July 02, 2025 // Franchising.com // WASHINGTON – The International Franchise Association (IFA) today announced it has formally completed a transaction to acquire Franchise Update Media (FUM), a leading event and media company in the franchise sector for nearly 40 years, with the two organizations joining as one effective July 1, 2025. Following an agreement signed at FUM’s Multi-Unit Franchising Conference in Las Vegas in March, the two will maintain their separate brands while operating under IFA. The merger expands upon IFA’s strategic priorities, particularly in the area of franchisee engagement, content, and education of prospective franchisees.
“This partnership ushers in a new era for IFA that will deliver value for all stakeholders in franchising – franchisor, franchisees, suppliers and new entrants considering the franchise business model,” said Matt Haller, IFA President and CEO. “Franchise Update Media is a trusted resource because of their strong leadership team and a robust network of volunteer multi-unit franchisees and industry leaders dedicated to developing leading events and educational content by franchisees, for franchisees. By adding this expertise to IFA’s existing events and educational platforms, IFA will become an even stronger organization to deliver on our mission of protecting, enhancing and promoting franchising worldwide.”“For nearly forty years, we have worked to build a business and a team to support everyone in franchising,” said Therese Thilgen and Gary Gardner, co-founders of Franchise Update Media. “We knew IFA was the right partner to usher our business into the next era – preserving our brand and the mission we have carried out for decades. We look forward to a continued partnership and what the future holds for franchising.”
Mitch Cohen, franchisee of Jersey Mike’s and Sola Salons, Chairman of the 2026 Multi-Unit Franchising Conference and IFA Board member, underscored the strategic value of the partnership, saying, “This agreement combines unmatched advocacy, data, and storytelling under one umbrella. As both a franchisee and a longtime supporter of FUM, I know this move will deepen the connection between industry leaders and strengthen the entire franchising ecosystem.”
The completion of the acquisition follows both organizations’ September 2024 announcement that they plan to expand their existing partnership as one organization. Under one entity, the organizations will expand their collective abilities to:
Together, IFA and Franchise Update will expand their collective reach across franchising through events, publications, and their respective websites, including:
Haller further detailed the impact for IFA members and the Franchise Update Media community in Franchise Update Magazine here.
Celebrating over 60 years of excellence, education, and advocacy, the International Franchise Association (IFA) is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations, and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising and the approximately 830,000 franchise establishments that support nearly 8.8 million direct jobs, $896.9 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy, and almost 3 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees, and companies that support the industry in marketing, law, technology, and business development.
SOURCE International Franchise Association
The International Franchise Association, founded in 1960, is a membership organization of franchisors, franchisees, and suppliers.