One of the men was now living in the states and he and his partner were planning to start another business, perhaps one in real estate. And then they found HomeVestors of America, one of the 270 exhibitors at the 13th annual IFE.

"They didn't know about HomeVestors until they saw us at the IFE," explains Kevin Culkin, who has sold many of HVA's 200-plus franchises. "Our franchisees buy residential properties at a discount and then wholesale them to investors 'as is' or rehab them and sell them at retail value.

When these two fellows saw our 'We Buy Ugly Houses' billboard at our booth, they knew immediately they had found a franchise that they wanted to develop." The partners are talking to Culkin about acquiring a franchise in the Washington, D.C. area.

John Barry, president and CEO of Expense Reduction Analysis, explains how the IFE continued the forward progress of his development plan. "Prior to the expo, we had met Steve and Kerry Bunker who were interested in purchasing our area development rights for eastern Pennsylvania.

They had visited our offices in San Diego and then they re-visited us at the IFE and at the moment they are in our training class as area developers. While they were at the IFE, we were approached by a man who wants to buy the area development rights for Colorado and Utah. But since he'll be going into business with his wife, he wanted to meet another couple. He met the Bunkers, and now he and his wife are scheduled to meet me in San Diego tomorrow to move forward.

The IFE helped us create some interaction that might not have worked out otherwise. As far as I'm concerned, the results are in and we're very satisfied with the IFE. I think we'll fill three to four of our area development contracts and sell as many (unit) franchises as well."

For years, the IFE has been a meeting place for franchisors and prospective franchisees, but this year there seemed to be more stories like those from Barry and Culkin. While the IFE attracts people who know little or nothing about franchising, the expo also attracts astute business owners, including franchisees, who are looking for new or additional opportunities.

This year, nearly 14,000 people visited the IFE. Most came from the USA (there were some 2,700 international visitors). They came from 47 states and 82 countries, and by everyone's estimation, they were better qualified this year than in any recent year.

American Leak Detection CEO Dick Rennick, who has participated in the IFE since its inception, says "The caliber of attendees looking for an opportunity, both domestically and internationally, appeared more astute to the opportunities afforded by franchising than in recent years." Rennick said he didn't talk to a single exhibitor who was unhappy with the attendance. "I can say without hesitation that this show was the best attended than any of the past thirteen."

"The IFE provided our organization with a great venue to showcase our children's early learning franchise offering, including our highly acclaimed curriculum and franchise support programs. The show proved valuable by providing the opportunity for us to speak with prospective franchisees from the D.C. area, the United States, as well as over 30 different countries," commented Bill Davis, President and CEO of Tutor Time Learning Centers.

Culkin, who has participated in numerous IFE's, representing various companies, said this year's visitors were more sophisticated and better qualified to buy a franchise. "Our prospects from Venezuela are not your every day prospects," he explains. "These are successful entrepreneurs who we might never have met had it not been for the IFE."

Of course, if ever there's been a year for franchising, it's 2004. The momentum began in Las Vegas with a record turnout for the International Franchise Association convention and it carried through to the IFE. "Lots of factors worked in our favor," explains Thomas Portesy, president of MFV Expositions, producer of the IFE. "The economy has helped franchising.

People are unemployed and under-employed and their looking for something new. Franchising continues to enjoy a tremendous record of success. Banks and other financial institutions favor franchises because they are likely to be successful. Money is available for investing in franchises. And there are many outstanding franchise opportunities available in all price ranges. All of these factors helped us produce one of the best expos on record."

Many exhibitors expressed their pleasure about the quality of visitors. "This was our second time to exhibit," explains Leo Kats, president of Instant Imprints, "We've had three or four sales already and we'll have at least that many more as a result of the IFE. It seemed to me that we talked to more qualified people this year. Many of them were professionals and executives looking for something new, and that's the kind of prospect we like to see."

"We found a much higher quality attendee this year," comments Andrew Eisner, vice president of business development for easyInternetcafe. "We got about 200 leads and of those 50 were of very high quality and we're moving forward with a small percentage of them."

"There were very strong candidates who came to our booth and we have multiple deals coming out of the IFE," explains Burt Yarkin, CEO of Cartridge World North America. "Our industry is growing rapidly and getting a lot of attention, so many people are interested in taking a look. But we met many well qualified visitors so the show was well worth our investment. We've already resigned for next year!"

Peter Holt, COO of 24Seven Vending, said the IFE provided "a steady stream of high quality prospects, which gave us a great launch for our concept in the U.S. 24Seven Vending is a New Zealand-based franchisor entering the USA."We anticipate a couple of sales from the IFE," said Holt.

Many exhibitors commented about the quality of international guests. Kim McElroy, international development director for Glamour Shots, and a veteran of the IFE, said she wasn't in Washington, D.C. to meet domestic candidates. "I didn't have anything available to sell in the United States," she explains.

"I was there to concentrate on international development and I have eight pending deals as a result. The show was extremely productive. Of course, we had a great location in the show and people recognize our name, even though they don't always know we are a franchise."

While people visit the IFE to look at franchise opportunities, thousands also favor the expo's slate of conferences. The A To Z's of Buying A Franchise, taught by Dr. John P. Hayes of HayesWorldwide.com, topped the attendance records once again. "The information in the seminar . . . was excellent," commented Mussa Sanoi, a financial analyst from Wilmington, DE. "It is certainly the best way to comprehend the business (of franchising)."

The Basics of Master Franchising, How To Finance Your Franchise, and Choosing the Right Franchise once again attracted large attendance. "It is always refreshing to get the latest and greatest on franchise rules, regulations and cutting edge techniques.

There is no where better to get these thing then from the IFE conferences . . . where you get the collective perspectives of top professionals in the industry," said Ted Looney, who is charged with international franchise development at Jani-King.

Visitors found a variety of new seminars including Prosperity Beyond Gaming, for native Americans, and The Future Face of Franchise and Hospitality, which focused on the Asian Indian community. Symposia for minorities and women, and multi-franchise ownership were also popular. The VetFran symposium, which explains how veterans can buy franchises at a discount, was taught twice rather than once this year to meet the demands of the veteran community.

Veteran franchise attorney Carl Zwisler of the Washington, D.C. office of Haynes Boone, said, "It was the best IFE in years!" He explained that attendance at each of the international master franchising seminars he conducted exceeded expectations in size, sophistication and quality of experience.

"Although we had projected that our audience would be principally prospective master franchisees seeking information to help them make informed investment decisions, they were only a part of the class. Whether we were discussing the basics of master franchising, evaluating a master franchise opportunity, negotiating a master franchise agreement or discussing how master franchisees can develop efficient franchise sales programs in their territories, we attracted the highest caliber of student.

Many were franchisor executives from the U.S. and abroad. A significant number of our audience already owned master franchises; several were franchise consultants from diverse countries who wanted to add to their knowledge base."

The real test of an IFE is the number of exhibitors who re-sign for the next year. "By the end of the IFE on Sunday evening we had already resigned 70% of the exhibitors," said Portesy. "Within a week or so the percentage had climbed to 75%, so we are well on our way to booking another significant event in 2005."

The 14th Annual International Franchise Expo will occur April 8-110, 2005 at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

Sourc:International Franchise Expo