Franchising face-to-face

After a couple of Covid-delayed dates and with nothing certain until the last hour, the Westpac Franchise Summit brought more than 150 people together in person in November. While others around the world were still stuck in Zoom calls and conferences, local franchisors and their teams gathered at North Harbour Stadium in Auckland for a very full day.

‘In a year when so many events had been cancelled, we were so pleased to have Westpac’s support for this one-day educational event,’ says Robyn Pickerill of the Franchise Association of New Zealand.

‘People were keen to reconnect in person after so long, and what a day it was – full of opportunities for franchisors to hear from other franchisors, share experiences and learnings, and be reminded of the support and fellowship that’s available within FANZ. Apart from the many round table sessions, one of the most popular speakers was psychologist Jacqui Maguire, who put context around why people behave or feel in certain ways when under stress, and how we can recognise the signals in ourselves and others. In a year when we have all felt the pressures, her insights were highly valued by participants.’

Attendees were enthusiastic, saying:

‘Well done by the FANZ team. MC and Keynote speakers very well chosen.’
‘This was the first FANZ event I have attended and thoroughly enjoyed the day. Thank you for a great day of activities and speakers.’
‘Really well organised a real world-class event! Nice work.’
‘A good session - great to meet with others!’

It bodes well for the next two-day conference to be held at Claudelands in Hamilton in June-July 2021.