Multi-Unit Franchising Conference 2025: Tips and Best Practices

The Multi-Unit Franchising Conference is an event 100% focused on franchisee success, with an emphasis on Multi-Unit Franchisees. As I have explained before, operating one unit is a job while operating multiple units means having an enterprise. And that's why this whole conference is focused on multi-unit growth and success.

I will tell you that the Multi-Unit Franchising Conference (MUFC) is the #1 event that I highly recommend attending outside of your own brand conference. Why? During these days, you’ll be able to get inspired and hear renowned speakers and successful Multi-Unit Franchisees sharing powerful insights for your growth and development.

The 2025 conference will happen next week, from March 25 to March 28, in Las Vegas, NV. If you are attending this event for the first time, this blog post will provide you with valuable best practices and guidance on how to make the best out of this experience.

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Know the Event’s Structure

First of all, let's go over the conference structure:

• Main Events. Sessions where everybody's together, and the organizers share information intended for all the MUFC visitors. 
• Breakout Sessions. There will be three of them, based on the different franchise journey stages.
• Networking Events. Specific moments and situations to network with franchisees and vendors in a relaxed way.
• Exhibit Hall. You’ll have two occasions during the conference to visit the floor (the AFA will be at booth #2208!) No other activities happen while the exhibit hall is open, so you can walk the floor without hurry.

4 Things To Maximize Your Experience at MUFC25

Every moment at the Multi-Unit Franchising Conference will bring you something of value. Even though they did a great job at balancing the main events, the networking & sales opportunities, and the breakout sessions, consider these tips to make the most out of your experience at the event:

Tip #1: Define what are your goals

Really think through why you are attending this conference and investing your time and money in it, other than the amazing learning, of course. It could be a specific topic you want to educate yourself on. Maybe you want to solve an issue that’s harming your multi-unit organization. Perhaps you wish to connect with particular people during the conference or look for multi-unit opportunities to go multi-brand. 

You may want to learn from other franchisees who are experiencing what you're going through. The Multi-Unit Franchising Conference is great at this because you get to meet many business owners from different brands from all over the country and even the world. 

When you define your primary goal for the conference, you can navigate through the activities you'll engage in during the event. This is the first step to making the conference as beneficial as possible for you.

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Tip #2: Review the Agenda

This is a jam-packed conference, with the bulk of the agenda happening on Wednesday and Thursday and a little bit on Friday morning. 

As I mentioned, the conference will have general sessions and panels, plus three times when you must choose from five simultaneous breakout sessions. Examining the topics before the event will help you identify those you're interested in based on your goals.

The first round of the breakout sessions, on Wednesday, will be divided into:

• Track 1: Scaling Up, Expanding to 10 Locations
• Track 2: Building Bench Strengths and Support Infrastructure to Grow
• Track 3: Going from Management to Leadership
• Track 4: Customer Experience & Changing Buyer Behaviors
• Track 5: Discovering your Next Brand: A Guide to Effective Research

The second round, on Thursday, will be:

• Track 1: Scaling Up: Expanding from 25 to 50 Locations
• Track 2: Labor Management and Retention Tools & Strategies
• Track 3: Key Insights for a Profitable Franchisee Sale
• Track 4: Thriving Through Innovation
• Track 5: Essential Steps for Launching Your Next Brand

The third round, also on Thursday, will have the following topics:

• Track 1: Scaling Up: Growing Beyond 50 Locations
• Track 2: Media Training for Franchisees
• Track 3: Funding Diversification & Management
• Track 4: Optimizing Real Estate Investments for Future Wealth
• Track 5: Effective Change Management - Navigating System Standard Changes Using Responsible Franchising Principles

I also want to highlight that every single presenter in the breakout sessions is an existing successful multi-unit franchisee. And that is one of the unique things about this conference: over 95% of the presenters are multi-unit franchisees. 

