Social media trends were the talk of the convention

Why go to all the expense, time and effort of travelling not just interstate but internationally to attend a conference? As the high number of participants in the Australian delegation to the International Franchise Association’s annual convention testifies, there are plenty of reasons; in some cases franchisors are looking to see how they can dip their toes into the American market, consultants attend to pick up keen franchisors wanting to try out the Australian arena, and franchisees go because they want to gain a global perspective on the industry.

One of this year’s Franchise Council of Australia (FCA) delegates, Fadi Mikhael, a Looksmart Alterations franchisee at Garden City, Booroogan, Western Australia, explains more. “I found the topics of my interest at the IFA Convention very advanced. The size of the franchise systems in the US (companies that I’ve never heard of) is massive. I was very happy to have attended.”

For Jerry Halaby, a Sutherland, Sydney franchisee with Smart Saver, attending the US conventions is inspiring, not least because of the calibre of speakers. “Last year, one workshop with the ex-marketing manager from McDonalds talking about neighbourhood marketing, made it all worthwhile.

“No matter how big or proactive your franchise is across the board, as a franchisee you are solely responsible, the onus is on you to do the local marketing.”



Tapping into the experience of both franchisors and franchisees within a market the size and scope of the US gives Australian franchisees another perspective on challenges they may face at home. “Americans I find very open about marketing and ideas. I visit the expo too and see new ways of looking at something,” Halaby says.

Halaby ensures he attends workshops and as he says, “it was obvious this year that social media is an enormous issue”.

“You go there for the trends, and it was a little bit different five or 10 years ago; we were about two years behind, but not now.” A trend in the US will now show up in the Australian market just six to 12 months later, he believes.

Back in Sydney, Halaby has acted on the learning he gained at the convention. “I’m really out to put in a social media strategy. Not many local businesses have a very active social media presence and I want to be the first cab off the rank. I want to do it first and do it right, and get the upper hand. This is opening up another avenue for marketing, one that is much more subtle.”



There’s no doubt a trip to the IFA convention is a major investment. But it’s one that pays off, believes Halaby. “I highly recommend it. It’s a fairly substantial investment, but you’ll get it back. It shows a level of commitment to your market,” he says.

Mikhael stresses that franchisees need not travel so far to gain the insights of fellow franchisees and franchisors. “I would definitely encourage franchisees to attend the FCA’s National Conference on a regular basis,” he says. “The investment is small in comparison with the amount of education they would gain in a varied array of topics. I would say, single-unit franchisees should attend the annual FCA conference when it is in their city and multi-unit franchisees should try to attend every year.”