IFA 2025 Convention Preview: Insider Tips from the Rock Stars
Social Geek Radio | Host: Jack Monson
Duration: 28 minutes | Air Date: January 2025
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Featured Panelists
Ali Kraus — VP of Marketing, Benetrends Financial
Kristen Pechacek — CEO & President, MassageLuXe
Scott Greenberg — Professional Speaker & Leadership Expert
Derrick Ableman, CFE — Brand & Marketing Director, Northeast Color
Danielle Wright — Franchise Consultant & Business Development Expert
Brought to you by: Hughes, Citrin Cooperman, Northeast Color
What We Discussed
The IFA 2025 Annual Convention (February 9-13 in Las Vegas) brings together 4,500+ franchise professionals for the industry's biggest event of the year.
Five franchise rock stars share their insider tips for first-timers and veterans alike: which sessions not to miss, how to maximize networking opportunities, what to pack, where to get coffee, and why sitting with strangers might be the best decision you make all week.
Key Takeaways for IFA 2025
Women's Franchise Committee Leadership Conference — Monday, February 10th at 11:30am. 25th anniversary celebration featuring "The Power of Five" covering operations, marketing, franchise development, technology, and executive leadership. Caps at 400 attendees, register at franchise.org
Sit with strangers, not your team — The biggest mistake conference-goers make is hanging out exclusively with people they already know. Break the circle and meet 4,500 new contacts
Mystery case study experience levels the playing field — Whether you're a first-time manager or seasoned CEO, the collaborative problem-solving format makes everyone equal for 45 minutes
IFA Friendship Mentor Program — Free program at franchise.org/friendship matches first-timers with veteran mentors. Submit your top three choices and get paired before the event
Practical survival tips — Bring comfortable shoes (or buy from Vegas vending machines), skip the Starbucks near Mandalay Bay (line wraps to the slot machines), bring instant coffee to your room, visit supplier booths for free coffee
Supplier-focused programming — "How to Land Your First IFA Client" session sets standards for supplier community behavior and expectations
Monday = Committee Meeting Day — Most committee meetings, board meetings, and paid sessions happen Monday. Great opportunity for deep immersion if you arrive early
Introduce yourself to people sitting alone — Many attendees come solo and don't know anyone yet. That person by themselves could be your next big client or partner
Listen for "the tidal roar" — 4,000+ people from different brands, businesses, and countries creating an ocean of opportunity, creativity, ambition, and expertise
Episode Guide
00:00 — Introduction: IFA 2025 Convention Preview
01:00 — Register at franchise.org
02:00 — Scott's Update: California Wildfires
03:00 — Kristen Wins Social Geek Thought Leadership Award
04:00 — Looking Forward, Not Backward
05:00 — Ali: Women's Franchise Committee Leadership Conference
06:00 — The Power of Five Framework
07:00 — Leaders on the Spot Panel
08:00 — Mystery Case Study Experience
09:00 — Technology Segment: CEO + Franchisee Together
10:00 — Cocktail Hour and Networking
11:00 — Monday Committee Meeting Schedule
12:00 — Sit With Strangers: Best Networking Advice
13:00 — Danielle: Most Intimate Event With 4,500 People
14:00 — Kristen: The Return After Missing Last Year
15:00 — Bring Comfortable Shoes (Or Buy From Vending Machines)
16:00 — Sponsor Messages
18:00 — Scott: Interactive Sessions and Table Conversations
20:00 — Derrick: Supplier-Focused Programming
21:00 — Setting Community Standards for Suppliers
22:00 — IFA Friendship Mentor Program Explained
23:00 — Introduce Yourself to Solo Attendees
24:00 — Coffee Strategy: Skip the Mandalay Bay Starbucks
25:00 — Visit Supplier Booths for Free Coffee
26:00 — Derrick's Closing: The Tidal Roar of IFA
"That conference in Phoenix—when the show floor opened and 4,000 people started pouring in—was unlike anything I had ever experienced. There was this roar, like the sound of the ocean, but it wasn't just a sound. It was the feeling of all these people from all over the world coming together to build something."
