There will be a particular focus on Brazil, with a pavilion dedicated to the country, as well as special meetings with Brazilian investors.
After Spain, Italy, the USA and Middle Eastern countries, 2009 sees the turn of Brazil, for a number of reasons including the longstanding special relationship between France and Brazil and because it is the Year of France in Brazil.
The Associação Brasileira de Franchising (ABF) with the support of APEX, the Brazilian Export Agency, will present export-oriented concepts such as Colcci, Richards, Rosa Cha, Hering, Via Veneto, Boticário, Jacques et Jeanine, Showcolate, Vanilla Cafe, Chilli Beans, Igui, Mar Rio and Estivanelli in the Brazilian Pavilion.
Several emblematic brands from Brazil, which are not franchise systems, have also been invited, including sandal maker Havaianas and natural beauty products Natura.
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With the support of other institutions such as SEBRAE and the Brazilian Embassy in France, Brazilian investors and entrepreneurs will visit the show to find French and European franchise concepts to develop in Brazil.
The Business Award Franchise will reward, as it does every year, a successful international franchisor. In 2009, it will concern a Brazilian concept, since Brazil will be the nation in the limelight.
This initiative, launched by Franchise Expo Paris, the French Franchise Federation and Reed Expositions France, aims to encourage the development of brand names beyond their own borders.
In 2009, Franchise Expo Paris will showcase hundreds of franchising concepts from 20 different countries. There will be 75 business sectors represented, ranging from fine foods to ready-to-wear fashion, from car repairs to real-estate, from toys to beauty parlors, and from stationery to swimming pools. The organizers expect 30,000 qualified visitors to attend the show.
In order to help visitors succeed with their franchise projects, Franchise Expo Paris will also bring together experts offering support, advice and information to potential franchisees, as well as help with finding the necessary financing.
The unique range of products and services on display at the show -Â including highly renowned brand names and concepts being developed in new markets -Â enables entrepreneurs to compare offers and to find out more about a brand or concept, so as to find the best-matched project.
Franchise Expo Paris will provide key information and advice about contracts, obligations, the European franchising code of ethics, the French Loi Doubin and other regulations. The French Franchise Federation and members of its College of Experts will also offer free consulting sessions. In addition, there will be conferences and workshops about franchising and company creation.
Franchise Expo Paris is expecting an increase in its number of international visitors -Â 14% of visitors were from outside France in 2008. The opening day of the 2009 show, Friday 13 March, will be dedicated to international investors, franchisors and master franchisees. The Franchise Expo Paris 2009 opening ceremony, as well as a special program of conferences held on that day, will be translated simultaneously into English.
Over the four days of the trade show, the Master Franchise School will be offering two hours of free English-language training every afternoon. The Master Franchise School is devoted to international franchisors seeking a master franchisee in France and international investors looking to develop a French or international brand name within their country of origin via a master franchise.
The annual World Franchise Council summit will gather all WFC-member franchise federations from 12 to 13 March 2009 in Paris. From 14 to 16 March, international federations will then attend the trade show to provide information to entrepreneurs and investors about franchise development within their respective countries.
In addition to the usual International Village, and Australian, Italian and Spanish Pavilions, Franchise Expo Paris 2009 will also feature a Danish Pavilion.
Service
Franchise Expo Paris
Site: www.franchiseparis.com
Where: Porte de Versailles Exhibition Center (Hall 7.2) in Paris, France
When: From March 13 to March 16, 2009