REFLECTIONS OF A YEAR

Since CEO Katrina King joined the Franchise Association in March this year, much work has been done to refocus the work of FANZ around five key strategic pillars:

• Regulate
• Advocate
• Educate
• Celebrate
• Communicate

The year has been marked by strong engagement, meaningful progress across key pillars, and a renewed sense of connection among members.

Regulate

A key role of FANZ is to uphold standards within the franchising sector. Members have been busy this year updating key documents for their biennial scrutineering to align with the updated version of the Code of Practice and Ethics, introduced in December 2024.

FANZ also strengthened its governance and compliance framework with re-registration under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022.

Advocate

The FANZ Board and leadership team ensure that members’ interests are represented front and centre in discussions around any government policy or business legislation that affects or might affect the franchise community. This year, the following aspects have been addressed:

• A FANZ-hosted Commerce Commission webinar on Cartel Conduct in Franchising attracted over 100 participants.
• Commerce Commission presented at the inaugural FANZ Legal Symposium. The topic addressed Unfair Contract Terms. There are plans for more franchise advisor-focused education from the Commission in 2026.
• A strong relationship has been built with Minister of Small Business, Hon Chris Penk, and connections were made with other ministers.
• The FANZ Advocacy and Regulatory Committee met with Labour’s Small Business spokesperson, Tangi Utikere, in October to discuss franchising challenges and opportunities.
• FANZ made a submission to MBIE on the proposed exclusion of franchises from the new Business Investor Visa, advocating for inclusive franchise policy settings. An outcome on this submission is expected by the end of the year.
• FANZ continued building a solid relationship with MBIE, who presented at the National Franchise Conference. The MBIE team also welcome opportunities to educate members around employment compliance and other key issues.

Educate

The National Franchise Conference was held in Hamilton this August, with strong attendance and great feedback. Next year’s conference will take place earlier in the year in Wellington, from Monday 22 to Wednesday 24 June 2026 – mark your diaries now.

FANZ continues to build online educational opportunities, with their popular pre-entry training for franchisees and the introduction early in 2025 of a new Knowledge Builder Series, delivering regular expert-led online sessions on relevant topics.

An in-person event was held in Christchurch on 8 October, highlighting the key role of Field Managers and addressing the topic Leading from Afar, with a lively panel discussion followed by the opportunity to network with peers in franchising. This was the first FANZ event in Christchurch since the Conference held there a few years ago, with the event attracting good attendance and high engagement.

Celebrate

Our cover story (see page 6) testifies to the number of franchisees and franchisors celebrating success at the recent Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards. FANZ CEO Katrina King says, “We are delighted with the record attendance at the Gala Dinner held on 1 November, celebrating excellence in New Zealand franchising with 440 guests”.

At the same event many franchisees celebrated their long tenure and successful long-term investment in franchising (see page 20), and three quiet heroes were honoured for their contributions to franchising when FANZ appointed two new Life Members and one new Franchising Hall of Fame inductee (see story on page 40).

The Inaugural World Franchise Day was celebrated in June with an event hosted in Auckland with sector leaders and Minister Chris Penk, Minister for Small Business.
FANZ marked the end of the year with warmth and camaraderie at the annual Christmas function held at Waipuna Conference Centre on 3 December.

Communicate

A new monthly newsletter, FANZ Fusion, was launched in April. The team at FANZ have been working hard on the redesign and upcoming launch of the website at www.franchiseassociation.org.nz, bringing an improved user experience and greater access to information for all.

Earlier in the year, FANZ launched a new Partnership Prospectus, and the team is in the process of developing a new Membership Prospectus, both intended to shed more light on the benefits of partnering with and belonging to the Franchise Association.

New members

We extend a warm welcome to new FANZ member Anna Ryan, Barrister.

See this advertorial on page 54 of Franchise New Zealand magazine Year 34 Issue 04

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