— Derrick Ableman, on his first IFA convention
"The mystery case study is one of my favorite segments because for 45 minutes, you are all on an equal playing field. It doesn't matter your background, your age, your gender—none of it. It makes you think like most panels and presentations don't."
— Ali Kraus, on the Women's Leadership Conference case study
Essential IFA 2025 Information
When: February 9-13, 2025
Where: Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV
Registration: franchise.org
Attendees: 4,500+ franchise professionals
Social Geek Podcast Studio: Exhibit hall (stop by and say hello!)
Key Monday Events (Feb 10):
Women's Franchise Committee Leadership Conference: 11:30am (additional ticket required)
Supplier Forum Meeting: Morning
Multiple committee and board meetings throughout the day
Paid breakout sessions
Don't Miss:
"How to Land Your First IFA Client" (supplier-focused session)
Mystery case study + cocktail hour (WFC Leadership Conference)
Interactive table discussions throughout the week
Exhibit hall supplier booths (free coffee!)
Explore Related Topics
→ Women's Franchise Committee Leadership Conference — 25th anniversary celebration
→ IFA Friendship Mentor Program — Free mentor matching
→ Supplier Forum Resources — Standards and best practices
→ View All Podcast Episodes — Social Geek Radio archive
Key Resources Mentioned
IFA Annual Convention
The franchise industry's premier event brings together franchisors, franchisees, suppliers, and consultants for education, networking, and business development. Register at franchise.org
Women's Franchise Committee Leadership Conference
Now in its 25th year, this Monday kickoff event features lunch, leadership panels, case study collaboration, and cocktail networking. Limited to 400 attendees. Additional ticket required beyond convention registration.
IFA Friendship Mentor Program
Free mentorship matching program at franchise.org/friendship. First-timers can browse mentor profiles and submit top three choices. Sydney at IFA manages the program and will pair you before the event.
Supplier Forum
IFA committee focused on supplier community standards, best practices, and business development. Monday morning meeting open to all suppliers (member and non-member).
Social Geek Thought Leadership Awards
First annual awards recognizing franchise industry thought leaders. Kristen Pechacek (MassageLuXe) named 2025 winner.
Practical Survival Tips for IFA 2025
What to Pack:
Comfortable walking shoes (Mandalay Bay to convention center is a LONG walk)
Business cards (lots of them)
Portable phone charger
Light jacket (convention center AC can be intense)
Instant coffee packets (if you're not a morning person)
Your own logo cup (for free supplier booth coffee)
Coffee Strategy:
Skip the Starbucks between hotel and convention center (line wraps to slot machines by 8am)
Find alternative coffee shops in the casino
Visit supplier booths when exhibit hall opens (free coffee!)
Bring instant coffee for your hotel room
Networking Strategy:
DON'T eat three meals a day with the same people
DO sit at tables with strangers in breakout sessions
DO introduce yourself to people sitting alone
DO visit the Social Geek podcast studio in exhibit hall
DON'T just hang out with your team all week
Shoe Emergency:
Vending machines in Vegas now sell comfortable shoes
Supplier booths sometimes give away flip-flops
Last year, Fran Data had slippers at their booth
First-Timer Tips:
Sign up for IFA Friendship Mentor Program before you go
Attend Monday committee meetings (even if just to observe)
Focus on interactive sessions over lecture-style presentations
Ask questions, introduce yourself, follow up after the event
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INTRODUCTION
ANNOUNCER: AI was not used in the creation of this podcast. This is the Social Geek Radio network.
JACK MONSON: Hello geeks and welcome to the Social Geek Podcast. I'm Jack Monson, your host and marketing consigliere. Today we're rested and ready for the IFA 2025 Convention. The franchise rock stars are here: Ali Kraus, Danielle Wright, Derrick Ableman, Kristen Pechacek, and Scott Greenberg. They've got tips and advice for the biggest event of the year.
