Professional Athlete Franchise Initiative (PAFI) Summit to be Hosted at Franchise Expo West

DENVER – The Professional Athlete Franchise Initiative (PAFI), a strategic initiative that bridges the professional athlete community to the franchise industry through education, research, and interaction, is gearing up for its annual summit. For the first time ever, it will be hosted at Franchise Expo West in Denver at the Colorado Convention Center, October 6-8.

PAFI’s annual Franchise Summit is an educational event built to introduce the professional athlete to the basic architecture that supports the franchise industry. The curriculum is crafted by the best and brightest in the franchise industry to guide athletes through the ins and outs of franchising. The summit is supported by franchisors, sports agents, associations, and business advisors with a clear understanding of PAFI’s mission of tooling professional athletes for transition by providing an opportunity to build relationships, learn about the franchise business model, and position themselves for second career success in the industry.

What better place to host this year’s summit than at Franchise Expo West, the premier franchise event in the western U.S. that has become a key contributor to uniting qualified prospects with franchise organizations ready to expand. Making the move from Anaheim to one of America’s most entrepreneurial cities, Franchise Expo West will provide professional athletes the opportunity to explore the showroom floor, meet one-on-one with franchisors, and take advantage of several athlete specific sessions and in-depth workshops conducted by some of the most experienced and respected leaders in the industry.

“PAFI not only aims to educate professional athletes on the benefits of franchise ownership, but also create ongoing dialogues and relationships with the pro athlete, franchising, and academic communities,” said Stan Friedman, PAFI’s co-founder and advisory board chair. “By educating both the athletes and franchisors about the potential synergies, we are setting the table for a mutually beneficial situation that could create new businesses and jobs and contribute positively to the economy.”

More than 200 franchise brands will be on display at the Colorado Convention Center, providing prospective franchise owners and top franchise brands the rare opportunity to meet face-to-face. Hundreds of small businesses and thousands of jobs ranging across every industry have been established from this conference.

“When the clock winds down on a professional athlete’s short career so does their prosperous earning potential, and without lifelong education and career path guidance, these athletes often lack the direction necessary to continue their success once they’ve left the playing field – insert the franchise industry,” said Tom Portesy, president of MFV Expositions. “Franchising is all about team play and executing proven plans and systems. With an athlete’s tenacity at working plans, coupled with a better than average financial wherewithal, there’s a winning formula for success within the franchise industry, making Franchise Expo West the ideal venue for PAFI’s annual summit.”

More than 100 current professional athlete franchisees, potential professional athlete franchisees, PAFI franchisor members, sports agents, and athlete wealth and business managers will be in attendance at the expo. Franchisors will have access to the Franchise Summit’s opening reception, networking mixers, lunch panel discussions, and closing ceremony.

“A professional athlete’s career is short and can be terminated at any time for any reason,” said NFL veteran Michael Stone, founder and executive director of PAFI. “Because of this, athletes need to look to the future and explore all possible options. Joining the franchise industry allows these individuals to once again become part of a team that will enable them to maintain control of their future.”

About the Professional Athlete Franchise Initiative (PAFI)

PAFI, a strategic initiative of the International Franchise Association, is a bridge that connects the professional athlete community to the franchise community through education, research and interaction. PAFI fulfills its mission by partnering with stakeholders in the professional sports and franchise communities to build education based programming for professional athletes interested in learning about the franchise model and franchisors and suppliers interested in discovering ways to open doors to this niche audience.

About MFV Expositions

For 25 years, MFV Expositions has been producing the leading franchise events worldwide that consistently bring together franchise concepts, at all investment levels, with the most qualified visitors seeking to own their own business. In addition to quality franchise expos in the United States and overseas that offer face-to-face opportunities to grow a franchise, MFV also offers access to online franchise opportunities through web-based resources.

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