing trends and concepts; how to fit a large concept into a small site; and the nuances of lease and tenancy agreements in these non-traditional locations. What are the economics? Are there branding issues the franchisor must approve? What about employment and security? Can you use mobile and social media to attract customers to your new locations? A panel of experts moderated by Stan Novack, who brought dozens of well-known and newly created concepts to airports for HMSHost, will explore these issues and take your questions on ways you can take advantage of these opportunities and reach new customers. Bring your questions and be prepared to leave this session with a solid understanding of the pros and cons of this dynamic market.
Program Leader: Stan Novack, 2007 Conference Chair, President, Novack Consulting LLC, Consultant, HMSHost Corporation
Ann Marie Solomon , Vice President Merchandising & Creative Services , ARAMARK
Joyce Mazero, Partner, Haynes & Boone
2. Social Media Marketing: New Tools To Drive New and Existing Customers
Social networking is the hottest new consumer and marketing trend to hit the online world. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more are changing the way multi-unit franchisees connect with customers, employees, and even with financing sources. Only time will tell how these evolving social media tools will play out, but everyone agrees there’s gold to be found today in the new “Web 2.0.” Figuring out where it’s buried is the question on everyone’s mind. In this session a panel of franchisee pioneers and social media gurus will explain what the new tools are, and how to sort out the hype from the reality in this newest new world. Hear about how to use social networking and social recruiting to build your business; how to integrate social media into your marketing mix; what kind of investment and return you can expect; and what types of internal resources and/or external vendors to hire for optimal results. Practical advice from early adopters on what has worked for them, what hasn’t, and where the ROI is will help you determine your level of involvement (and investment) in this emerging medium. Whether looking to connect in new ways with fans (customers), or reaching out for new front-line employees, you’ll leave this session with a realistic sense of what social media can do for you.
Program Leader: Lorne Fisher, CEO, Fish Consulting
Richard Morey, Partner, DLA Piper
BJ Emerson, Director of Information and Social Technologies, Tasti D-Lite LLC
3. Turn that Franchise Around!: Targeting Distressed and Underperforming Units
Savvy operators with an eye for opportunity have made a career of buying distressed franchises from other owners, franchisors, or at auctions. They have built successful multi-unit and multi-brand organizations, often with significant real estate holdings. In today’s economy, with struggling operators seeking ways to unload underperforming units, multi-unit organizations with cash to spare are exploring this method of growth. If you think this strategy could work for you, where do you begin? Learn from operators who have employed this strategy successfully for years how they find distressed franchise businesses; determine the right opportunities for their organization; calculate if the potential upside outweighs the risk; and what bargaining and negotiating strategies work, including knowing when to walk away. What do these deals look like, and how are they financed? How do you get the landlord on your side? And once they’ve done the deal, how do they decide if they should try to turn their new units around, shut them down and start a new concept on a prime location, or sell some or all to the highest bidder? Listen and learn from experts adept at surfing the bottom without getting wiped out.
Program Leader: Michael Seid, Principal, Michael H. Seid & Associates
Glen Helton, President, COO, Strategic Restaurants Acquisitions Corp.
Amish Parikh, Popeye's Franchisee
Jason Shifflett, Domino's Pizza Franchisee
Atour Eyvazian, Jack in the Box Franchisee
4. Finance Packaging for the Smaller Multi-Unit Franchisee
Access to capital continues to be one of today’s biggest obstacles plaguing new unit development. To improve their prospects of obtaining bank loans, multi-unit franchisees—and their franchisors—are providing bankers with date that can make underwriting easier, such as data on unit performance and system-wide performance. Banks or lenders who have no prior experience with a brand or operator are unlikely to undertake the expense and time to understand a franchise system or risk lending to its franchisees. Want money from a banker? Learn to think like one and make their job of lending to qualified borrowers (you!) easier. On their side, franchisors should prepare risk assessment documents in the language bankers understand and use to gauge risk. This session features a panel of multi-unit owners and franchise lenders prepared to tell you how to get capital flowing in your direction—and answer your specific questions on improving your organization’s access to the funds you need to expand.
