From Umbrella Company to Umbrella Convention

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Queue the hotel ballrooms, because 2024 is looking epic. On the BizCom Associates roster alone, three umbrella companies [ Best Life Brands , BRIX Holdings and Empower Brands ] representing a combined 21 brands will be hosting their first-ever inclusive franchise conventions.

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They will bring franchisees together across multiple networks in their respective organizations. Zees, zors, suppliers and more will be up close and in person. When it comes to being a part of something bigger, this is when things really get fun.

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Just ask Debbie Wright-Hood . She and her team have been organizing the Neighborly? annual reunion for the world’s largest home services company for years. Today it draws some 4,000 attendees across more than 30 brands from around the world. Unlike any other gathering, this is when a company’s culture shines brightest. And these days, prospects aren’t only drawn to a great franchise opportunity. They’re also drawn to an impressive parent company with a track record for growing and supporting not one, or two, or three…but many successful brands.

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PE firms and private investors get a lot of the credit for creating these giants. [ KKR , MidOcean Partners , The Riverside Company to name a few here.] And the impact is real. Experienced talent, powerful acquisitions, stronger support teams, like-minded brands, and faster development are ongoing. But it’s not until you get the band together and pack the room that people begin to see, understand, love and embrace the results of what umbrella companies are creating.

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The MVPs are many. The investment a small business owner has made in his or her franchise comes with some incredibly big advantages. Experienced zors. Sister companies. Cross-marketing opportunities. Stronger buying power with vendors. And, my personal favorite, access to real-life success stories and best practices from peers.

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So, sound the alarm. Things are about to get exciting for some brand new gettogethers!

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Nothing says we love food like a gathering in the Big Easy for BRIX Holdings.

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“I’m a big believer that, in the restaurant space, the best ideas and learnings come from those that are closest to our guests and in the old adage that two heads are better than one. In a portfolio group like BRIX Holdings, we want to encourage not only the sharing of best practices within each brand, but ACROSS each brand as well. That’s one of the true superpowers of a portfolio group.” - Sherif Mityas , CEO of BRIX Holdings

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That’s why BRIX Holdings will be holding court in New Orleans this fall to learn from the best and elevate the entire group to the next level. Franchise owners and their teams across Friendly's Restaurants , Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt , Red Mango, LLC , Smoothie Factory + Kitchen, Souper Salad , Humble Donut Co. and Pizza Jukebox should come hungry to “CONNECT.” That’s the theme of the convention and, with more than 80 years of franchising experience at Friendly’s alone, the agenda looks delicious.

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Jackpot! Empower Brands is “Upping the Ante” in Vegas.

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“Our theme ‘Upping the Ante’ not only speaks to this year’s location in Las Vegas, but also captures the spirit of this being our inaugural conference with our entire portfolio of brands under one roof at the same time,” said Scott Zide , CEO for Empower Brands. “Not only will this be the first time our residential and commercial service brands will have the opportunity to network, we’ll also be welcoming our newest brands to their first Empower conference: Bumble Roofing , Canopy Lawn Care , Koala Insulation , and Wallaby Windows . Plus, we’re excited to have the partnership and support of over 80 vendors in our trade show.”

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In one year, this umbrella company has grown fast ($1.2B+ and counting) as the experts in franchisee empowerment. That franchisee-first mindset and the ultimate convention aims to make the most of important synergies.

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“This year, more than ever, with the growth our organization has experienced, we recognize how critical it is to work from the same playbook across our brand teams and in supporting our franchisees in over 800 territories. That’s why our leadership and franchise support teams have adopted the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and will be featuring Gino Wickman, bestselling author of?Traction,?for a keynote workshop to share his EOS tools and proven process with our franchisees,” - Scott Zide, CEO of Empower Brands.

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Atlanta is the red hot destination for red hot senior services across Best Life Brands.

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With a focus on well-being and living one’s “best life” philosophy, it's Georgia on My Mind for one all-in Best Life Brands convention this year.

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"It will be incredible for our team to celebrate the success of so many franchisees during the upcoming event in Atlanta,” said J.J. Sorrenti , CEO of Best Life Brands. “Having the brands together allows us to have diverse sessions to delight the franchisee/attendees, gives us private time for each brand, and allows our vendor community to see as many of our franchisees as possible in an efficient way. Because our brands have a focus on senior care, it also allows us to more efficiently network with senior care industry leaders.”

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While the silver tsunami grows [ahem, more than 10,000 people turn 65 every day], kudos to Best Life Brands for the amazing and vigorous energy being felt across the rapidly-expanding footprints for ComForCare Franchise Systems, LLC , CarePatrol Franchise Systems, LLC , Blue Moon Estate Sales USA , and Boost Home Healthcare . The best will get even better when they all meet in person.

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If any of this creates convention envy out there, you’re not alone. Being part of something bigger than one’s self is why so many people invest in a franchise opportunity in the first place. It’s one thing to want to be a business owner. It’s another to own a business that brings an entire network (and in these cases many networks) together for a common cause.

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Until it's time to pack the suitcase, you may now return to your regularly-scheduled Zoom calls.

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[Sidenote: In almost 30 years of supporting franchisors, I’ve gotten more good stories to take to the media, to curate on social platforms, to ghostwrite for CEOs and more at a franchise convention than during a year’s worth of client calls. It’s straight-from-the-source access to the HQ team, award winners, American Dream examples, franchise development validators, humble “how I did it” confessions and more. Bring your PR team to your conventions. It’s a wise investment!]