These are some of the lectures I’m most interested in:

• Daymond John, Shark Tank Investor, Entrepreneur & FUBU CEO. I can't wait to hear this keynote speaker because I admire what he has done and accomplished.
• General Session Panel on navigating the future and choosing the right brand. The mainliners of these sessions are usually the most significant and most successful franchisees who have many units.
• Mike Walsh, CEO of Tomorrow, a global innovation consultancy. This is another one that is in my Do-Not-Miss list. I'm looking forward to listening to what he has to say and the value he will add to all of us. 
• Franchise Economic Update with Darell Johnson, CEO of FRANdata. This strategic and data analysis company has studied the franchise industry for decades, so its franchising information is top-notch. You definitely don’t want to miss this lecture because it will give you a glimpse of where we are and what’s coming. And I can tell you that Darell has been right every time I have listened to him. 

Bonus Tip: Download the App

You should have received an invitation to download the official event app with your confirmation email. If you do it, you will have the agenda on your hand, so you can select your tracks and breakout sessions ahead of time and not miss any time trying to decide where to go next. You’ll also have access to a digital community to interact with other attendees.

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Tip #3: Study the Exhibition Floor

Identify what brands you wanna talk to and what services you want to inquire about in the exhibit hall so that you can prepare ahead of time based on your problems, needs, or questions. This year, the exhibit hall is bigger than ever, but don’t get overwhelmed. You’ll encounter two types of organizations:

• The franchise brands focused on growing with multi-unit franchisees and targeting entrepreneurs wanting a multi-unit development agreement. 
• Vendors and supporters, such as the American Franchise Academy, that help franchisees succeed. The services range from technology and real estate to legal support. 

While I recommend focusing on the companies you want to contact, you still want to walk the whole hall, as you might discover things you didn’t know you wanted. But be mindful of who you talk to and who you want to follow up on, making notes of the things that call your attention so you can reach out to them after the conference. 

Remember: the magic happens in the follow-up that happens later. Engaging during the conference and exchanging contact information is just the beginning; what you do afterward is really what will count. This is true not only for the vendors and brands in the exhibit hall but also for all the franchisees you'll meet and all the sessions you'll learn from. 

The opportunities to walk the floor will happen at the end of the day, and you’ll have three hours each day to explore it.

By the way, while you are at the exhibit hall, visit the American Franchise Academy at booth #2208. Come by and say hello. We would love to meet you and share more about our training programs for franchisees, unit managers, and district managers when you visit us!

Tip #4: Participate in the networking opportunities

If your goals lean more towards networking, the Multi-Unit Franchising Conference will be great for you because networking has a very significant focus at this event. Don't go and hide, even if you are an introvert. I'm an introvert, and I know it’s tricky. However, these in-person conferences allow you to see people face-to-face and start building relationships, and you should take advantage of this.

Be sure to attend the exclusive gatherings on Tuesday evening: the First-Time Welcome Mixer, designed for first-time franchisees, and the Franchisee-Only Opening Event, with no vendors present except for the event’s sponsors. There, you’ll be surrounded by many fellow franchisees, making them the perfect to ask a ton of questions.

You should sign up for the Golf Tournament if you're a golfer. I’ve participated in the past (in fact, the team I joined that time won first place!), and it’s a lot of fun. Plus, it’s another excellent way to network while you’re out on the course.

And please don’t take the breakfast, coffee break, and lunch times just to eat and relax. These are also networking opportunities! Sit with different people, exchange conversations, and ask about the topics you want to learn at the conference. Even when you're sitting around waiting for the next session, take advantage and introduce yourself to the people next to you so that you can network.

You can start with something like:

“Hey, nice to meet you! You know, one of the things that I wanted to accomplish here while I was in this conference is asking as many franchises as possible about how to [...], can you give me your perspective on how you would address [...]?” 

And then they will give you an answer. This not only is a great way to break the ice, but you'll get all kinds of amazing information and insights.

The Multi-Unit Franchising Conference really resonates with the American Franchise Academy, and we genuinely love it for franchisees. Our purpose is to protect and grow the American dream of business ownership through franchising. For that reason, we have sponsored the MUFC for many years, and we encourage you to be there and make the most of it. 

I hope this was valuable to you, and I look forward to seeing you at exhibit hall booth #2208. If you cannot assist, don’t miss our upcoming blogs & podcasts, where we’ll share our insights on this great event.

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