Our Q2 2025 seminar is on Franchising.
The event will be hosted by our generous sponsors, Landsec, in their offices in Victoria.
Franchising has always been a feature of the leisure market but the UK is currently seeing an explosion in franchises across many of the leisure sectors, and they make up a significant part of the new lettings market. The model poses opportunities and challenges for operators, landlords and advisors. Our seminar will feature in-depth content from franchising experts and a panel of active, leading franchisors to help attendees learn more about this dynamic part of our market.
The format will be a presentation on the Franchising Sector from a key industry analyst, followed by a Q&A/discussion with our operator panellists moderated by our Chair., Victoria Gould of Landsec.
Registration from 8.30am
Presentation & Q&A from 9am
Networking from 9.45am to 10.15am
Chair
Victoria Gould – Senior Brand Account Manager at Landsec
Tory is a Senior Brand Manager at Landsec, in the hospitality team, and is responsible for all bar, restaurant, gym and hotel brand partner relationships across the Landsec Portfolio – including shopping centres, outlet villages, leisure parks, central London and development sites.
Prior to Landsec, Tory was a director at JLL specialising in retail and F&B consultancy and leasing in Shopping centre and transport hubs across Europe.
Landsec are one of the leading real estate companies in the UK with a portfolio worth over £10.9bn spanning over 24m sqft of well connected retail, leisure, workspace and residential hubs. They own and manage some of the most successful and memorable real estate in the UK and also have a large pipeline of mixed use urban development opportunities.
Speakers:
Charlie Mander – Group COO & Co-Founder, Presman & Colard International Advisory
Charlie is the co-founder of Presman & Colard – a multi-award winning International Advisory with offices in London, UAE, Canada, Egypt, USA and Kuwait, focusing on Hospitality Acquisitions, Franchising & Strategic Partnerships.
Their focus is on Development and Strategic Growth Plans for SMEs, Multi-Sector Franchises and international Business Acquisitions through Angel Investment, M&A and Fund Management, with a current client portfolio that ranges from independent, regional to global operators.
The Group have completed over 550 franchise transactions over 6 years, across 30+ countries.
Iain Bowler, National Head of Commercial – Freeths LLP
Iain’s work includes franchise, distribution, brand licensing, agency, e-commerce and international trade as well as commercial transactions of all descriptions.
Iain advises non-franchised business that are considering franchising as an alternative way of delivering growth – a process Iain calls “the Third Way”, as well as existing franchisors and multi-unit, multi-brand franchisees in relation to all aspects of their operations. Iain is particularly well known for advising in relation to the geographic expansion of brands through franchising.
Combining his corporate finance background and franchise expertise, Iain also provides specialist franchise advice and support in relation to M&A transactions involving franchise systems including the sale of franchise systems to private equity, financial and trade buyers.
Iain is ranked as a “leading individual” for franchise work in The Legal 500 and Chambers and is listed in the global Who’s Who Legal for franchise work. Iain is an Affiliate Member of the British Franchise Association and contributing editor of Global Legal Group’s “International Comparative Legal Guide: Franchise”.
Richard Beese, Chief Concept Officer – We Do Play
Richard joins us to talk about the We Do Play Franchising model. We Do Play delivers truly immersive experiences within the leisure, retail, and hospitality sectors. With an exciting approach to what ‘experience” could be, the company captivates millions of customers annually.
Through its creative, intricate and immersive offerings, the business continues to expand it’s portfolio – introducing it’s proprietary mix of tech, people & creativity to new sectors in the world of leisure and entertainment.
Kieran Smith, Senior Property and Development Manager – Anytime Fitness UK
Kieran oversees property acquisitions for the Anytime Fitness UK franchise network, guiding new franchisees through onboarding and delivering comprehensive training. With 20 years of experience in the fitness industry, Kieran plays a key role in acquiring gyms and supporting negotiation processes. Kieran has been instrumental in opening over 50 Anytime Fitness clubs and over 100 clubs for various other brands across the UK.
*Please note – our panellists confirm their availability in advance. If any of our panellists cancel due to unforeseen circumstances, we will use our best efforts to replace them, but cannot guarantee that advertised panellists will always be in attendance.