FIS 2026 reinforces the franchise as one of the most robust models for entrepreneurship and investment

• Franchise Innovation Summit (FIS) is no longer just a two-day annual meeting but is becoming a professional platform active 365 days a year, consolidating and promoting franchising as a lever for growth in commerce, services and investment.
• The overall franchise system approached €28 billion, representing around 2% of national GDP and 2.5% more than the previous year, maintaining the upward trend of recent years, according to data published by the Spanish Franchise Association (AEF) in July 2024.
• The Metropolitano Stadium will once again host the third edition of this major sector event on September 30 and October 1, two days during which around 2,500 professional visitors, more than 140 exhibiting brands and companies, and over a hundred speakers are expected.
• The Community of Madrid, Guest Business Community of FIS 2026, will lead the Cities and Franchising Forum, a strategic initiative promoted by the Spanish Franchise Association (AEF) aimed at fostering the development of commerce, employment and the local economy.

Madrid, February 17, 2026.

Franchise Innovation Summit (FIS) is no longer only a unifying event for the franchising community but a strategic sector tool that connects, gives visibility to and promotes the franchise model as an economic driver and successful business formula, offering this professional ecosystem content, contacts and business opportunities throughout the year.

The franchise model as an economic engine

According to data from the latest report “Franchising in Spain”, published by the AEF in 2024, the franchise system generated €27.623 billion in revenue in Spain, a figure that demonstrates the strength of the model and represents growth in job creation (+4.8%), in the total number of establishments (+1.3%) and in the number of networks (+0.6%).

Currently, of the 1,384 networks that make up the national franchise system, the autonomous communities that concentrate more than 80% of franchise headquarters across the Iberian Peninsula are the Community of Madrid (423), Catalonia (320), Valencian Community (171), Andalusia (156) and Galicia (58).

At the international level, the franchise model is also expanding: today there are 314 Spanish franchises across the five continents, representing growth of 0.96%, according to data published by AEF and ICEX Spain in their report “Spanish Franchising Worldwide 2025”.

In a macroeconomic environment facing challenges such as low productivity, limited entrepreneurship, the decapitalization of small businesses or the high concentration of activity in large urban centers, the franchise model not only represents 1.88% of the national annual GDP but also contributes to greater scalability, lower risk and uncertainty when starting a business, increased standardization and professionalization, as well as better territorial balance.

“Our objective is clear: to continue professionalizing the franchise model, place it at the center of the economic debate and enable ideas, projects and brands to grow with control, purpose and long-term vision,” says Raúl Calleja, director of the Franchise Innovation Summit.

He also emphasizes that “in an economic context that demands more efficient, professional and lower-risk growth models, franchising is consolidating itself as one of the most solid and resilient business formulas.”

For his part, Eduardo Abadía, executive director of the AEF, highlights that “FIS, in its third edition, is consolidating itself as the benchmark meeting for the franchise system. The figures for exhibitors, visitors and presentations delivered in the previous edition show that FIS is being very well received by all the stakeholders who make up this model.”

What to expect from FIS 2026

The event, promoted by the AEF and sponsored by BBVA, will take place on September 30 and October 1 at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid and is projected as an even more ambitious gathering, with sustained growth both nationally and internationally, strengthening its role as a strategic hub between Europe, Ibero-America and other regions.

More than 140 brands and companies from all sectors will participate in this third edition, and organizers estimate around 2,500 professional visitors — entrepreneurs and freelancers, investors and funds, franchisees and multi-franchisees, business schools, business leaders and executives, merchants and retailers, and professionals from the franchise ecosystem — as well as generating more than 5,000 qualified leads.

Community of Madrid – Guest Business Community

In this third edition, the Community of Madrid will be the Guest Business Community and will also lead the Cities and Franchising Forum, an initiative that brings together municipalities with a vocation for business growth to promote local economic development through the franchise model.

As a prelude to FIS 2026 and promoted by the General Directorate of Commerce of the Community of Madrid, several preliminary sessions will take place between March and June in each participating city, with institutional and business representation, highlighting their ability to boost commerce, create employment and strengthen municipal economies.

Cities and Franchising Forum

Conceived as a space for institutional dialogue and connection between franchising brands, municipal administrations and the local business ecosystem, this strategic initiative promoted by the AEF aims to boost territorial economic development and public-private collaboration through the franchise model, while positioning different cities as attractive destinations for investment and entrepreneurship.

The Community of Madrid, Zaragoza, Alicante, Jerez and Badajoz are some of the cities that will join the project in 2026.

New features: FIS&Meet and FIS 365

One of the main innovations of this edition is FIS&Meet, an intelligent matching tool that allows users to schedule pre-arranged 30-minute face-to-face meetings with franchise brands.

This functionality is integrated within the digital platform FIS 365, the other major novelty of FIS 2026: a virtual environment with access to 100% of the leads and specialized content, enabling participants to become part of a community that interacts beyond the physical event.

FIS Summit: the specialized sector content congress

FIS 2026 continues to strengthen its congress dimension and will maintain its two flagship auditoriums: the Main Auditorium, with a content program covering verticals such as Food & Food Distribution, Fitness, Health & Wellness, Beauty & Aesthetics and Digital Retail and Digital Native Brands, among others.

On the other hand, SPAZIO Restauración News, the specialized hub for organized foodservice promoted by Show2Be, the AEF and the sector publication Restauración News, will once again bring together top-level speakers to address topics such as consumption trends in the franchise model, investment in foodservice and fast casual, multi-brand operators and international expansion.

As in previous editions, the objective is clear: to draw a realistic roadmap for brands that aspire to grow with control and purpose.

About FIS – Franchise Innovation Summit

The Franchise Innovation Summit (FIS) is an initiative promoted by the Spanish Franchise Association (AEF) and organized by Show2Be. Created as a professional and commercial platform for the franchise system, FIS connects brands, entrepreneurs, investors and public administrations, fostering expansion and professionalization of the sector in Spain and internationally.

About the Spanish Franchise Association (AEF)

The AEF was founded 32 years ago and currently includes 156 members whose turnover represents 62% of the business volume generated by the franchise system in Spain. The objectives of the AEF are to represent and protect the interests of franchising in our country, act as an interlocutor with the public administration and promote it in international markets through participation in international trade fairs. The AEF is also a member of the European Franchise Federation (EFF).

About Show2Be

Created through an alliance with the experiential marketing agency 4forEVERYTHING, the company offers a comprehensive 360º model covering everything from event conceptualization and design to execution, production, communication and promotion. Currently, SHOW2BE delivers two major events: the Franchise Innovation Summit (FIS) and SPORTCITIES Expo&Summit.

For more information, to arrange interviews or request graphic material:

- Leticia Pastor Aleixandre – Head of Marketing & Communication at FIS
600 92 42 79

Access the image gallery of FIS 2025 here