SPONSOR MESSAGE AND IFA INFORMATION
JACK MONSON: Alright, thank you for joining us. Today's show is brought to you by Hughes, Citrin Cooperman, and Northeast Color. A quick note about the IFA 2025 convention: if you haven't registered yet, please do so at franchise.org. We'll be there all week in the podcast studio in the middle of the exhibit hall. Please stop by and see us. And now, the franchise rock stars.
SCOTT'S CALIFORNIA FIRES UPDATE
JACK MONSON: I wanted to start with Scott Greenberg, who is our resident Southern California guy, and just get a quick update for all of your followers, Scott, on how things are at the homestead and where you are in California, here in the middle of what seems to be just a crazy couple of weeks for you guys.
SCOTT GREENBERG: Yeah, thank you for asking. We're—my immediate neighborhood—we're fine. We're in what's called the red flag zone, which in any other circumstances would be concerning, but that's a lot better than, you know, pre-evacuating or being told to evacuate now. So, you know, the first day when the winds came, it just sort of wrecked the neighborhood in terms of trees and stuff like that. That's pretty minor compared to everything else that we've seen.
The air quality, of course, has been an issue. Everyone out here knows somebody who's lost a home and lost their stuff. We have a spare room that we've had to make up twice for people who we thought were gonna have to evacuate and come here. Fortunately that hasn't—well, fortunately, I don't mean to not be a good host—but that hasn't had to happen. But it's intense. But my family, we're safe where we are and really grateful for that.
JACK MONSON: Brother, great to hear. Thanks for the update there. And you know, I always say there's two types of people: there's the type of people who make room for others and the type of people who don't. So we knew what side of the fence you were on there.
KRISTEN WINS SOCIAL GEEK THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AWARD
JACK MONSON: The other person I wanted to call out real quick here today before we get going: Kristen Pechacek, CEO of MassageLuXe. We have a little congratulatory thing for you going on today. You are one of the winners of the first annual Social Geek Franchise Thought Leadership Awards. Congratulations.
KRISTEN PECHACEK: Thank you so much. I was so excited to see that. And just thank you to everybody who nominated me and the judges. And what an honor. It is my personal and best goal in life to get everybody to love franchising as much as I do. And so Jack, you're a big reason and a big avenue for me to be able to share the love. So I appreciate you.
LOOKING FORWARD, NOT BACKWARD
JACK MONSON: You know, one of the things that I love about franchising and about thought leaders, including everybody who's on this podcast today: we do look back and we say, hey, I did this great thing five years ago, or I sold this, or I built this brand, or whatever. But I think a lot of what makes franchising special is we're actually looking at next year. Right now we're looking at 2025, 2026, and what are we gonna do to grow our businesses and help other people out and all of that kind of thing in the future? Reading the resumes—eh, that doesn't seem to fly real far with a lot of the people we're working with.
So in that spirit, I want to take a look ahead briefly into the first quarter of this year, especially the IFA convention coming up in Las Vegas, February 9th through the 13th. I know you guys have all been a big part of the IFA in the past, or maybe you're planning to do some cool stuff there. So I wanted to kind of go around the room and get everybody's thoughts on the IFA.
ALI: WOMEN'S FRANCHISE COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
JACK MONSON: Ali, we're gonna start with you. Ali Kraus, VP of Marketing from Benetrends. Tell us about this WFC juggernaut that is really kind of the lead-off hitter for IFA.
ALI KRAUS: Yeah, it is. It's first thing Monday morning after you've all been up drinking all night at the Super Bowl party. So easy selling point for everyone there, right? But the Women's Franchise Committee is so excited. This is our 25th year of hosting this event. Wow. So lots of incredible people before my time, before Larissa Olga, our current chair's time, who really set this thing in motion a very long time ago and has made it what it is today.
