International Franchise Association

05/12/2026

The Case for Autonomous Marketing
📅 Today, May 12 at 1:00 PM ET | Webinar
Starting soon — secure your spot now: https://franchise-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/7317768685237/WN_9_0fyLIwQHeXe3J-RoO1-A

In today’s Lunch N Learn, ActiveCampaign’s Director of Product Marketing, Camille Cohen, outlines why autonomous marketing should be part of your next budget conversation, and how to approach the discussion strategically.

What You'll Learn:
🔹 How autonomous marketing moves beyond traditional automation
🔹 Real examples of marketers implementing autonomous workflows
🔹 Measurable ROI and business impact of adopting this approach

Step into your next budget discussion with a clear, compelling case for autonomous marketing.

Most marketers are still treating AI as a shortcut for individual tasks. The ones pulling ahead are building something different: autonomous marketing systems that make decisions, run campaigns, and optimize results with far less hands-on effort. The gap between those two groups is widening fast, an...

05/11/2026

Join the SE Michigan Franchise Business Network and Women’s Franchise Network on May 28 from 5:00 – 7:00 PM ET at the Born In Detroit Store for an evening dedicated to strengthening connections within your local franchise community.

Moderated by Larisa Walega, Chief Growth Officer of Ziebart, this conversation brings together local perspectives on what’s working, where there are opportunities, and how franchise systems can better support success.

What You’ll Gain:
🔹 A clearer view of what’s driving performance in today’s environment
🔹 Insight into how franchisors and suppliers can better support operators
🔹 Applicable lessons from franchisees navigating real-world challenges

Secure your spot: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/operators-at-the-center-what-it-really-takes-to-win-in-franchising-tickets-1987693508792?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

05/11/2026

AI tools like Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and voice assistants are no longer surfacing a list of options—they’re recommending one. For franchise brands, that shift creates both a challenge and a significant opportunity.

Join Matt Connolly, Vice President of Enterprise SEO at Scorpion, on May 19 at 1:00 PM ET for the webinar What the AI Search Shift Means for Franchise Brands as he shares what’s driving AI recommendations and what your brand can do to influence them across every location.

Walk away with:
🔹A clear picture of the new search landscape
🔹The local visibility factors that matter most at scale
🔹A framework for measuring what’s working

Building a system-wide approach to AI search visibility starts here. Sign up: https://franchise-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/4017776431918/WN_whqYoNlASXmqcoQ0cRQMRg

05/11/2026

Last Chance to Register for the 2026 IFA Legal Symposium — Get In On The Action 📅 May 17–19, 2026 | Washington, D.C.

Franchise law is shaped in real time by regulators, legislation, and the challenges playing out across brands every day. There’s a difference between reading about changes in franchise law and being in the room while it’s being worked through.

Join your peers across legal, business, and advisory roles to compare approaches, challenge assumptions, and stay up on what’s next.

Why Washington?
🔹 The conversations shaping enforcement and policy
🔹 The people interpreting and applying the rules
🔹 The real-time shifts impacting your system

⚖️ IFA26 Legal Highlights:
🔹 Federal Trade Commission insights from Christine Todaro
🔹 Franchisor–franchisee alignment with Matthew Haller and 2026 IFA Chair Sam Ballas
🔹 Joint Employer Reckoning
🔹 Gabe Karp on transforming conflict to collaborative growth
🔹 Tough Conversations with Franchise Gladiators featuring Michael Joblove, Norman Leon, and Robert Zarco
🔹 Working sessions, roundtables, and peer exchange

Optional Add On - Progressive Dinner: Build relationships across the franchise ecosystem in a setting designed to help understand the franchise legal landscape. Open to first-timers and rising franchise legal professionals.

See how others are navigating the same pressures, and how they’re preparing for what’s ahead. Join the franchise legal community at IFA26 Legal.

▶️ Last Chance to Register: https://bit.ly/IFA26LegalFB

05/10/2026

Hot topic alert: The moment a franchise brand crosses a border, the rules change. Hear the legal realities behind international expansion and what franchisors need to understand before entering new markets at the IBA/IFA Joint Conference in Washington, D.C., May 19-20.

“The discussions there are really interesting and I always leave with some great takeaways,” says Sophie Peasley, Associate at Hamilton Pratt in the UK, who will lead the hot topic discussion on Common Law vs. Civil Law systems.

Cross-border franchising means learning how different legal systems influence business at every level. Join franchise practitioners from around the world to compare perspectives, challenge assumptions, and trade practical insight across markets.

