Franchise Expo West has a new home for 2026, and if you’ve seen older listings pointing to Los Angeles, that information is out of date. The expo has shifted to the Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel & Conference Center in Glendale, Arizona, running November 13-14, 2026. This guide covers everything prospective attendees and exhibitors need to know about Franchise Expo West this year, including what changed, what to expect on the floor, and how to plan a booth that actually generates franchise leads.
Franchise Expo West 2026: Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Dates | November 13-14, 2026 |
| Venue | Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel & Conference Center |
| Location | 9495 W Entertainment Blvd, Glendale, AZ 85305 |
| Hours | Friday & Saturday, 10 AM – 4 PM |
| Exhibitors | 80+ franchise brands |
| Programming | 15+ workshops and educational sessions |
| Organizer | MFV Expositions / Comexposium |
| Format | 2-day consumer and prospective-franchisee show |
A franchise booth is a recruiting tool, and our Custom Trade Show Booth Rentals give franchisors a professional, credible presence.
What is Franchise Expo West?
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Franchise Expo West is a regional franchising opportunity fair where franchisors present opportunities to potential buyers of their franchises.
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Franchise Expo West features visitors who are seriously considering making investments in franchises. Verify the event’s details on the official website.
Who Attends Franchise Expo West?
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Prospective single-unit franchisees
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Multi-unit operators and area developers
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Investors seeking franchise opportunities
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Existing franchisees exploring new brands
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Franchise consultants and brokers
20×20 trade show booth rentals give franchisors room for private conversations with serious candidates.
Franchise Expo West Has Moved: What Changed
For years, Franchise West Expo ran at the Los Angeles Convention Center, most recently in South Hall J in September 2025. For 2026, the show has relocated entirely to Glendale, Arizona, a meaningfully different market, format, and scale than its LA years.
In case you were planning your visit to Franchise Expo West according to previous information, checking out this change in advance will ensure that you do not have to go to the wrong location in vain.
As far as the switch to the hotel conference center in Glendale goes, it also means a completely new approach to the organization of a trade show for exhibitors, since the rules are different in a hotel conference center compared to a large convention center venue.
What to Expect at Franchise Expo West
Franchise Expo West brings together franchisors, franchise brokers, and prospective business owners exploring franchise ownership across industries: food service, home services, fitness, retail, and business services among them. The show runs alongside 15+ educational workshops and seminars covering financing, franchise selection, and business ownership fundamentals, making it as much an education event as a traditional trade show floor.
Attendees are overwhelmingly individuals actively evaluating franchise ownership rather than casual browsers, which is the core reason Franchise Expo West (and franchise trade shows generally) tend to produce longer, more qualified conversations per booth visit than a typical consumer expo.
Related: Convention Center Floor Plan: How to Read It and Pick a Booth
How Franchise Expo West Fits Into the Broader Franchise Trade Show Calendar
Franchise trade shows aren’t a single event; they’re a recurring circuit, and it’s easy to confuse similarly named shows run by different organizers.
Franchise Expo West belongs to the same show family as Franchise Expo South and International Franchise Expo (held at the Javits Center in New York), as well as other franchise events organized under the brand of MFV Expositions/Comexposium. However, these are distinct shows with their own scheduling and locations.
There are several other franchise-related events not connected with MFV/Comexposium but which should be distinguished from Franchise Expo West. These include the IFA Annual Convention, organized by the International Franchise Association, and several independently organized franchise shows such as The Franchise Show held in different cities like Dallas and Atlanta.
If you’re building a 2026 exhibiting calendar across multiple franchise trade shows, keeping these organizers and audiences straight matters for budgeting and messaging, since a consumer discovery show like Franchise Expo West calls for a different booth approach than an industry-only conference.
Franchise Expo Exhibitor Guide: Planning Your Booth
A franchise expo exhibitor is selling something most other trade show exhibitors aren’t: a long-consideration, high-commitment business decision rather than a product or service purchase. That changes what a booth needs to do.
Prioritize conversation space over product display. Unlike a product-demo booth, a franchise booth’s real job is facilitating an extended qualifying conversation; a prospective franchisee needs to ask real questions about investment levels, territory availability, and support systems. Counter space and casual seating consistently outperform a wall of static signage.
Lead with investment range and category, not just the brand. Prospective franchisees are scanning the floor, filtering by what they can afford and what industry interests them; booth graphics that surface investment range and category instantly (not buried in a brochure) convert more walk-by traffic into real conversations.
Bring qualification materials, not just marketing collateral. FDD summaries, basic financial requirements, and territory availability should be ready to hand over or discuss on the spot; a franchise expo exhibitor who can’t answer “what does it cost to get started” immediately loses the conversation to a competing booth that can.
Plan for a hotel conference center footprint. With the move to Glendale, exhibitors used to LACC’s convention-hall scale should confirm booth dimensions and loading logistics against the new venue specifically rather than assuming past show specs carry over.
Why Exhibit at Franchise Expo West
For franchisors expanding their franchise system, the Franchise Expo West allows them to reach out directly to an audience that is already very much interested in owning a franchise business – an audience with significantly more intentionality than most other B2C style consumer expos. The inclusion of 15+ workshops ensures that the visitors have a lot of information and are closer to deciding than your average first-touchpoint trade show attendee.
