YoungCon Will Offer Strategies in Franchise Development, Digital Marketing and Business Technologies
The Franchise YoungConference, also known as YoungCon, is set for January 30th – February 1st, 2022, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Sponsored by Fishman Public Relations and Fisher Zucker, this conference is an opportunity for young innovators in franchising to come together to share ideas and learn about the ever-changing digital world. Franchise business leaders can be left behind if they haven’t thought about implementing the latest technology. While older innovators have the advantage of experience over their younger counterparts, business leaders constantly look for creative ways to think outside the box and take inspiration from their younger peers.
This first conference was inaugurated in 2019 and featured workshops on the latest strategies in development, digital marketing, and business technologies. Other topics discussed included using virtual reality, artificial intelligence’s effect on the industry, and new approaches to social media. The conference was founded by Zack Fishman, Director of Innovation at Fishman Public Relations, and Ryan Hicks, VP Business Development of Rallo.com and Host, MODRN BUSINESS Podcast, which the two men do together.
“We wanted to have a setting where the young (and the young-minded) come together to network in one place. In the same way that our predecessors have via numerous IFA conferences, Ryan and I wanted to jumpstart the next generation of franchising leaders through this conference,” Fishman said.
Technology is incredibly important for young innovators. Data shows 91% of GenZers say that technology would be a decisive factor for choosing a job. This makes conferences like YoungCon that much more important.
With the Franchise YoungConference, our goal is to ensure that each person brings their problem to the event and has a solution for them on the plane ride home.
Zack Fishman
“We felt that the conferences being hosted today didn’t have enough content that allowed you to take actionable insights away from them. With the Franchise YoungConference, our goal is to ensure that each person brings their problem to the event and has a solution for them on the plane ride home. What other conference can say that?” Fishman said.
There is a generational divide that is happening in the industry. This is especially true as more young people from Generation Z are coming into the workforce and are coming of age to vote in national elections. Data backs up that Generation Z, or those born between 1997 and 2012, is one of the most entrepreneurial generations ever. About 62% of Gen Zers have said that they will start a business or already have. It is safe to say that young people have a lot to add to the franchising industry.
“The franchise model is a beautiful yet comfortable method of doing business. We believe that young founders like Unleashed Brands CEO Michael Browning (pictured above) and Horsepower Brands CEO Josh Skolnick, force franchising to take a look in the mirror due to their mentality of ‘What can I do better and how quickly can I effectively do so?’ Young founders bring innovative ideas, but they bring quick action as well. All of our collaborators at this conference reflect that!” Fishman said.
Fishman believes that the most significant component of the trend of entrepreneurship among young people is that Gen Z doesn’t like being told what to do. “Working for corporate America will be pretty unappealing to someone who doesn’t appreciate the authority,” he said. “However, Gen Z is a generation that is simultaneously looking for more guidance than their predecessors due to their reliance on technology and their parents.”
With franchising, young innovators can be their own bosses and have the added benefit of guidance from others to help them succeed. Fishman also believes that Gen Z will impact many sectors, especially in the home service category, in the coming years.
The Franchise YoungConference 2022
While the Franchise YoungConference is intended for the under-45 crowd, Fishman says that no ID is required at the door, and all are welcome to attend. Additionally, the mascot for the Franchise YoungConference is a deer, representing the entrepreneurial young bucks coming up in the industry. YoungCon is part of a family of UnEvents, including Springboard, an annual conference for emerging and re-emerging brands, and UnConference, an “extreme networking retreat” for founders and high-ranking franchise executives from emerging and mature brands, multi-unit franchisees and supplier sponsors. In addition to exciting conferences like YoungCon, there are many franchise-related conferences scheduled for 2022. The importance of attending these events cannot be overstated because it is an excellent opportunity to network and meet like-minded people looking to succeed in franchising, especially young innovators who can benefit significantly from them.