The Franchise Advisory Centre was established in 2004 to deliver practical, timely and relevant education to franchisors about franchising best practice, as well as to provide individual consulting and coaching to current and potential franchisors and franchisees. The Centre runs the largest program of franchise professional development events in Australia (more than 50 per year), all of which are endorsed by the Franchise Council of Australia (FCA) and which contribute to the internationally-recognised Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) qualification. Since 2004, more than half of the approximately 1,200 franchise brands operating in Australia have participated in a workshop, seminar, forum or other learning activity presented by the Franchise Advisory Centre. Regular professional development events for franchisors include: - Introduction to Franchising - Effective Franchise Recruitment - Managing Franchisee Underperformance - Managing Franchise Resales - Organise a Franchise Conference - Improving Franchise Advisory Councils - Franchise Site Selection - Franchise Territory Planning Annual, conference-style events include: - Franchise Management Forum (For C-Level franchise executives) - Franchise Marketing Forum (For marketing managers of franchise brands) The Centre also conducts professional development events outside Australia, including New Zealand, Canada, Great Britain and the United States. Centre founder Jason Gehrke has a long involvement in franchising spanning more than 25 years. In addition to his role with the Centre, he serves on the board of the Franchise Council of Australia, is the Australian delegate to (and past chairman of) the World Franchise Council, and publishes Franchise News, Australia's leading franchise email news service. Jason is also a director on the boards of franchise brands Inspirations Paint and Thinkwater, an Adjunct Professor at Griffith University's Business School, and a longstanding member of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission's (ACCC) Small Business and Franchising Consultative Committee.