Read Also: Trade Shows in Florida: Venues, Events and Exhibitor Tips
How to Exhibit at Franchise Expo West
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Since the booths in a trade show are selling the idea of an opportunity rather than a product, the first thing you need to do is highlight your value proposition in terms of the model, the support, and the returns, and then create enough room for a private discussion.
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Make sure you have all the material that will enable you to give clear answers to any questions related to investments and support.
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Since franchises involve big financial considerations, private discussions are much appreciated by the prospects.
See professional recruiting-style booths in our trade show booth case studies.
Winning Franchise Candidates
Qualify candidates on capital and fit, capture leads digitally, and follow up fast with a clear next step. For shows in our market, our trade show booth rentals Las Vegas team handles logistics.
| Franchise Element | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Clear opportunity message | Attracts serious candidates |
| Private conversation space | For investment discussions |
| Support and ROI materials | Answer key questions |
| Candidate qualification | Focus on real prospects |
| Fast follow-up | Franchise decisions take time |
Exhibiting at Franchise Expo West? Get a Booth Quote at purexhibits.com
Final Thoughts on Franchise Expo West
At its core, Franchise Expo West is about turning a high-stakes, deadline-driven event into a controlled, repeatable process. The companies that do this well are not the ones with the biggest budgets; they are the ones who plan early, communicate clearly, and lean on people who have done it many times before.
It helps to focus on the things that actually move results: franchise West Expo, franchise trade shows, and franchise expo exhibitor. These are where exhibitors win or lose, so give them the attention they deserve rather than spreading effort thin across everything at once.
Remember that this builds on itself. With each show come lessons learned, and those exhibitors who debrief and improve themselves following each event are continually reducing costs while increasing revenue. Make Franchise Expo West less of a liability and more of an asset.
Last but not least, do not forget the end goal. Franchise Expo West is simply a tool that enables you to reach your true objective. Judge all decisions against whether they enable you to begin and maintain those discussions, and you will always be making the right decision.
What to Look for in an Exhibit Partner
A lot of the success depends on who you work with. The best partner for exhibit design thinks of potential challenges ahead of time, makes sure that your program is on track, and is truly responsible all the way from design to dismantling. In choosing a partner, avoid looking only at the cheapest offer, but consider expertise, integrity, and experience at your particular trade shows and venues.
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All services performed in-house, including design, fabrication, and graphics.
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Portfolio showing projects comparable in scope and industry to yours
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Experience exhibiting at the venues where you exhibit
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Detailed, transparent pricing without any mysterious packages
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Rentals and custom designs suggested in your best interest
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One responsible contact person throughout the process
How Pure Exhibits Can Help
Pure Exhibits is a Las Vegas-headquartered, full-service exhibit company specializing in turnkey tradeshow exhibit design, construction, and management for clients all over the nation. From initial concept and 3D renderings to the fabrication, graphics, logistics, assembly, and storage, the entire process is managed by one responsible team, allowing you to concentrate on your needs for the show.
Whether a smaller rental or larger custom island, our goal remains the same: an exhibit that delivers, a process that is really simple to work with, and a price structure that makes sense. Being headquartered in Las Vegas affords us a unique logistics advantage as the most active convention city in the nation, as well as our nationwide scope, allowing us to support your program at conventions in any market.
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Full-service design, build, and graphics from one location
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Custom and rental solutions to meet every budget and show
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Complete logistics services including drayage coordination
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One point of contact from concept to disassembly
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Storage, maintenance, and refit provided between shows
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Nationwide service from a Las Vegas headquarters location
For related reading, explore our trade show booth design guide and our trade show lead generation strategies.
Let’s Build Something Extraordinary
Share your event details and we’ll craft a custom booth solution designed to captivate your audience and maximize your ROI.
Franchise Expo West: Frequently Asked Questions
What is Franchise Expo West?
A regional franchise-development show where franchisors showcase opportunities to prospective owners, operators, and investors.
Who attends Franchise Expo West?
Prospective franchisees, multi-unit operators, investors, existing franchisees, and franchise consultants.
How do I exhibit at a franchise expo?
Lead with your opportunity value proposition, provide private conversation space, and bring clear support and ROI materials.
How much does a franchise expo booth cost?
A 10×10 presence typically runs 26,000 all-in; larger recruiting booths cost more.
What booth size works for franchise shows?
Inline 10×10 or 10×20 for focused recruiting, with meeting space for serious candidates.
What should a franchise booth emphasize?
Your proven model, support system, and returns- the reasons a candidate should invest.
How do I qualify franchise candidates?
Ask about available capital, timeline, and fit, and focus your time on serious prospects. Rush booth rentals give franchisors a professional recruiting booth.
How far ahead should I book?
8–12 weeks for standard shows, more for prime floor space at major franchise events.
What materials should I bring?
Franchise disclosure basics, investment and support overviews, and clear next-step information.
How do I follow up with candidates?
Capture leads digitally, follow up within days, and provide a clear next step in the process.
Is Franchise Expo West high-intent?
Yes, attendees are actively evaluating brands to buy into, making the audience unusually qualified.
Should I bring existing franchisees?
Having a successful franchisee present can powerfully reassure prospective candidates.
How do I stand out at a franchise expo?
Lead with a clear, compelling opportunity message and a professional, credible booth. 10×20 trade show booth rentals suit first-time franchise exhibitors.
How many staff do I need?
Enough to qualify and hold private conversations during peaks.
Who can build my franchise expo booth?
Pure Exhibits designs professional franchise recruiting booths with meeting space.
