Athens Chamber of Trades backs Franchise Summit & Expo 2026

Franchise Summit & Expo 2026 will take place under the auspices of the Athens Chamber of Trades (EEA) on 27 and 28 November at the Tae Kwon Do Stadium in Palaio Faliro, on the Athens coast. According to a Chamber announcement on 10 November, its president, Giannis Hatzitheodosiou, will deliver a welcome address. For prospective franchisees, the event offers an opportunity to learn directly about the financial requirements and terms for joining franchise networks.

Institutional support for the franchise community

The EEA’s patronage and its president’s scheduled welcome address are the new developments highlighted in the event announcement. The Chamber’s involvement forms part of a programme featuring representatives of industry bodies and other institutions, entrepreneurs, business executives and franchise specialists from Greece and abroad.

Franchise Summit & Expo is organised by Verticom, with Boussias as co-organiser. According to the EEA, the aim is to create a central meeting point for franchisors, prospective partners and investors. The organisers also hope to establish it as an annual fixture for Greece’s franchise community.

This announcement concerns institutional support and the event’s overall format. Assessing each business opportunity remains a separate task for prospective investors: participation in an exhibition and the presence of institutional representatives do not replace scrutiny of a partnership’s financial and contractual terms.

Exploring capital requirements, entry fees and other charges

The exhibition is expected to showcase business opportunities in food service, retail, services and education. This range allows visitors to explore different business models rather than focus on a single category of shop or service.

According to the Chamber’s announcement, prospective franchisees will be able to obtain first-hand information about the requirements of each opportunity. The topics specifically listed include the capital required, initial franchise fees, marketing charges and partnership terms. These provide concrete points for discussion during initial contact with a network.

A useful way to prepare is to turn each of these topics into a separate question. What exactly does the quoted capital requirement cover? How are initial franchise fees distinguished from other expenses? How are marketing charges calculated? What obligations does each party take on? The answers need to be assessed in the context of each individual opportunity, rather than treated as general features of franchising.

Face-to-face discussions are therefore a starting point for gathering information. To make meaningful comparisons, visitors should use a consistent set of questions with each network they are interested in and note any points that require further investigation.

A two-day conference on franchise partnerships

A two-day conference featuring more than 40 speakers will run alongside the exhibition. The line-up includes business executives from Greece and abroad, as well as representatives of businesses, institutions and universities.

Presentations and discussions will cover the legal, financial and operational aspects of franchising, alongside international developments in the sector. The conference programme will therefore complement the presentation of business opportunities with discussion of the framework within which a franchise partnership operates.

For prospective partners, these two elements are worth considering together. Information gathered at a stand concerns a specific opportunity, while attending a discussion may help visitors formulate questions about its terms and operations. It does not, however, replace an individual legal and financial assessment before making a commitment.

Opening hours and planning your visit

The exhibition will be open on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 November 2026, from 11:00 to 19:00. Conference hours are 12:00 to 18:00. Both will take place at the Tae Kwon Do Stadium in Palaio Faliro.

Visitors planning to combine meetings with conference sessions should allocate their time in advance. A short list of priorities — available capital, preferred business sector and questions about the partnership — can help keep discussions focused.

Practical takeaway: Use the exhibition to gather information you can compare. Ask each network for a clear breakdown of costs and terms, and leave the final decision until after you have carried out due diligence on the specific opportunity.