Ulster Bank Irish Franchise Association
EXPO and Awards 2012 | | | | | On Friday April 27th and Saturday April 28th 2012, the Irish Franchise Association hosts the Ulster Bank Irish Franchise Association EXPO and Awards at the RDS, Dublin. The purpose of the exhibition is to act as a showcase for Irish franchisors and the franchising sector. With an unrivalled series of seminars and exhibitors, this event is an opportunity for people to access and avail of real time information on franchising that normally takes months of painstaking research. The Irish Franchise Awards, which will run in conjunction with the exhibition, recognises excellence in franchising and rewards outstanding achievements of businesses and individuals engaged in the franchise industry.
As the recessional dust begins to settle, it's clear that more and more people have been turning to franchising. As a result of redundancy, job dissatisfaction, or just a deep-rooted entrepreneurial desire, the country is rapidly awakening to the vast opportunities to be found in franchising: it’s 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% since the last survey in 2006. In total the Irish franchise industry contributes 4,086 operating units on the island of Ireland and has generated 42,927 full-time jobs | | | The EXPO and Awards will be the highlight of the franchising calendar for 2012. The exhibition will take place from 10am to 6pm on Friday and 10am to 4pm on Saturday and will feature guest speakers, seminars on franchising, exhibitors from the franchise sector and extensive information and advice for individuals interested in franchising. New workshops will be introduced and a separate seminar area, panel discussions as well as private meeting rooms for franchisors and prospective franchisees to discuss opportunities privately. Monthly easy payment options as well as substantial early booking discounts are now in place for exhibitors to avail of.
This Expo is the only Franchise exhibition in Ireland that is fully endorsed and managed by the Irish Franchise Association. Chairman of the Association, David Killeen commented “As with last year’s exhibition, this Expo is being run purely on a not for profit basis. |
| |
| | Any surplus funds generated will be reinvested back into the franchise sector to assist our voluntary body deliver on 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 who regularly demonstrate their commitment to the SME sector and in particular the franchise sector through supporting initiatives such as the Franchise Exhibition and Awards” | | | The Irish Franchise Association EXPO and Awards 2010 and 2011 enjoyed significant success spearheaded by the Irish Franchise Association and supported by Ulster Bank, with 55 exhibitors and over 2500 visitors attending each year. The Irish Franchise Association are delighted to announce, given the success of the last two years, that they are committed to running an even bigger event on April 27th and 28th 2012 at the RDS Dublin which will facilitate even more exhibitors and access for even higher numbers of visitors.
Orna Stokes, Senior Manger, SME Strategy, Ulster Bank said; “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 Irish Franchise Association. 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."
The Irish Franchise Awards will be presented at a formal black-tie awards ceremony in the RDS Concert Hall on Friday April 27th. 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.
Booking forms and information packs are available from the Irish Franchise Association.
Call 01 8134555 or email expo@irishfranchiseassociation.com | | | | | | Press Contact: Helen O Dwyer | PR ONE | 01 5143000 | 086 2332725 | Helen@pr1.ie |
| | EXPO & Awards 2012 | - Press Release:
Onwards and Upwards for the Franchise Sector - Pictured (left) at the launch of next year's Ulster Bank Irish Franchise Association EXPO and Awards which takes place on April 27th and 28th 2012 at the RDS Dublin were:
- Orna Stokes, Senior Manager, SME & Franchising, Ulster Bank
- Tom Shanahan, Executive Director of The Irish Franchise Association.
- Anita O Neil, Area manager, Commercial Banking, Central Dublin, Ulster Bank
- David Killeen, Chairman of The Irish Franchise Association
| | |
|
