6 Tips for Success at the International Franchise Association (IFA) Convention

Since this will be my second time to the IFA convention, thought I’d share some tips for first time attendees, as being a newbie is still fresh in my mind:

1. Expect to be overwhelmed. You hear there’s 4,000 people there, but it doesn’t hit you until you see it.
2. If there’s someone you want to meet, arrange it ahead of time. You won’t just ‘bump into them’ or somehow ‘meet up.’ Strategic planning will prevent you from missing an opportunity.
3. Expect to be disappointed --that you can’t attend everything. There’s a lot of great things going on concurrently and events overlap. Stop worrying about what you are missing and instead focus your attention on learning from what you are attending.
4. Get up and leave if something is not of interest to you. Sometimes you go into a workshop and it’s not what you thought it was going to be or it's not relevant to your needs. Get up and go to something else. It’s not school so no one will report you for leaving early :)
5. Be an adult. Sure, having fun and socializing is great but staying out all night drinking will make you exhausted the next day. This isn’t spring break. You are there to learn. Make good use of your time, get rest, and be fresh each day.
6. Apply what you learn. Nothing is worse than getting terrific information then throwing all your notes in a desk drawer and not implementing. Action is what separates the good from the great. Ideas die on the vine if they aren’t nurtured. Get busy as soon as you get home.