Franchising & Licensing Asia event goes online, registration opens Wednesday

THIS year's Franchising & Licensing Asia (FLAsia), an international trade event for entrepreneurship, business opportunities and intellectual property (IP) rights, will take place online.

Organised by Sphere Exhibits, a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), the event will feature virtual exhibits of innovative business concepts.

It will take place on Nov 18-20 from 10.30am to 6.30pm, and is presented by the Franchising and Licensing Association Singapore.

Admission is free and open to business or trade visitors as well as individuals seeking business and investment opportunities.

Exhibit categories will include food and beverage, beauty and wellness, health and fitness, as well as printing and printer consumables.

Queries during the live event days will be answered immediately by brand representatives via live text and video chats, organiser Sphere Exhibits said in a press statement on Tuesday.

Just as in previous years, the virtual edition of FLAsia will have a Taiwan pavilion, presented by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council.

The event will also feature a complimentary webinar programme about IP and the legal aspects of franchising, as well as tips and tricks from exhibitors' success stories. IP lawyers, certified franchise executives and practising management consultants will be speaking at the webinars.

Sphere Exhibits chairman Chua Wee Phong said "the possibilities are now endless" with virtual events, as they enable international participation no longer bound by physical distance, and create business opportunities both during and outside business hours.

Registration for FLAsia will open on Wednesday, at www.franchiselicenseasia.com/visitor-registration for visitors and at franchiselicenseasia.com/interested-to-exhibit for exhibitors.

Shares of SPH, which publishes The Business Times, were trading at S$1.10 as at 3.57pm on Tuesday, down S$0.02 or 1.8 per cent.