So we sell out every year. We used to cap it at 350. In the last couple years, we capped it at 400 and opened that up. But it is an extra additional paid-for event that you have to add to your cart at checkout before you check out through the convention's website. If you've already checked out, you can add it on through your IFA.franchise.org login, or you can reach out to your IFA rep who can easily add that for you.
I think a lot of people probably did register before adding it on, which is fine. You can do that later. But it's a cool event. It starts with lunch. It kicks off at 11:30 on Monday, February 10th. It starts with Larissa welcoming everybody. Again, that's the current chair from Zbar. Larissa Olga will welcome everyone. We have some incredible sponsors of the event.
THE POWER OF FIVE FRAMEWORK
ALI KRAUS: And then we have a full hour session, which we always historically have called Leaders on the Spot. I'm really excited about the conference this year because based on feedback we've received over many years now, there's always someone in the room that wants something that you can't cover. And so if we focus heavily on franchisees one year and marketing, someone wants operations.
And being the group of perfectionists we are, we're calling this year's event "The Power of Five." And what the Power of Five means is all of the major pillars that drive success in franchising. So that's operations, marketing, franchise development, technology, and executive leadership. So we're gonna cover all those areas in a very short amount of time.
We've got three incredible Leaders on the Spot joining us: Shanna Csan from Goldfish Swim for the marketing portion, Shane Evans from Massage Heights for executive leadership, and we have an incredible 40-plus unit massive Dunkin' Donuts franchisee joining us this year, and she is a force. Can't wait to see her on stage.
We also added a new technology segment where Marina O'Rourke from our WFC is hosting a CEO and one of his franchisees together as they talk about technology, how it trickles down from leadership to franchisee level. And that's only a 15-minute segment, so it's gonna be boom, boom, boom. Lots more on it.
We end with a case study and a cocktail hour, which—that's why most of you go, right?
JACK MONSON: All right, I'll be there for the cocktail hour. No, I'm kidding. I will see you bright and early on Monday morning the 10th. Excited about this event. I think as we said earlier, it's a great kickoff to the entire IFA.
MONDAY COMMITTEE MEETING DAY
ALI KRAUS: Yeah, mostly committee meetings that day too, Jack. So important to know that if you're heading in for the Super Bowl party on Sunday, or you do get there early Monday morning because you made up time—especially those East Coasters—it's good to know there's a lot you can do on Monday. There's paid sessions, there's committee meetings, there's board meetings. So really great opportunity to get yourself deeply immersed. It's hands-on. You do not just sit there for five hours. So very hands-on, awesome way to meet new people in franchising, especially if it's your first time.
SCOTT GREENBERG: You mentioned earlier, but can you remind us who the case study's on?
ALI KRAUS: Oh, you know, way to try to trick me and just get me to blurt that out there, Scott.
SCOTT GREENBERG: Oh, right. You caught me.
MYSTERY CASE STUDY EXPLAINED
ALI KRAUS: It's the most anticipated portion though. If you don't know what the case study is, it's really cool. We take a brand that's been through some sort of turmoil in their whole longevity of being in franchising. And we write a case study around it. You read it with your table. There's a facilitator, and the 10 of you spend about an entire 45 minutes talking about what you would do in the shoes of a CEO there. And then boom, we bring out that CEO.
This year it's two or three people from a brand that we're really excited to showcase. I've personally never met anyone from this brand, so it'll be one to surprise and shock and bring a lot of joy to the room.
DERRICK ABLEMAN: I just wanna say that's been one of my favorite pieces from the leadership conference—the mystery case study. Because when you're sitting at a table and it seems like it's random, the people you're with, it just sharpens everyone's ears and focus. And suddenly you are learning from everyone else's expertise. And I think it takes everyone else's sort of knowledge base and points it in this direction, this problem-solving direction where it isn't client-based, where you really are learning from other people in this remarkable real-time way. So that's one of my favorite segments.
