After spending the last 20 years in the nation’s capital, the International Franchise Expo is heading to the business capital of the world – New York City.
The 2012 International Franchise Expo (IFE) will take place June 15-17 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, moving the well-known franchising event to the world’s most vibrant marketplace.
The three-day event showcases hundreds of franchise companies offering opportunities at a variety of investment levels. Tens of thousands of prospective investors from across the country and overseas have attended the show over the last 20 years.
“Every year, the IFE is responsible for the opening of hundreds of small businesses and creating thousands of jobs – and there’s no better place for that to take center stage than New York,” says Tom Portesy, President of MFV Expositions, producers of the show. “Small business growth will be a significant factor in our economic recovery and we know New York City is the place to lead the charge.”
The franchise industry employs more than 20 million people and contributes more than $2 trillion in economic activity, according to the International Franchise Association, the show’s sponsor.
Franchise business jobs are projected to grow 2.1 percent in 2012, an increase of 168,000 jobs, according to a recent IFA report. The gross domestic product originating in the franchise sector is projected to grow 4.8 percent this year, an increase of $21 billion.
Adding to the stature of the show now being in New York, top media players have partnered with the IFE to help promote the show, including TIME, Money, Fortune Magazine, New York Times, Star-Ledger/NJ.com, Entrepreneur, Wall Street Journal, USA Today and several other local media outlets.
To help create even more interest, the New York Attorney General’s Office this year has allowed franchise companies not yet registered in New York to apply for a three-day exemption from registration to showcase their brand at IFE through a special "Trade Show Exemption" status.
The exemption form can be downloaded through the Attorney General’s Website and requires a $450 fee.
