Explore the Full Development Lifecycle at the 2026 Franchise Leadership & Development Conference (FLDC)

The 2026 Franchise Leadership & Development Conference (FLDC) is less than one month away. It will be held October 5-8 at the InterContinental Buckhead in Atlanta and will be one of the most impactful events in franchising this year. Franchise Update Media and the International Franchise Association (IFA) have created a must-attend event for C-suite franchisor leaders, including CEOs, COOs, CDOs, and franchise development executives.

For more than a quarter of a century, this premier conference has been the place where franchise brands gather to exchange ideas, strengthen leadership, and drive scalable growth.

The FLDC offers a unique environment to sharpen your leadership edge, grow your team’s potential, and walk away with proven tools and strategies that deliver real results. With dozens of speakers, more than 30 interactive workshops and sessions, and hundreds of development professionals in attendance, the conference offers unmatched opportunities to learn, connect, and grow. For the first time, this year’s conference will cover the complete franchise development lifecycle — from the moment a prospect fills out a form to the day they flip on the lights at their new location.

That means the strategies, data, and conversations that make every stage work better: recruitment and sales, real estate and site selection, construction and build-out, onboarding and opening, and everything in between.

The conference features four concurrent pathways over two days, allowing attendees to focus on the areas of the franchise lifecycle most relevant to them. Each pathway brings together workshops, breakout sessions, and discussions around a common topic, while giving attendees the flexibility to move between sessions. Networking is also built into the conference, with opportunities to connect with sponsors, solution providers, and other franchise leaders.

Franchise Update Media will reveal the topline results of the new Annual Franchise Development Report with benchmark data covering lead generation and conversion, development budgets across system sizes, and the KPIs emerging as the clearest predictors of success. The STAR Awards will be presented, recognizing the brands that delivered the best of the best in customer experience this year.

FLDC gives franchise development team members an opportunity to learn from their peers, exchange ideas, and build relationships with other industry leaders. Through educational sessions, data and networking, attendees can take home practical ideas and strategies to help grow their brands.