ALI KRAUS: Thank you, Derrick. I know we feel the same on WFC. It's great to hear from someone that's been there. And I felt the same before I was even on WFC. It was one of my favorite parts of convention because I remember the first time I ever did it, I was this young first-in-marketing-job manager. I didn't know what I was doing and I was sitting at tables with CEOs and franchisees. And I remember thinking, "I do not belong here," and how scary it was.
But for that 45 minutes, you are all on an equal playing field. It doesn't matter your background, your age, your gender—none of it. It goes out the window. So I always really recommend to people too: that experience is so unique that you can get that again by sitting with people you don't know. So it's really cool to be able to not just meet the people but have those different backgrounds all contribute to thoughts. It just makes you think like most panels and presentations don't, for me at least.
SIT WITH STRANGERS: BEST NETWORKING ADVICE
JACK MONSON: Sitting with people you don't know—I think that's our first big piece of advice for this year. Like I see this so often with brands that go to IFA or other conferences, and everybody who works together hangs out together for three days. Or maybe it's you and one client and you eat three meals a day with that same person. And it's like, it's great to have that one-on-one time with maybe somebody who you're not in the office with five days a week anymore.
But there are 4,500 other people in this conference that you can connect with and maybe learn something from. So yeah, I love that idea of not hanging out all day with people you already know and maybe sit down at a table of—oh my gosh—strangers, right? But imagine we were all strangers at one point. At some point 10 years ago, none of us knew each other. And I think you could look at most of the people that you work with now and think, wow, you know, we were all strangers at one point. So you gotta open the circle at some point.
DANIELLE: MOST INTIMATE EVENT WITH 4,500 PEOPLE
JACK MONSON: Danielle, tell us what's up with you these days as far as IFA and what some of your favorite things you're looking for next week and all of that stuff.
DANIELLE WRIGHT: I'm gonna be cheesy, but it'll be nice to be back with everybody. Like last year I went and sadly, I think I was actually sick probably the majority of the time. I didn't do as many things as I normally participate in. But I'm just excited to—just that event. I wanted to piggyback on that with Ali: it's, I think it's the most intimate option when you're with so many people.
It does give you that option there when you're in some of those breakout sessions. You're with a lot of people, so you don't have the opportunity to really chat. You're there to listen, learn, and get your takeaways. So I'm just excited to see what everyone's talking about and kind of get into the mix of where everyone thinks 2025 is going. Because that kind of beckons back to what we've talked about—like what did we think was gonna happen in 2025? But I kind of wanna hear the general consensus from others.
And lastly, it's a way for me to remind myself that franchising is not just the bucket that I live in or play in, right? So I support a lot of smaller franchise owners and smaller franchise brands and spend a lot of time in the broker community. I think sometimes I forget—I know I forget—there are bigger things out there that are in the franchise world. So it's a nice way to get myself level-set back to: we're not as big as we think we are. There are bigger players out there, and it's nice to mix with them as well.
KRISTEN: THE RETURN AFTER MISSING LAST YEAR
JACK MONSON: Very good point. KP, tell us what you are looking forward to—any particular parts of this, or sessions, or speakers, or getting together with people outside of your normal circle.
KRISTEN PECHACEK: Yeah, so this is probably—and Jack, you said this to me the other day—this is probably the most excited I've ever been for an IFA convention, partially because I didn't go last year.
JACK MONSON: Oh, a return!
KRISTEN PECHACEK: I know, I know. It's the return of KP. I took on a new role at MassageLuXe like two weeks before the convention and just couldn't swing it with some of the transition. And so I am deprived. I need the big IFA convention to make me full again.
And I think, you know, obviously the sessions are amazing. I'm going to the leadership conference, so I'm super excited for that. But I just miss the people that I don't typically see at FCXC or FLDC. And I miss the energy that comes behind 4,000 people sitting in a room all rooting for the same thing. And so I can't wait.
