Irish franchise sector flourishes

The strength of the Irish franchising sector will be highlighted at The Ulster Bank Irish Franchise Association Expo and Awards on April 27 and 28.

With its wide selection of seminars and exhibitors, the Ulster Bank Irish Franchise Association Expo and Awards at the RDS Dublin, will provide an opportunity for visitors to access information and advice about franchising that would normally take months of research.

In conjunction with the exhibition, The Irish Franchise Awards will recognise excellence in franchising and reward the outstanding achievements of businesses and individuals engaged in the Irish franchise industry.

During these tough economic times, it has become apparent that increasing numbers of people have been turning to franchising. As a result of redundancy, job dissatisfaction, or just a deep-rooted entrepreneurial desire, Ireland is rapidly waking up to the vast opportunities to be found in franchising – it remains one of the few buoyant markets in uncertain times.

According to the latest Irish franchise survey, there has been a marked increase in turnover for the sector to €2.4 billion representing an increase of 15 per cent since the last survey in 2006. In total, the Irish franchise industry contributes 4,086 operating units in Ireland and has generated 42,927 full-time jobs.

The exhibition and awards will be the highlight of the Irish franchising calendar in 2012. The exhibition, the only franchise event in Ireland that is fully endorsed and managed by the Irish Franchise Association (IFA), will take place from 10am to 6pm on Friday, April 27, and 10am to 4pm on Saturday, April 28.

Both days will feature guest speakers, seminars about franchising, exhibitors from the franchise sector and extensive information and advice for individuals interested in franchising. New workshops will be introduced, as will a separate seminar area, panel discussions and private meeting rooms for franchisors and prospective franchise owners to discuss opportunities privately.

Chairman of the IFA, David Killeen, says: "As with last year's exhibition, this exhibition is being run purely on a not-for-profit basis and any surplus funds generated will be reinvested back into the franchise sector to assist our voluntary body deliver our mission of 'promoting and developing best practice franchising in Ireland and creating an environment within which franchising can grow'. We strongly appeal to all active franchisors to continue to get behind this initiative and give it their full support. We welcome our continued partnership with Ulster Bank, which regularly demonstrates its commitment to the SME (small and medium size enterprises) sector and, in particular, the franchise sector through supporting initiatives such as the Franchise Expo and Awards."

The Irish Franchise Association Expo and Awards in 2010 and 2011 enjoyed significant success, spearheaded by the IFA and supported by Ulster Bank, with 55 exhibitors and more than 2,500 visitors attending each year.

Orna Stokes, Senior Manager of SME Strategy at Ulster Bank, says: "Every day at Ulster Bank we work with SME and corporate businesses across a range of industries to provide business and lending support. It is our job at Ulster Bank to provide solid advice, appropriate financial support and a robust service to our business customers to help them take advantage of the opportunities that are out there, whether at home or abroad. We are delighted to continue our relationship with the IFA. The expo provides us with a great opportunity to support the start-up and franchising sector and the awards recognise and reward outstanding entrepreneurs in Irish franchising."

Written by Fraser McKay