On Saturday, January 15th, we outlined our plans for 2022 at Cafe2U’s annual conference at The Grand Pier, Weston-super-Mare.
The conference was attended by more than 60 of our 90 franchisees, as well as business partners and suppliers, including food products specialist Devonvale and van fit-out masters Dack Motor Group. It began with a speech by our CEO, Martyn Ward, in which he laid out the business' aims for the coming months.
“We are focussing on reconnecting, re-energising and having fun!”
He said: "Since we last met at our conference in February 2020, a lot has happened. When I stood in front of you in London that day, none of us knew what was about to come in the days and months ahead. But here we are, in what for many is still a very challenging time.
“Firstly, looking around the room, the biggest thing that strikes me is the sheer number of winners we have here, those who have faced adversity and challenges of their own and worked hard to ensure that their business remains ready to serve as we start 2022. And that’s why there won’t be a single powerpoint presentation in sight today. We are focussing on reconnecting, re-energising and having fun! So speak to your suppliers, talk to other members of the team and, of course, network with fellow franchise partners, but most of all enjoy yourself!"
In the afternoon, attendees had the opportunity to experience one of our new all-electric, totally emissions-free coffee vans. The electric vans are the first of their kind anywhere in the world and are a testament to Cafe2U’s sustainable approach to business, which we intend to expand upon in 2022 and beyond.
There were also a number of sessions available for franchisees to attend with the Cafe2U head office team, ranging from accounting to barista skills and marketing. Franchisees also had the opportunity to speak to the company's suppliers about new vans, new products, new revenue streams and financial services.
“We firmly believe we have everything in place to ensure that 2022 is our best year ever!”
However, the main focus was on ensuring our franchise partners had fun, with many of them heading to the Pier’s arcade armed with bags of 2ps that were provided in their welcome packs. There was even a Fastest Barista competition with a twist, with attendees going head to head in a virtual F1 simulator battle!
The conference climaxed with an awards ceremony, which saw prizes handed out to the companies rising stars, best baristas, best new franchisees and most improved performers, before concluding with the Franchise Partner of the Year award, which was claimed by Eric Draper, a franchisee based in Manchester South West. Draper was commended for the record breaking sales he had consistently achieved.
Summing up the day, Ward concluded: "Our 2022 conference has given our franchisees and partners the opportunity to understand our ambitious plans and we're delighted to have their support going into the new year. We firmly believe we have everything in place to ensure that 2022 is our best year ever and continue to make ourselves one of the most popular choices for people looking for franchise investment opportunities this year and beyond."