BRING COMFORTABLE SHOES (OR BUY FROM VENDING MACHINES)
KRISTEN PECHACEK: I would be lying if I told you that I missed the long walk from the hotel room to the convention center. And this is my plug: bring shoes in which you can do that walk back and forth, back and forth, and not hate your feet after it. Although there are vending machines for comfortable shoes now in Vegas. You can go and you can just buy new shoes at a vending machine now.
JACK MONSON: Is that a franchise? Maybe. That sounds like something I might wanna invest in.
KRISTEN PECHACEK: You know, if you're a supplier and you're listening to this right now, if I was a supplier, I would totally have flip-flops at my booth. I think that that is a genius idea. You can get 'em for real cheap, and I bet you a lot of people will take you up on them.
ALI KRAUS: Last year, FranData had slippers they were giving out.
SPONSOR MESSAGES
JACK MONSON: Here's another tip from Northeast Color: Be selectively extra. Adding dimension or illumination to your interior brand logos or icons can create subtle yet impactful accents to what would otherwise read as obligatory signage. This extra bit of thought and dash of showmanship will not only distinguish your space and enhance the client experience, but will also give your franchisees an additional point of pride. Find out more at northeastcolor.com.
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SCOTT: INTERACTIVE SESSIONS AND TABLE CONVERSATIONS
JACK MONSON: Scott Greenberg, you have spoken at a lot of these IFA shows in the past, and you're typically speaking maybe more to the franchisee crowd or people who are working with a lot of franchisees. What advice would you have to people who maybe they've only been to one or maybe no IFAs in the past? Anything you'd really recommend that they check out or particular sessions or events within the IFA that you really recommend people go to, especially maybe if they're a first-timer?
SCOTT GREENBERG: I like all the interactive sessions—the ones where, and I guess that's one of the things about, you know, the leadership conference which is so great, that so much of your time is spent interacting with the people at your table. I think there's a lot to be gained from, you know, listening to thought experts and speakers and people who are up on stage. And as someone who gets to be on stage a lot, I certainly want to encourage that.
At the same time though, the one-on-ones you have, those conversations, or you know, one-on-fives if you're at a table or something—I think that's where you kind of get some of the most benefit. Because those are people you might be talking to afterwards.
I won't be going this year, I'm afraid, because I have too much going on. But I have a little less FOMO, Jack, now that you said we need to stay away from each other to meet new people. So it's not like I'd have quality time with you guys anyway. Now I know why you'll never share a meal with me. I don't take it quite as personally.
JACK MONSON: Well, you also never pick up a check, so that's another...
SCOTT GREENBERG: Well, yeah, you're right.
DERRICK: SUPPLIER-FOCUSED PROGRAMMING
JACK MONSON: Speaking of picking up checks, Derrick, you are a big sponsor of IFA. You guys always have a lot of stuff going on at Northeast Color in the exhibit hall, and I know you've got a big team coming this year. Same question to you: anything that you're really sort of pushing your team into doing as far as things to go to or maybe even people to meet?
DERRICK ABLEMAN: Yeah, I mean, it's a good question. I reviewed the agenda and I think one of the things that I was really excited about was there is a supplier-focused session called "How to Land Your First IFA Client."
JACK MONSON: Yeah.
DERRICK ABLEMAN: Boy, if that had been around when we started, that would've saved us a lot of time and really set expectations for us. I think we would've had a lot of different meetings in the intervening years about how to go about this thing called franchising.
But I think what excites me about that is not only just the advice that you can get as someone seeking business as a supplier in the community, but I also think it helps set some standards for our community as suppliers about how to behave, about what to expect, about how to conduct yourself. And I think that we can, as suppliers, get a bad rap, right? Because we're the merchants, so to speak, right?
