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The Franchise Innovation Summit 2024 has established itself as the must-attend event for innovation and growth in the franchise sector

Franchise Innovation Summit | FIS
  • Organised by the Spanish Franchise Association (AEF) and FIS2024, and with BBVA as the main sponsor, it lays the foundations for the development of the leading meeting point for the franchise business ecosystem​
  • The event is supported by central and regional government, with the attendance of Marta Nieto, Director-General for Trade, Consumer Affairs and Services of the Community of Madrid, and Julián Conthe, Director-General for Trade Policy at the Spanish Government’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise
  • It created a network of 1,600 entrepreneurs, investors and strategic partners

Madrid, 21 November 2024

The inaugural edition of the Franchise Innovation Summit 2024 took place on 13 and 14 November at the Casa de Campo Convention Centre in Madrid. Nearly 1,600 professionals have joined the FIS365 Community, of whom almost a thousand attended the event to discuss, network and explore business opportunities within the franchising system in Spain.

This innovative platform, promoted by the Spanish Franchise Association (AEF) and supported by BBVA as the main sponsor, marks the start of a new era in specialised business networking within the franchise sector, focusing on innovation, digitalisation, sustainability and opportunities for expansion under the franchise model.

This inaugural edition, which saw the participation of 50 companies and 70 leading brands within the franchise model, lays the foundations for driving the creation and development of the main professional meeting point for the franchise ecosystem in the coming years. It is a platform that will help to revitalise the sector as a whole, raise the profile of a secure and profitable business and entrepreneurial model, and highlight the great strength and professionalism of the franchising brands established in the Iberian Peninsula.

Luisa Masuet, president of the AEF, emphasised in her welcome address that the AEF’s intention is to make this Summit “a genuine meeting point for the franchise sector, drawing on the valuable knowledge and experience we possess, where technology and innovation are its cornerstones”.

For his part, Raúl Calleja, director of the FIS, stated that “this event is already set to be the main driver of innovation, sustainability and expansion within the business ecosystem, connecting thousands of professionals and paving the way for the future of the franchise model”.

In turn, Eduardo Abadía, executive director of the AEF, emphasised that “the inaugural edition of the FIS has lived up to expectations and we are now starting to work straight away to organise the next one and make this event the benchmark for the franchise system”.

Official openings, synergies and networking

The opening ceremony was graced by the presence of Marta Nieto, Director-General for Trade, Consumer Affairs and Services for the Community of Madrid, who highlighted “the opportunities presented by hosting a sector-specific gathering in Madrid, an autonomous community that tops the national rankings in terms of the number of franchisors, open outlets and turnover levels, as well as being the main destination for foreign investment, accounting for 75 per cent of the total”.

Nieto also took the opportunity to invite all attendees to “participate and create value through the programme of talks and other activities at the Franchise Innovation Summit”. She said she was certain this event would be the first of “many more to come”.

The second day of the Franchise Innovation Summit was opened by Julián Conthe, Director-General for Trade Policy at the Spanish Government’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise. Conthe highlighted Spain’s leadership as a pioneer in the expansion of franchising, thanking the AEF for its work in this area and emphasising its contribution to the national GDP, which stands at around 2 per cent. Undoubtedly, “a driver of growth adapted to a global market”, as the senior ministry official stated.

The two-day event featured 70 leading speakers and around twenty CEOs and senior executives from the Spanish franchise sector, who discussed, without interruption, the present and future of this business model, exploring topics and trends such as the integration of artificial intelligence into business management, cybersecurity, and the power of emotion, communication and marketing within the franchise model. Other key issues for the franchise sector were also analysed, such as internationalisation, sustainability and gender equality, with a dedicated panel discussion on the role of women in the world of the