International momentum builds for franchise industry as MFV Expositions sets for 3-way partnership in Japan.
As franchising remains a hot global opportunity, three prominent companies in the industry have joined forces to further global expansion in the sector. MFV Expositions has announced a partnership with Value Creation Co., Ltd. and I. Fujita International, Inc. (IFI) to grow franchising in the largest franchise market in Asia – Japan.
With lead generation websites already in eight countries, MFV partners with organizations who are strategic to the franchise industry in their respective countries. This new partnership is expected to immediately impact MFV’s portal business in Japan and put FranchiseExpo Japan on track to become the dominant site in the very near future.
For more than 25 years, MFV has enjoyed a partnership with California-based IFI on the Japanese website. Tom Portesy, president of MFV Expositions, has worked alongside Ichiro Roy Fujita, president and CEO of IFI, for decades, and now Naoki Shimbukuro, president and CEO of Value Creation, will join the team.
“I am thrilled to further expand MFV internationally, and to do so with Roy, a dear friend for more than 20 years for whom I have immense respect, makes it even more special,” said Portesy. “I am also excited to welcome such an accomplished group as Value Creation to our team, and to work directly with Naoki.”
Based in Tokyo, Value Creation is one of the major lead generating sites in Japan, and a successful organizer of a number of trade shows. The pioneer of web and social media marketing in the region, Value Creation partnered with IFI in Japan the beginning of this year knowing the combination, along with MFV, would provide them a tremendous entry to the franchise industry.
“FranchiseExpo Japan is truly a borderless matching site open to franchisors from the United States, Japan and other countries,” said Shimbukuro. “We are confident that FranchiseExpo Japan will become a bridge for international franchise business, as well as the leading site in Japan and look forward to further solidifying our growth with the addition of MFV.”
As a licensee of Franchise Times Magazine for Japan, operating its web magazine version, IFI specializes in assisting U.S. franchisors to enter Japanese and Asian markets, and also supports Japanese companies to expand into the United States and Asian markets. Also, aside from being MFV’s Japanese website partner, IFI has been responsible for bringing many major U.S. brands to Japan for the last 29 years.
“There are several franchise lead generating companies in Japan, but FranchiseExpo Japan will be the first global site featuring all franchise brands including the United States, Japan and other countries,” said Fujita. “FranchiseExpo Japan will link the U.S. brands to the Japanese market. It is with great happiness that we have partnered with Value Creation, a leading franchise site operator in Japan.”
Taking advantage of the new 3-way partnership, a franchise exposition show, similar to the expositions MFV has become known for throughout the United States, may be on the horizon. As one of the world’s leading franchise consultants, and owner of Franchise Times Japan, Fujita looks forward to the potential of organizing an International Franchise Exposition in Japan.
“Since I started my franchise consulting company 29 years ago, it has been my personal dream to organize a truly International Franchise Event in Japan,” said Fujita. “With our strategic partnership with Value Creation, and now MFV Expositions, we look forward to the first international franchise show in Tokyo in 2016, featuring the United States, Japan and other global brands.”
