NFL Star Deion Sanders and Senator Joe Manchin Set to Deliver Keynote Speeches at the Annual Franchise Conference
The 2024 International Franchise Association Annual Convention promises that franchisors, franchisees, suppliers and others aligned with the business model will be able to learn about sustainable, long-term strategies that help them thrive. The Phoenix convention officially starts Saturday, but today, the IFA is holding pre-convention housekeeping activities, which include certified franchise executive (CFE) special sessions, a law center meeting, and IFA committee and board of directors’ meetings.
The hard-hitting rank-and-file events will start Saturday morning and will conclude Tuesday morning. At the opening session, IFA President and CEO Matt Haller and Great Clips Inc. CEO Steve Hockett will speak on the state of franchising.
In his keynote address at the opening session, University of Colorado football coach and former NFL star Deion Sanders – aka “Coach Prime” – will present 21 ways to win on and off the field. U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat representing West Virginia and a longtime franchising advocate, will also address the opening session. Manchin is known for urging that lawmakers end partisan extremism and make progress on legislation that helps the nation and its citizens.
Tips from the C-Suite
In other sessions, IFA Convention attendees will hear from:
- Denny’s CEO Kelli Valade, who is expected to discuss servant leadership, catering to a diverse customer base, and fostering a culture of empathy.
- School of Rock CEO Rob Price, who will discuss how his brand has experienced a turnaround through shared values and value creation.
- Justin Hoeveler, the CEO of Youth Enrichment Brands, who will describe the operation of a platform company, including funding synergies and assessing a company’s culture when a platform considers a particular acquisition.
- Neighborly brands’ Chief Operating Officer Mary Kennedy Thompson, CFE, will drill down into the ways that private equity affects franchising at all levels, including its impact on Neighborly in particular. She will delve into why private equity can be right for some companies and not for others.
- Flynn Group CEO Greg Flynn, on why his franchise pivoted from quick-service restaurant brands to fitness. (Flynn Group, the world’s largest franchisee, recently made headlines with the news that it is courting a majority investor.
Other Speakers and Networking
Some of the other session presenters include Don Yaeger, leadership/motivational speaker and executive coach; economist Joe Brusuelas; multi-unit ownership topics with Jesse Keyser, who is the multi-brand, 50-unit owner of Keyser Enterprise 1, and David Humphrey, who is vice chair of Ignite Fitness Holdings; Shawn DuBravac, Ph.D., the chief economist and senior director of research at the Consumer Electronics Association; business trends and multicultural marketing specialist Kelly McDonald; Erin Merritt, leader of customer insights for Coca-Cola; Rafi Mohammed, Ph.D., a pricing strategy consultant; and Wanda Williams, head of global franchising for Yum! Brands.
In addition to the above agenda content, the convention will offer generous opportunities to network with franchise industry leaders, franchisees, franchisor and supplier representatives, and others who work in and for the industry. Among those agenda activities are a prayer breakfast, a VetFran reception, an exhibit hall, the Diversity Institute Meeting: Pride & Black Franchise Leadership, Hispanic & Latino Council meetings, and immersive workshops.
More information about the 2024 IFA Convention and agenda details is available here.
