Milan, June 27, 2024 – New ideas and stimuli to grow business will be at the heart of the next edition of Salone Franchising Milano, the event dedicated to franchising and retail organized by Fiera Milano, scheduled from September 26 to 28, 2024 at Allianz MiCo.

Innovations in layout and content will characterize the event, which is set to replicate and exceed the success of the previous edition by renewing opportunities for franchisors and franchisees.

As confirmed by data from Assofranchising, in Italy the sector continues to grow at a sustained pace. Thanks to investments made to involve new franchisees, particularly by major brands and the creation of new brands, the sector, which today accounts for 18% of GDP, consolidated its development trend in 2023 with a business turnover nearing 34 billion euros (up 9,9% compared to the previous year). There are 929 brands operating in Italy with 65,806 active stores (+4,664 compared to the previous year). The good business turnover performance is reflected in other indicators: employment is also up 13,8% (+34,919 new employees for a total of 287,767 units).

OVER 100 BRANDS AWAITING NEW FRANCHISEES

Variety and quality of the offer distinguish the event. Over 100 brands are already on board, testifying the extraordinary richness and high quality of the offer that characterize the event.

Many brands confirm their presence with Eurospin as the main partner of the Salone along with Coop Lombardia and Crai Secom - just a few among the GDO sector brands. Also noteworthy are the returns of McDonald’s, Doppio Malto, La Yogurteria, 12Oz, and Kebhouze among the big names in food & beverage, one of the largest sectors in the franchising world characterized by a wide range of innovative formats and concepts ranging from fast food restaurants to coffee shops, pizzerias to bars, and ice cream shop.

Brands dedicated to beauty and self-care such as L’Erbolario and F**K, as well as specialized commerce with Coin, Kids & Us, Kipoint, are also returning, confirming their participation in the 2024 edition.

Anytime Fitness will also be present, representing one of the fastest-growing markets driven by an increasing awareness of health and wellness.

Alongside all these major brands that, through their renewed participation, confirm Salone Franchising Milano as an essential event to discover market innovations, establish collaborations, and expand professional horizons, many others will participate for the first time, attracted by an event that promises to be rich in inspiration and opportunities.

Among these are Alice Pizza, Spritzzeria, and Tutto Capsule for food, along with Naturhouse and Caddy’s in the beauty sector, just to name a few.

The layout division into product areas that will host related brands is confirmed: a quick and intuitive way to allow visitors to immediately identify their sectors of interest.

But the layout also features interesting new aspects.

More space for business meetings thanks to thenew Lounge designed to offer one-on-one meetings in maximum comfort.

And for the media, there are two dedicated areas: the Media Village, which will allow visitors to have specialized press at a glance, and the Social Hub, an area entirely designed to share social content and connect with the event's social managers.

An important new feature of this edition is the Consultancy Area entirely dedicated to franchisors and franchisees. All Salone participants will be able to take advantage of this opportunity by booking a meeting with a consulting firm to receive information and advice to best develop their business.

Moreover, to provide additional meeting moments with exhibitors through digital means, a dedicated App has been developed that will allow exhibiting brands to best present their activities and schedule appointments with their potential clients, making meetings even more productive.

THE ASSOCIATIONS AND ENTITIES SUPPORTING THE SALONE

This year too, Salone Franchising Milano will reflect its reference market thanks to the support of trade associations that have immediately embraced the event's intentions to foster a supportive and developmental ecosystem. Thus, Assofranchising, Confimprese, and Federfranchising will be present, closely following the evolution of the franchising world, as well as an important entity like CNCC, the National Council of Shopping Centers, interested in the franchising model in the development of large-scale stores, and UBRI, the Union of Italian Restaurant Brands, representing one of the most vital sectors from the franchising perspective.

Thanks to the collaboration with Franchise Expo Paris, Salone Franchising Milano becomes part of an important community that unites franchisors from all over Europe. The goal: to create a winning and effective synergy between the two fairs, allowing all franchisors to rely on an increasingly broad and specialized network of contacts.

WORKSHOPS AND MEETINGS: TRAINING TO GROW

Wanting to become entrepreneurs is not enough. A broad knowledge of the reference market and a series of specialized skills are needed to achieve successful business.

To delve into the most important topics for becoming a franchisee, Salone Franchising offers an excellent training proposal that was highly successful during the last edition.

The schedule of meetings, structured over the three days of the event, will be built around two main themes: strategic management and business development trends.

Among the main topics involving the strategic management aspects of the business, financial aspects stand out with a focus on traditional tools, innovative crowdfunding models, resources offered by government entities to support entrepreneurship, along with recent acquisition strategies adopted by investment funds to promote sustainable growth of franchisors.

The aspect of internationalization also plays a key role in the franchising world today, with dedicated conversations about the challenges and opportunities for those who decide to undertake this type of business expansion.

Special attention will be given to the real estate aspect, exploring best practices in real estate and ways to identify and evaluate ideal locations for new openings.

Finally, to maintain high-quality standards and meet consumer expectations, the fundamental topic of performance management will be addressed, illustrating the main tools available and their correct use for evaluating the success of franchisors and franchisees.

Franchising is also outlined by a series of trends that promise to revolutionize the sector, mainly based on the analysis of consumer behavior and expectations.

In this context, topics crucial for improving operational efficiency and customer experience will be addressed, namely digitalization and technology, which, if correctly integrated into one's business strategy, allow maintaining competitiveness in an ever-evolving market.

E-commerce and the omnichannel approach are rapidly rising trends with enormous potential, integrating physical stores and online platforms to offer the consumer a smoother, more coherent, and especially personalized experience. In this context, automation and artificial intelligence can significantly contribute to optimizing the efficiency of the customer journey and the overall shopping experience.

Continuous training and support for franchisees are therefore fundamental to keeping necessary skills competitive, ensuring long-term success and satisfaction.

To address these and other sector-related topics, Salone Franchising Milano 2024 will host a wide range of experts, franchisors, franchisees, retailers, and representatives of the main Franchising and Retail Associations.

Salone Franchising Milano will be held from September 26 to 28, 2024, at Allianz MiCo.