Up to 1,500 would-be entrepreneurs are expected to attend the North-East Franchising Exhibition this week.
Being held at Newton Aycliffe’s Xcel Centre on Friday, organisers says the event is the first franchising symposium of its kind in the North-east.
It is being staged by Be Franchising, a not-for-private- profit organisation based in Shildon, which was set up to help more people get into their own franchise business.
“In the six months since Xcel Centre opened, it has been one first after another,†says centre manager Kerina Clark.
“The North-East Franchising Exhibition will be our first franchising event, not to mention the region’s – and it will also involve our first ‘drive-in’, as exhibiting companies will be the first to bring vehicles into the main auditorium to demonstrate in full detail their business activities.â€