And I think that really having those standards and a community ethos, if you will, that says how we should behave and what our expectations should be—it just, I think, has knock-on effects throughout the rest of the community. So I think that programming is really exciting to me. I would encourage everyone—all suppliers—to go and attend anything you can get your hands on as far as that goes.
SUPPLIER FORUM MEETING OPEN TO ALL
JACK MONSON: All suppliers are welcome to join the Supplier Forum meeting, which I believe like everything else is Monday morning. You're welcome to come join even if you're not a member of the Supplier Forum or if you're not a board member. You're welcome to come sit in and hear what the other suppliers are talking about. So franchisors, probably not the most exciting thing you're gonna do on a Monday morning, but for the suppliers who are really there to try to grow their business, there's a lot of people there who actually could maybe point you in the right direction and give you some help as well.
IFA FRIENDSHIP MENTOR PROGRAM
ALI KRAUS: One other thing I wanted to bring up too, Jack, especially for those first-timers: IFA has this really cool program called Friendship. If you haven't heard of it, you can look it up on franchise.org/friendship. And you can actually register to be a mentor or a mentee. And then if you're a mentee looking for a mentor, it's really cool because you can look through their mentor list and say, "I'm a supplier, I really want a supplier that's been in this a long time," or same for being a franchisor. And you can look through that list and you actually submit your top three favorites to Sydney who runs that program over at IFA, and they'll pair you up.
And I feel like with the amount of very few weeks we have left before Vegas, that would be a really cool opportunity for someone who's new to hook up with a veteran that's on there—of your choice, your choosing too—and then hook up with them at IFA and have somebody that can take you around and introduce you to people. It's a free program and I just think it has so much ability to grow and people should know more about it. So doing an IFA plug there.
KRISTEN PECHACEK: I just learned about it like an hour ago and I'm like, this is so cool. I wanna do this. Very cool.
JACK MONSON: Yeah, and imagine some new member out there could end up with, you know, the CEO of a good franchise brand as that person's mentor.
ALI KRAUS: There's great people on there. They're awesome.
INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO PEOPLE SITTING ALONE
JACK MONSON: Along with that, even if you don't do a formal mentorship program like that, the thing I encourage everybody to do is: if you see somebody who looks like they are by themselves, go up and introduce yourself. There are so many people who forget that, you know, I'm going with a team of—what are we bringing? I think seven people this year. Ali, you're probably bringing a pretty large group as well.
But there are a lot of people who go to these things by themselves and they don't know anybody, right? If they don't have any contacts yet and they're looking to network and everything. So if you see someone who is, you know, sitting there having coffee by themselves, or sitting in a session—you know, there's always that one person who's in an entire row and he or she is completely by themselves, right? Go introduce yourself. You never know who that person could end up being. It could be the next CEO of a big brand that you want to do business with.
COFFEE STRATEGY: SKIP THE MANDALAY BAY STARBUCKS
KRISTEN PECHACEK: Speaking of coffee, I have another tip. So my first tip is mind your shoes. My second tip is: do not wait for the Starbucks on the way from the hotel to the convention center. You need to go find another Starbucks or you will be in line forever and you'll never make it to your sessions. So there are other coffee shops. Don't think, "I'm just gonna grab the Starbucks closest to the convention center." You will severely regret that decision.
JACK MONSON: That one at Mandalay Bay—the line is usually way out to the slot machines by eight o'clock in the morning. My tip on coffee, not everybody's favorite tip, but it works for me: bring instant coffee packs from Starbucks, right? It's not freshly brewed, but unless you have an hour and a half to wait for coffee in the morning and you need a little caffeine shot—yeah, that's my tip.
ALI KRAUS: Also, come visit your supplier booths because there's free coffee when they're open.
JACK MONSON: There you go.
ALI KRAUS: Bring that logo cup with you and get it filled from your service.
