Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue IV, 2013 | Page 65

franchisee with brands including Popeyes,
Subway, and Checkers/Rally’s, will serve
as Conference Chair for next year’s event.
He has been working closely with Thilgen
and her team at Franchise Update to review
previous conference content and scheduling and make adjustments and improvements for 2014.
Local area marketing dominated the
group’s discussion early on. Board members discussed the importance of guerilla
marketing, proper budgeting and spending,
measuring results, and how to “own your
neighborhood.” These experienced operators understand that success in their markets
takes a concerted local effort and tracking
what’s working and what isn’t—and using
data to fine-tune their efforts.
Franchisee-franchisor relationships and
the importance of working closely with their
franchisors was another hot topic. Board
members acknowledged this can be a contentious area, but spoke positively about how
open communication and keeping mutual
interests in mind can make a significant
improvement for both sides and help grow
the brand as a whole.

The 2014 Multi-Unit
Franchising
Conference
Advisory Board
The 2014 Multi-Unit Franchising Conference Advisory Board consists of multi-unit
franchisees active in all areas of franchising, from hair to burgers and subs to auto
repair to home health care. Several oversee more than 200 units in their diverse
portfolios. Attendees this year included
Steve Adams, Bob Chase, Greg Cutchall, Sean Falk, Rocco Fiorentino, Gary
Grace, David and Maureen Grimaud,
Bill Hall, Aziz Hashim (2014 Chair), Ellen Hui, Mike Kulp, Tony Lutfi, David
Ostrowe, Gary Robins, Cheryl Robinson,
Grant Simon, Charles Smithgall, Ricky
Warman, and Anil Yadav.
Board members unable to attend this
year were Rob Branca, John Hotchkiss,
Ken Leese, John Metz, Glenn Mueller,
Guillermo Perales, Lloyd Sugarman, Ted
Torres, and Eric Werner.

This led into a lively discussion about
franchise agreements and the changing balance of power in