ProFranquicias brings Focus On! 2026 to Maracaibo

The Venezuelan Franchise Chamber, ProFranquicias, held its Focus On! 2026 business event in Maracaibo on 8 October. Hosted in the city for the first time, the senior management gathering brought together leaders from the state of Zulia, with an agenda focused on strategic thinking, sharing experience and connecting brands with entrepreneurs.

A first edition reaching out to Zulia

The event took place in the Caroní Room at the Tibisay Hotel del Lago. Its organiser has spent 28 years promoting commercial development in Venezuela. Bringing Focus On! to Maracaibo highlighted the importance of regional engagement and the franchise community’s potential for growth beyond Caracas.

Speaking at the event, Argenis Carpio, a director of ProFranquicias and representative of M7 Partners / Franquiciólogos Consultores, explained that the association sees a need to decentralise its initiatives and engage with Zulia’s economic potential.

“As an association, we recognised that, despite the centralisation that exists, we need to reach out to the regions. Maracaibo and the state of Zulia represent a highly attractive, dynamic and productive market that deserved our firm commitment,” Carpio said.

His statement set out the purpose of the first local edition: to engage directly with Zulia’s entrepreneurs and connect their projects with business experience from across the franchise community. The event also formed part of the commitment expressed by ProFranquicias and its partners to continue providing training and networking opportunities for business leaders in western Venezuela.

Brands shared their experiences

The gathering incorporated the Roadshow format and its “Brands Take the Floor” session. Participating companies included Perfumes Factory and Rattan, alongside expanding local ice cream brands.

The mix of established companies and regional ventures brought a range of business experiences together in one place. National brands were not the sole focus: local businesses also gave projects rooted in the Zulia market a platform.

Association representatives presented franchising as an option for entrepreneurs and investors interested in replicating proven business models. They highlighted job creation, knowledge transfer and sustainable growth as ways in which the model could contribute to the region.

These points formed part of the association’s message at the event. For anyone considering joining a franchise brand, they are issues worth examining in each individual proposal, alongside investment terms and operational responsibilities.

Perfumes Factory: from Caracas to other markets

In an interview published by MundoUR Regiones on 10 October in connection with Focus On! and the Roadshow, Francisco Villegas, vice-president of ProFranquicias and executive director of Perfumes Factory, shared some of the company’s history.

Villegas said the brand’s first shop opened in Metrocenter, Caracas. According to his account, this marked the start of a series of openings that later led to international expansion through franchising.

He said that international expansion began in 2009, in Curaçao. He then mentioned openings in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Ecuador and Peru. His contribution offered a concrete example of a Venezuelan-born brand taking its business concept into other markets.

During the conversation, he also highlighted the value of investing in a recognised brand with a track record and clear procedures. Villegas argued that these features reduce risk compared with starting a business without such backing. This is his assessment of the model, rather than a guarantee of profitability for every outlet.

What prospective franchisees can gain

The Zulia edition of Focus On! brought the association’s decentralisation message together with the experiences of brands and regional ventures. For Venezuela’s franchise community, the key development was the event’s debut in Maracaibo and its focus on entrepreneurs in the west of the country.

Practical advice: use events like these to meet brand teams and ask specific questions. Before committing capital, assess the track record presented alongside the procedures, support and investment terms of each proposal.