Program Leader: Ellen Hui, President & CEO, EBR Investments
Darrell Johnson, President, Frandata
Reg Byrd, President, Direct Connect Ventures
3:15 – 3:30 pm General Session: Conference Multi-Unit Franchising MVP Awards
3:30 – 4:30 pm General Session: The Red Zone – No-Nonsense Talk from Hall-of-Fame Operators
Multi-unit, multi-brand hall of famers share real-world “war stories” on how they are financing growth, how their business is being affected by the economy, what they are doing about it, and how they are maintaining profitability and growth when others are struggling just to get by. Learn how they are surviving and take home tips to help you survive the lumps and bumps of today’s economy. Hear what they learned the hard way—the real way—in the trenches.
Facilitator: Lyndon Johnson, Church’s Chicken Franchisee, 2010 Conference Chair
Russ Umphenour, President and CEO, Focus Brands
Kevin Cushing, AlphaGraphics Franchisee, CEO of AlphaGraphics Corp.
Glen Helton, Strategic Restaurants Acquisitions Corp., Franchisee of Burger King, TGI Friday’s
Joe Drury, Alonzo Holdings, Franchisee of Qdoba Mexican Grill, Donatos Pizza
4:30 – 5:15 pm General Session: Financing through Private Equity and Other Capital Sources
The needs of a very attractive prospect pool—large, growth-focused franchisees—backed by private equity and other investors beg for a change in thinking by franchisors and franchisees, starting with the negotiation of the franchise relationship. This need is especially well met when the franchisor promotes franchise relationships that invite and anticipate the franchisees’ and investors business realities. This program focuses on how to build the best negotiation position by identifying those issues that merit reassessment, such as restrictions of transfer, post-termination options to buy and guarantees critical to the franchisee’s business plan and its investors’ financial commitments and exit strategies.
Facilitator: Darrell Johnson, President, Frandata
John Geenen, First Vice President – Investments, The Waterfront Investment Group, UBS Financial Services Inc.
Steve Romaniello, Managing Director, Roark Capital Group
Ron Millard, Partner, Redstone Capital Partners
Ted Torres, Hilton Garden Inn, Microtel Inn & Suites, Hampton Inn & Suites
5:30 – 7:30 pm Cocktail Party in Expo Hall Stadium – Franchisee Touchdown Challenge Winners
Friday, March 26, 2010
9:00 – 9:30 am Breakfast Session: Finance Roundtables (Sponsored by Pinkberry)
9:30 – 11:30 am Super Session: Profit Mastery: Focus on Unit Profitability and Performance (Space is limited. Registration required)
With the economy only coming around slowly, unbridled growth has given way to improving unit economics. Unit profitability and performance are, at their core, a function of three key drivers: 1) financially astute owners, managers, and advisors; 2) an effective performance measurement model; and 3) accurate financials. Many franchise networks or holding companies are lacking in one or more of these critical areas. Over the past decade, a robust economy kept the consequences of these shortcomings below the surface, with multi-unit franchisees focusing (perhaps too much) on increasing their unit count—to the exclusion of unit performance, placing their investment in peril. This session will help you adjust your priorities to fit the times, and your budget. You will come away with a Performance Checklist and tools and techniques to increase unit profitability and performance, including: creating and adhering to a standard chart of accounts; timely and accurate financial information; developing a one-page performance “scorecard”; why and how to benchmark unit performance and profitability; determining what’s required for each unit to achieve its ROI goals; communicating and creating buy-in with support staff to implement system-wide strategic assessments; and how to get the bankers on your side. If you want to add units in the future, this is the time to improve the performance the units you have.
Presenter: Steve LeFever, Chairman, Business Resource Services