DERRICK'S CLOSING: THE TIDAL ROAR OF IFA
JACK MONSON: We always like to wrap the show with some words of wisdom from the professor, Derrick Ableman of Northeast Color. Derrick, parting thoughts on IFA and being a part of this organization and jumping into some of these events—anything you wanna leave us with today?
DERRICK ABLEMAN: Yeah. Well, thank you, Jack. I mean, I think the twist ending for this podcast is that I will unfortunately not be able to join you all in Las Vegas this year. Yeah, it really smarts. It really smarts. But, you know, it's also caused me to think about my first IFA, which was way back in 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. I don't know if you guys were at that one.
You know, at that time in my life, I had spent more than half of my life in major cities surrounded by millions of people every day. But that conference in Phoenix—when the show floor opened and about, as Jack mentioned, 4,000-some-odd people started pouring in—that was unlike anything I had ever experienced before.
I remember that there was this roar, like the sound of the ocean, but it wasn't just a sound. It was the feeling of all of these people from all of these different brands and businesses from all over the world coming together to build something in their lives and in their communities. That coming-together sound, that tidal force of opportunity, creativity, ambition, expertise—and I could hear that roar in the background everywhere I went, whether it was a happy hour, a breakout, or I was just on the street hustling between venues.
So this year, while I'll certainly miss seeing many of you in person, you know, for everyone that can't make it this year, I suggest that we can still hear that tidal roar, even from home, the same way I guess, you know, the sound of the ocean can be carried in something as small as a seashell. And for those of you who can attend, especially for the first time, I encourage you to tune your ears because that same ocean of opportunity is there for you.
CLOSING
JACK MONSON: Thanks again to today's Franchise Rockstar panel: Scott Greenberg, Kristen Pechacek, Ali Kraus, Danielle Wright, and Derrick Ableman. Thanks, guys. We'll see you in three weeks in Vegas. And thank you for listening, telling a friend about us, and staying connected on the Social Geek Radio Network.
About the Panelists
Ali Kraus is VP of Marketing at Benetrends Financial and serves on the IFA Women's Franchise Committee. She helps coordinate the 25th anniversary Leadership Conference and advocates for hands-on, interactive learning experiences that level the playing field regardless of experience level.
Kristen Pechacek serves as CEO and President of MassageLuXe and is a 2025 Social Geek Thought Leadership Award winner. After missing IFA 2024 due to her CEO transition, she's excited to return to the energy of 4,000+ franchise professionals gathering to build their businesses.
Scott Greenberg is a professional speaker and leadership expert who has spoken at numerous IFA conventions. Based in Southern California, Scott specializes in franchisee engagement and operational excellence, though he'll miss IFA 2025 due to scheduling conflicts.
Derrick Ableman, CFE serves as Brand & Marketing Director at Northeast Color. Though unable to attend IFA 2025, he fondly remembers his first IFA in Phoenix 2018 and the "tidal roar" of opportunity he experienced when the show floor opened.
Danielle Wright is a franchise consultant and business development expert who works primarily with smaller franchise owners and brands. She values IFA as a reminder that the franchise world extends far beyond her daily community.
Why This Episode Matters
For first-timers, IFA can be overwhelming. For veterans, it's easy to fall into the same routines year after year. This episode strips away the intimidation and provides practical, actionable advice from people who've been there dozens of times.
The best networking happens outside your comfort zone. The most valuable sessions are the ones where you actively participate. The strongest connections form when you introduce yourself to that person sitting alone. And sometimes, the ocean of opportunity is so loud you can hear it from home.
See You in Las Vegas!
Stop by the Social Geek Podcast Studio in the exhibit hall throughout the week. Jack and the team will be recording live interviews, connecting with sponsors, and meeting franchise professionals from around the world.
IFA 2025 Convention
February 9-13, 2025
Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV
Register: franchise.org
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Northeast Color is a proud sponsor of Social Geek Radio and a major exhibitor at IFA 2025. Stop by our booth in the exhibit hall for conversation, connections, and yes—free coffee.