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The newly renamed Franchise Growth & Marketing Conference (FGMC) made its debut in Atlanta with a renewed focus on one goal: helping franchisors use marketing to drive growth at the unit level.
Formerly known as the Franchise Customer Experience Conference (FCXC), the event has expanded its scope to reflect how much the marketing function has changed. Franchise CMOs, brand leaders, marketers, and suppliers gathered at the InterContinental Buckhead in early June to explore the issues shaping franchise growth. On the table were topics like technology adoption, customer acquisition costs, loyalty, franchisee engagement, and marketing accountability.
The conference organized its content around four learning pathways, covering topics such as local store marketing, customer retention, data and analytics, AI, organizational design, and unit economics. A common theme emerged throughout the event: marketing's job extends well beyond awareness and lead generation. Today's marketers are expected to help franchisees attract customers, improve retention, increase profitability, and grow same-store sales.
Between sessions, attendees packed the hallways and networking area to exchange ideas, compare notes, and meet with suppliers offering solutions to some of franchising’s biggest marketing challenges.
Two keynote presentations anchored the conference. Michael Koch, co-founder and CEO of HubKonnect, explored how AI and hyperlocal intelligence can help brands improve customer engagement and drive stronger results at the individual-unit level. Ring founder Jamie Siminoff shared lessons from his entrepreneurial journey, encouraging attendees to stay focused on their mission, embrace constraints, simplify their offerings, and remain connected to customers.
FGMC also served as the stage for the announcement of the 2026 Franchise Innovation Awards, recognizing brands that are pushing franchising forward through creative thinking and measurable results.
Conference chair Shana Krisan, CMO of Goldfish Swim School, challenged attendees to rethink the role of marketing within their organizations. Marketing has become a key driver of franchise growth, she said, requiring close collaboration among operations, finance, technology, leadership, agency partners, and franchisees.
“Growth doesn't happen in a silo. It happens when all departments come together with franchisees,” Krisan said.
Whether the discussion centered on AI, customer acquisition, or loyalty, speakers kept returning to the same point: marketing can no longer operate separately from the rest of the organization. The conference's new name reflects that shift. Today's marketers are expected to do far more than build awareness. They're expected to help franchisees grow sales, improve profitability, and create stronger businesses.