Franchise Fest goes virtual for 2020

The Coconut Creatives team had to put their thinking caps on this year for their annual Franchise Fest event. On Thursday, 23 July, they took it online, and what a day it was!

Usually, a two-day event, packed full of incredible speakers, workshops, networking and breakout sessions tailored specifically to franchisors, followed by an evening of entertainment, dancing and fun, this year the Coconut Creatives team took Franchise Fest online due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Kicking off the festival were the students of Razzamataz Medway, belting a Dear Evan Hansen/The Greatest Showman mashup and not leaving a dry eye in the house.

The day was packed with wonderful speakers. There was so much content to choose from, with talks from Coconut Creatives’ Adam Lovelock, CEO of the bfa Pip Wilkins and international guests such as chair of the IFA and FASTSIGNS CEO Catherine Monson, founder of the Franchise Relationships Institute Greg Nathan and president of the International Franchise Professionals Group Red Boswell.

There were also breakout sessions, which gave attendees the opportunity to dip in and out of what caught their fancy like the mystery tents at standard festivals. Taking to the stage for these were Suzie McCafferty, Henry Ziff and Matt O’Neil, amongst many others. The line-up of talented, inspirational guests presented to an audience of 100-plus attendees.

After the busy day’s events, meticulously run by Adam Lovelock, Sean Goldsmith and Mark Harman, it was time to sit back, relax, grab a drink and watch some live music. Starting the evening with a bang was Coconut Creatives’ very own Laura Budd, followed by Jazz Mino, Echotape and Keith Gerson.

“What a day!” said Coconut Creatives head of digital marketing and festival aficionado Adam Lovelock. “The team really pulled this one out of the bag. It’s been amazing to hear from speakers all over the world and to be able to interact with everyone on such a personal level, without physically being together.

“Franchise Fest is always one of the most popular events of the year, and this was no exception. We can’t wait to see you all in person, next year for an even bigger and better event!”