Register: https://bit.ly/IBAIFA26FB

05/08/2026

Clients love to dig into trouble, whether it’s with a shovel or a metaphorical bulldozer. No matter how deep the hole gets, it’s your job to help them climb back out. Get a leg up on systemwide change, legal complexity, and difficult operational pivots at IFA26 Legal in Washington, D.C.

On the agenda: Jason Bauman of Planet Fitness will moderate a discussion on redefining franchise systems, managing transition periods, and balancing relationships with franchisees.

Use IFA26 Legal to dig into practical strategies, creative solutions, and conversations grounded in today’s franchise legal challenges.

Register here:https://bit.ly/IFA26LegalFB

05/08/2026

Franchise brands have long relied on Unit-Level Economics to guide growth, performance, and investment, but inconsistent data, delayed reporting, and non-standardized financials often make those metrics unreliable. Without a trusted data foundation, true insight and action aren’t possible.

In this Wednesday Wise Webinar, May 20 at 2:00 PM ET, John Babcock, Brand President of Lash Lounge, and Qvinci Software CEO Brad Adams provide the playbook on how leading franchise systems operationalize Unit-Level Economics across every location.

Learn how to:
🔹 Standardize financial and operational data across units
🔹 Benchmark true apples-to-apples KPIs
🔹 Gain near real-time visibility into performance
🔹 Make smarter growth decisions

This is where franchise performance management evolves from fragmented reporting to clarity and control.

Register Now: https://franchise-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/4017768687061/WN_VUEfiqFBS9q8iZpBKntZHg

05/07/2026

If you’re talking about “supporting small businesses” but leaving out franchise owners — you’re missing the full picture. 🧵

05/07/2026

Franchise growth doesn’t follow a one-size-fits-all model. The right development strategy depends on where you are today — and where you’re trying to go.

Join the IFA Franchisor Forum webinar, Build, Buy, or Borrow: Choosing the Right Franchise Development Engine for Your Growth Stage, on May 14 at 12:00 PM ET to evaluate which approach aligns with your current stage, internal infrastructure, and long-term vision.

This virtual session delivers lessons learned from the field, along with a framework you can apply to assess your development strategy with greater clarity.

As part of The Franchisor Forum Growth Lab series, the conversation continues after the presentation with interactive breakout discussions — giving you the opportunity to ask questions and learn from your peers.

Register today: https://franchise-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/P9ggUdKES7eLgLA47yMx7g #/registration

05/07/2026

⏰ Happening today at 2:00 PM ET — Get Involved in America’s 250th Anniversary

July 4 is always an important occasion for local brand visibility, but this year’s 250th anniversary presents a whole new opportunity for brands to celebrate and mark the occasion in communities across the nation.

Join Matt Haller, IFA’s President and CEO, and Rachel Gerli, Chief Partnerships Officer for Freedom 250, today, May 7 at 2:00 PM ET to learn how to get involved with the celebration and support IFA’s advocacy for the American Franchise Act along the way.

Rachel will introduce Freedom 250 and share how the initiative is shaping a year-long celebration at the federal level — and, more importantly, how franchise brands and local operators can plug into it in meaningful, creative, and profitable ways.

We’ll walk through the key themes and government-led moments planned for each month, highlighting where consumer attention will be focused and how franchisees can align promotions, community engagement, and in-store experiences to match the national conversation.

You’ll leave with:
▪️ Activation ideas you can roll out across your brand
▪️ Examples from the 1976 bicentennial — how franchise brands celebrated the last landmark anniversary
▪️ Ways to align national brand messaging with local events

Sign up today to learn how to use this momentous occasion to make a mark in the communities you serve: https://franchise-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/9217768672769/WN_Jc4c_6vyRbKe5Sfm7aQoZA

05/07/2026

🌍 Expanding into Europe means navigating language, culture, and 27+ different disclosure frameworks. Hear Dagmar Waldzus of BUSE Rechtsanwälte and current Vice Chair of the International Franchising Committee of the International Bar Association discuss the realities of international franchise disclosure and why understanding European obligations requires careful attention to jurisdiction, format, language, and legal nuance.

⚖️ At the IBA/IFA Joint Conference in Washington, D.C., Dagmar will moderate a workshop focused on fulfilling disclosure obligations across Europe alongside franchise practitioners from Germany, the UK, Sweden, and Poland.

Come to Washington May 19-20, and learn to approach disclosure requirements across multiple European jurisdictions with greater clarity and confidence. Register: https://bit.ly/IBAIFA26FB