Franchise Leadership & Development Conference 2027
About Franchise Leadership & Development Conference
Conference focused on franchise development and growth strategies for franchise executives and development teams.
Franchise Leadership & Development Conference 2027
The Franchise Leadership & Development Conference (FLDC) runs October 19–21, 2027 at the InterContinental in Atlanta, Georgia. Franchise Update Media and the International Franchise Association (IFA) both list the dates; the IFA describes FLDC as a partnership event with Franchise Update Media.
What it is
A conference for franchisor leadership rather than franchisees. Franchise Update Media describes it as an exclusive event for franchisor CEOs, Presidents, COOs, CDOs and franchise development executives, with programming shaped by an advisory board of franchise-industry leaders. The IFA frames it around growth: refining development strategy, attracting franchisees and improving recruitment.
The 2026 conference was rebuilt around the full franchise development lifecycle, from a prospect's first enquiry to a new location opening: recruitment and sales, real estate and site selection, and the stages in between, with benchmark data and peer sessions. The organiser encouraged CDOs to bring their teams.
Worth knowing
- STAR Awards. The conference hosts Franchise Update Media's STAR Awards program, which honours franchise development programs.
- Credits. The IFA listed the 2026 conference with 13.25 CFE live credits; check whether the 2027 programme carries credits before relying on it for CFE hours.
- Sibling conferences. Franchise Update Media also runs the Multi-Unit Franchising Conference and the Franchise Growth & Marketing Conference.
Key Topics
- Franchise development and recruitment
- Franchise sales
- Real estate and site selection
- Franchise development benchmarking
- STAR Awards for franchise development programs
Upcoming Franchise Expos
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