Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue III, 2016 | Page 64

BY KERRY PIPES & EDDY GOLDBERG

OPPORTUNITY BECKONS
2016 Multi-Unit Franchising Conference delivers again

L

as Vegas, home of the high rollers, once again played host to the
annual Multi-Unit Franchising
Conference this spring at Caesars Palace.
For the 16th consecutive year, multi-unit
franchisees, franchise brands, and thirdparty suppliers gathered in the high desert
to share ideas, exchange information, and
of course do a little business.
This year’s event was another home run,
with attendees at an all-time high and a
long waiting list for booths in the Exhibit
Hall. More than 650 franchisees attended
this year, a new conference record. Their
aggregate numbers were impressive: more
than 12,000 operating units, revenues topping $11 billion in the past 12 months,
and 120,000-plus employees in the U.S.
Fore charity!
The conference, which ran from Wednesday through Friday, kicked into motion
on Tuesday for the nearly 100 attendees
who showed up a day early to participate
in the event’s annual fundraising golf tournament. The beautiful Arroyo Golf Club
at Red Rock hosted the scramble-style
tournament, which has become a signature event, not only for a chance to play
golf and have some fun in the beautiful

62

Michael Kulp, conference chairman

CONFERENCE BY
THE NUMBERS
A quick summary of some aggregated statistics from the 16th
annual Multi-Unit Franchising
Conference in Las Vegas this
past April:
• Attendees: 1,566
• Franchisees: 652
• Units: 12,000+
• Exhibitors: 250+
• Revenues: $11 billion+
• Employees: 120,000+

Nevada desert, but also to participate in
raising significant sums for charity in the
process. Combined with the Silent Auction, held in the Exhibit Hall throughout
the conference, the tournament helps raise
tens of thousands of dollars for worthy
causes, notably the Little Rock Foundation,
an organization of parents with children
living with blindness, visual impairment,
and other disabilities.
That evening, a welcome reception
at Carmine’s Italian restaurant inside the
Forum Shops in Caesars Palace served as
the official kick-off event for the conference. The reception featured cocktails,
hors d’oeuvres, and plenty of lively conversation. The first hour offered first-time
attendees an opportunity to meet Conference Advisory Board members and learn
more about the conference before the
veteran attendees showed up to reconnect.
Day 1: Let the gains begin
The registration desk opened early Wednesday morning and the hallways began to
buzz with anticipation as attendees fueled
up on coffee and a light breakfast before
heading into the first general session. In
her opening remarks, Therese Thilgen,
CEO of Franchise Update Media, wel-

MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE IS S UE III, 2016

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