Global Franchise Awards 2024 announces winners

Anytime Fitness wins big, also scooping the industry’s highest award, while IFA’s Matt Haller is recognized in Global Franchise’s Hall of Fame

An elite gathering of international franchising’s brightest stars celebrated winning global recognition with their peers at the Global Franchise Awards 2024 reception on February 16, ahead of the 2024 IFA Annual Convention in Phoenix, Arizona.

Hosted by Jack Monson, CEO of Brand J and founder host of Social Geek podcast, the ceremony awarded 30 winners across 18 categories, judged by a panel of franchise experts and international association leaders. This year’s judges included Farrah Rose, head of international development at The Franchising Centre, Sherry McNeal, president and CEO of the Canadian Franchise Association and Jennifer Brandeen, COO of IFA.

Anytime Fitness was this year’s high achiever, scooping not only the Best Fitness Franchise category win, but also bagging Regional Champion (Americas) and the overall Grand Champion awards, marking yet another sensational year for this huge global success story. Judges commented on the brand’s founding philosophy of People, Purpose, Profits and Play, which has helped cultivate the largest and fastest-growing fitness franchise network in the world.

“It’s great to be amongst so many different great franchise systems out there,” said Eric Keller, VP of Franchise Support at Anytime Fitness. This award is a testament to our great franchise partners around the globe and our small but mighty team that we have back at our corporate office – they’re what makes what we do happen.”

Matt Haller, president and CEO of the International Franchise Association (IFA) attended the event to accept his induction into Global Franchise’s prestigious Hall of Fame, recognizing and rewarding his immense impact as a powerful and tenacious advocate for franchising during recent challenging times.

Says Matt Haller: “Thank you to the entire team at Global Franchise for selecting me for this award. I don’t view this award as about me – it’s for the entire team at the IFA, the staff who help protect, enhance and promote franchising every single day and on behalf of IFA members and the broader franchise community. We know that franchising is the greatest business model in the world.”

“It was a great honor to host the 2024 Global Franchise Awards ceremony and celebrate these fantastic achievements with such a vibrant and enthusiastic group of franchise superstars, added Rachael Wenham, head of global development at Global Franchise. “We’re delighted to see so many brands, established and new, breaking ground, and excited to follow and report on their success and developments over the coming months. We’d like to extend our gratitude to all the brands who took the time to enter, our sponsors and supporters – including School of Rock (last year’s Grand Champion), IFA, Brand J and Social Geek – and of course our wonderful judging panel.”

See full coverage of the awards in the next issue of Global Franchise (out May 3rd 2024) and global-franchise.com. The full list of winners and highly commended brands are listed below:

Best children’s and education franchise

Highly commended – School of Rock

Best emerging franchise

Highly commended – GoliathTech Inc

Best fitness franchise

Highly commended – Mayweather Boxing + Fitness

Best food and drink franchise

Highly commended – Wingstop

Best lifestyle franchise

Highly commended – Just Cuts

Best property maintenance franchise

Winner – Stratus Building Solutions

Highly commended – EverLine Coatings and Services

Best signage and communications franchise

Highly commended – FASTSIGNS International Inc

Best white-collar franchise

Winner – Expense Reduction Analysts

Highly commended – InXpress

Best nursing and care franchise

Best franchise consultancy

Highly commended – The Franchising Centre

Best franchise law firm

Highly commended – Rosen Karol Salis PLLC

Best franchise marketing firm

Winner – Reshift Media Inc

Highly commended – BizCom Associates

Best franchise PR firm

Winner – All Points Public Relations

Regional Champion – Europe

Regional Champion – Asia Pacific

Regional Champion – Americas

Grand Champion

Hall of Fame inductee 2024