In addition to announcing rescheduled dates for the highly anticipated International Franchise Expo (IFE) now set to take place October 1-3 at the Javits Center in New York City, IFE is unveiling its first-ever virtual, online event May 28-30 in an effort bring together the world's franchise community amid COVID-19.

For almost 30 years, IFE has drawn top executives and entrepreneurs to live events, creating the center of the franchising industry. Now this life-changing event converts to a live virtual platform. As the only online expo sponsored by the International Franchise Association, exhibitors will design an online presence with a virtual booth where they can host live meetings, distribute collateral, and interact with interested candidates from around the world.

"Realizing our clients are going to find it extremely challenging to keep their pipelines full during this unprecedented time, we've devised a solution to help in generating quality leads," said Sheila Fischer, Vice President of MVF Expositions. "Our franchisors have told us it is important they use this time to interact with prospects, so when the dust settles, they have candidates ready to purchase. Ultimately, we want this virtual show to provide a strong platform to assist in our franchisors' endeavors, and we look forward to the newly signed agreements that result in the coming months.

With the strongest database in the franchise industry, IFE has the power to help keep qualified leads in franchisors' pipelines. "While economic uncertainty remains steadfast, one thing we do know for sure is that franchising will bounce back – the questions is, how big will your brand's bounce back be?" added Fischer. IFE's online event provides franchisors a resource to break away from the pack while others take a break – creating opportunity to get ahead of the competition before IFE's brick-and-mortar event at the Javits Center this October.

"If MVF's online expo is anything like their live events, we're anticipating some very highly qualified leads – at a time when we need them most," said Mark Jameson, EVP FASTSIGNS International. "We're excited to be part of this new platform which gives us the ability to promote our brand and to interact with potential domestic and international franchisees while everyone is safe in their homes."

Prospective franchisees will be able to search for entrepreneurial matches across more than 300 leading and emerging franchise brands already registered as virtual exhibitors. The expo will also offer similar comprehensive educational programs as its live events, with recorded presentations by franchise industry leaders, downloadable white papers, articles and other materials.

With more thousands of anticipated attendees, MFV has been working closely with the event's Title Sponsor Entrepreneur Media and other strategic partners, to leverage much of the same comprehensive marketing campaigns used for its portfolio of shows, ensuring qualified candidates attend the live event and participate in this exciting new platform.

Franchisors interested in exhibiting are encouraged to reach out to Sheila Fischer at 201-881-1656 or [email protected] for more information on various booth listing packages.

For more information on the International Franchise Expo Online Event, please visit https://onlinefranchiseexpo.com/

Comexposium is the world's largest producer of franchise expos. Known for its highly successful U.S.-based franchise events and overseas shows, the company offers high-quality face-to-face opportunities for franchisees and franchisors looking to grow the industry. Each franchise expo features franchise concepts from every industry and every investment level. Today, MFV utilizes its global online franchise directory BeTheBoss.com with the latest technology and search metrics to provide a cost-effective way to market franchise businesses.