Franchise sector forges ahead |
| Ulster Bank Irish Franchise Association EXPO and Awards 2010 |
On Friday February 19th and Saturday February 20th the Irish Franchise Association host the Ulster Bank Franchise EXPO and Awards 2010 at Croke Park, Dublin. The purpose of the exhibition is to act as a showcase for Irish franchisors and the franchising sector. The Irish Franchise Awards, which will run in conjunction with the exhibition, recognise excellence in franchising and reward outstanding achievements of businesses and individuals in the franchise industry. David Killeen, Chairman of the Irish Franchise Association comments; “With the support of Ulster Bank we can promote franchising to a new level whilst delivering tangible benefits to our membership. The response from the sector to this initiative has been very favorable. The exhibition provides a cost effective opportunity in the current climate for franchisors to attract and recruit suitable franchisees”
The EXPO and Awards will be the highlight of the franchising calendar for 2010. The exhibition will take place from 10am to 6pm each day and will feature guest speakers, seminars on franchising, exhibitors from the franchise sector and extensive information and advice for individuals interested in the franchise sector. During these challenging times, many people take advantage of a redundancy package to start up their own businesses through franchising.
The awards will be presented at a formal black-tie awards ceremony in the Hospitality Suite at Croke Park on Friday February 19th 2010. The award ceremony is anticipated to be one of the most impressive business events of the year reflecting the remarkable growth of the franchise sector in these challenging times. The awards categories represent both retail and service industries and include Franchise of the Year, Franchisee of the Year, Best Emerging Franchise and Franchise Person of the Year. Declan Fitzgerald, Managing Director, Business Banking ROI, Ulster Bank said; “The importance of providing support to businesses in the current environment cannot be underestimated. It is our job to provide solid advice, appropriate financial support and a robust service to franchisees and indeed to all our business customers. We are delighted to continue our relationship with the Irish Franchise Association. The Expo and Awards provides us with a great opportunity to highlight our support in this sector and also to recognise and reward outstanding entrepreneurs.”
The franchise sector has shown significant growth over recent years and according to latest figures is worth over €2 billion with more than 270 active systems in Ireland providing over 25,000 jobs. Recessionary times have traditionally been good for franchising. All the advantages of considering franchising as a business start up are heightened somewhat in recessionary times with advantages such as availing of a proven business model, an established brand and some element of continuous and on-going support from the franchisor. |
