The 2008 International Franchise Association (IFA) Convention was held last weekend and the first of this week at the Marriott World Center in Orlando, Florida. It was our first time attending and exhibiting at the convention and it was a great success and a great experience for us.

We were exhibiting as a supplier at [...]]]>

The 2008 International Franchise Association (IFA) Convention was held last weekend and the first of this week at the Marriott World Center in Orlando, Florida. It was our first time attending and exhibiting at the convention and it was a great success and a great experience for us.

We were exhibiting as a supplier at booth #117, and we received a great deal of interest from franchisors and industry suppliers alike. Below is a picture of us manning our booth.

In addition to the great reception we received at our booth, I also really enjoyed having the opportunity to network with many very successful franchisors outside of the exhibit hall. It was great to hear about the insights they had gained from their experiences as successful entrepreneurs. We also met many other business people who serve the franchise industry in one way or another.

Monday evening from 5-7pm was Fun & Games time with the exhibitors. Most of the exhibitors had prepared fun, simple games for the franchisors and other industry people to enjoy during the final hours of exhibiting. We hosted Dragon Jeopardy at our booth. Just like real Jeopardy a contestant would pick a square, we’d give them an answer (in this case, SEM/SEO related) and they would have to give us the question.

Below is a picture of the Dragon Jeopardy layout.

We attended the annual Monday Night Bash hosted by Fishman Public Relations at the House of Blues. The party had a great turnout and was a lot of fun. Good party music and an open bar made for a great time. I also enjoyed catching up with the franchisors and suppliers I had met earlier in a more relaxed, party atmosphere. Monday night was our last night at the convention, so the Bash made for a great final event for us. Thanks to Fishman PR for putting it all together.

All in all, the IFA Convention was a great experience and we hope to do it again next year. Thanks to all who stopped by our booth. It was great meeting everyone.