Franchise Summit & Expo 2026 Returns to Palaio Faliro

The exhibition for Greece’s franchise community returns after a three-year absence, with a new name and new joint organisers. Franchise Summit & Expo 2026 will take place on 27 and 28 November at the Tae Kwon Do Indoor Arena in Palaio Faliro, on the Athens coast, combining an exhibition with a conference, talks and educational sessions.

A two-day event combining an exhibition and education

Verticom and Boussias are jointly organising the event. Its return was announced in a statement by Anastasios Skiadopoulos, chair of the Franchise Committee of the Athens Chamber of Tradesmen, published on the Chamber’s website on 26 October.

The two-day programme goes beyond showcasing business opportunities at exhibition stands. The accompanying conference, talks and educational sessions give visitors a chance to learn as well as meet franchise networks. For prospective franchisees, this distinction has practical value: getting to know a brand is a different step from assessing a potential business partnership.

The new name and joint organisers therefore mark the return of an in-person meeting point for the community. The event’s format—an exhibition alongside opportunities to learn—reflects the Franchise Committee chair’s broader message: thorough research is essential before making any investment decision.

A meeting point for a community of around 500 networks

According to the figures cited by Mr Skiadopoulos, Greece has around 500 franchise networks, ranging from small to large. These involve thousands of business owners and employ tens of thousands of people. These figures describe the size of the community, not the number of participants at this particular exhibition.

He also highlighted these businesses’ contribution to employment, public revenue, social security contributions and the country’s overall economic activity. This places the event’s return in a wider context: discussions about franchising concern both the businesses developing networks and the independent entrepreneurs investing in them.

For visitors considering a new partnership, the size of the community is not, on its own, a sufficient basis for choosing an opportunity. The advice to carry out in-depth research remains distinct from the networks’ overall economic contribution. Attending an exhibition can be a starting point for gathering information, but it is no substitute for assessing the specific investment.

Credibility without collective blame

The exhibition’s return was mentioned as part of a public statement on the credibility of the franchise community, prompted by media reports about cases under investigation. Mr Skiadopoulos’s central point was that “franchising cannot be equated with isolated instances of unlawful conduct”.

His statement distinguishes the responsibility of individual businesses from the reputation of the community as a whole. It does not offer a judgement on the outcome of the cases under investigation. Rather, it argues that reports of individual incidents should not become a collective assessment of all networks and their partners.

At the same time, the Franchise Committee chair acknowledged gaps in legislation, procedures and the way disputes are handled by the courts. As he explained, franchising operates within the broader framework of commercial law, alongside the relevant European guidelines. His statement identifies issues within the existing framework; it does not announce new legislation.

Preparation comes before investment

Mr Skiadopoulos’s first piece of advice to any prospective franchisee was to conduct “substantial, in-depth research” before making a decision. This is also the most directly useful message for anyone planning to attend the November event.

In practice, it is worth planning a visit around specific questions about the partnership under consideration, rather than limiting it to a general introduction to a brand. The answers can provide a basis for further checks and comparisons, without treating an initial meeting as sufficient evidence to support an investment decision.

Practical takeaway: Put 27–28 November in Palaio Faliro in your diary as an opportunity to learn and make contacts. Use the exhibition to gather information and identify questions, and leave your final decision until you have completed your own research.