FIS 2025: There are 30 days left until the big party of the franchise sector.
Madrid, September 12, 2025
A journey to the heart of expanding brand innovation.
On October 15 and 16, the Franchise Innovation Summit (FIS) will transform the Riyadh Air Metropolitano de Madrid into the largest meeting point for the franchising ecosystem. This is not a typical trade fair: it is a hub of knowledge, connections, ideas and business. FIS has established itself as the event where the future of franchising is anticipated, the most innovative brands are presented and alliances are built between companies, cities and entrepreneurs.
Promoted by the AEF, and with BBVA as the main sponsor, it will feature a program distributed across two major thematic auditoriums —Main Auditorium and Spazio Restauración News— and multiple networking activities, institutional forums, private sessions, pitches and business meetings, FIS 2025 is designed to activate real and lasting opportunities.
October 15: Territorial expansion, branding and new models
The first day of FIS focuses on franchising as a lever for local and economic development, with a focus on its application to sectors such as retail, food or personal services.
Main Auditorium: Franchising as a territorial engine
Here the opportunities of the franchised model in key sectors will be analyzed, such as supermarket chains, mass consumption, digital marketing, signature franchising proposals and innovation in services. The day begins with a look at how supermarket chains are betting on franchising in proximity environments, followed by panels exploring the branding and marketing tools that allow brands to gain visibility and differentiate themselves, as well as scalable, profitable models in smaller cities.
One of the key moments will be the Cities & Franchising Forum, where several pioneering city councils —such as Toledo, Pozuelo de Alarcón and La Nucía— will share how they are generating a favorable ecosystem for the landing of new brands and boosting local entrepreneurship. This forum is aimed at business owners, entrepreneurs and expanding brands who want to connect with economic promotion officials, mayors’ offices, municipal technicians, as well as brands in the process of expansion seeking institutional allies.
In the afternoon, there will be panels focused on new franchise concepts, many of them born after the pandemic, responding to emerging demands: interior design, sports, furniture, etc. The focus will also be placed on international expansion, with a space dedicated to Iberoamerican franchises seeking to land in Europe, and on the brands that are succeeding in small cities, as a demonstration of the model’s decentralizing power.
Spazio Auditorium: Restaurants looking to the future
In parallel, the Spazio Auditorium will host an intensive program focused on organized restaurants and gastronomic expansion, organized together with Restauración News, the sector’s leading publication. This space will bring together executives, investors and key foodservice operators, becoming the place where tomorrow’s restaurant industry is designed.
The day begins with an overview of the sector’s status, analyzing the factors driving growth in organized restaurants: new consumption habits, format evolution, channel changes and the relevance of the multi-franchisee.
Throughout the day, high-level discussions will be held on:
- Brand scalability: what does a brand need to be ready to grow?
- Private capital interest in restaurants: what are funds looking for and how should a company prepare to attract investment?
- New distribution channels for restaurants: supermarkets, service stations, travel retail, mass distribution, etc.
- Location selection, licenses and profitability of operational units: key aspects in expansion.
Additionally, there will be Elevator’s Pitch type sessions, where exhibiting brands will have the opportunity to present their models in an agile way before potential franchisees and investors, as well as a private themed lunch where CEOs and executives of leading brands will discuss growth, new formats and expansion in intermediate cities.
The afternoon will focus on practical cases of multi-franchisees, multi-brand growth strategies, use of PropTech technology in expansion, and closing with new rounds of innovation pitches.
October 16: Technology, financing and people
The second day focuses on the cross-cutting strategic factors that today define success in franchising: digitalization, company culture, responsible investment and international expansion.
The Main Auditorium will address topics such as wellness, fitness, health and real estate from a franchising perspective, with participation from experts and leading brands. Also noteworthy is the second day of the Cities & Franchising Forum, with the presence of the city councils of Palencia, Chiclana and Madrid, and the participation of BBVA as FIS’s strategic partner.
In the afternoon, the spotlight will be on the Mediterranean Business Forum, promoted by the REM business community, and complementary activities such as the FISkathon, B2B meetings, and thematic networking spaces.
Meanwhile, the Spazio Auditorium will maintain its focus on restaurants with panels on internationalization, applied technology, talent attraction, KPIs, employer branding and sustainable growth strategies. The day concludes with interviews with sector executives, pitch sessions, and a final panel on trends and opportunities for 2026, with CEOs of iconic brands such as La Mafia, Rodilla and Foodbox.
An event with purpose
FIS 2025 is presented as a unique opportunity to:
- Connect expanding brands with investment-receiving cities
- Discover emerging business models with high potential
- Participate in an active network of public institutions, retailers and franchisors
- Access up-to-date knowledge on investment, digitalization, scalability and human resources
With more than 120 participating brands, 50 content sessions and a network of more city councils involved, FIS is the space where franchises find territory, talent and investment to scale their model.