Is attendance at the 'Annual System Conference' mandatory for Bee Organized franchisees?
Bee_Organized Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Franchise Owner and Spouse Agreement and Guaranty and the Assignment of Telephone Numbers and Digital Media Accounts, as said agreements, individually and/or collectively, may have been entered into between the foregoing parties.
- "Annual Conference Attendance Fee" means an annual conference attendance fee to be paid by Franchisee to Franchisor in an amount determined by Franchisor in an amount not exceeding $1,000 per attendee per year.
- "Annual System Conference" means a conference that may be established and organized by Franchisor for the purpose of facilitating networking among Bee Organized Business franchisees, and general education. Franchisor shall designate and determine whether or not an Annual System Conference shall occur and, if one is established in any particular year, the dates, content and location of the Annual System Conference. The Annual System Conference shall be for a duration of not more than three consecutive days per calendar year. Franchisee is responsible for all costs and expenses associated with Franchisee's travel to and attendance at the Annual System Conference.
- "Approved Services and Products" shall have the meaning defined in the "Recitals" section of this Agreement and shall further refer to and mean refers to and means those products and services that Franchisor authorizes for sale by Bee Organized Businesses.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 54–218)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Bee Organized's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, attendance at the Annual System Conference is not explicitly mandatory; however, franchisees are still required to pay the Annual Conference Attendance Fee even if they do not attend. The Annual System Conference is defined as a conference that may be established and organized by Bee Organized for the purpose of facilitating networking among franchisees and for general education. Bee Organized determines whether the conference will occur in any particular year, as well as the dates, content, and location. The conference will not exceed three consecutive days per calendar year.
Bee Organized franchisees are responsible for all costs associated with their travel to and attendance at the Annual System Conference. In addition to these costs, franchisees must pay an Annual Conference Attendance Fee to Bee Organized. The document specifies that if a franchisee fails to attend the Annual System Conference, Bee Organized will still charge, and the franchisee must pay, the Annual Conference Attendance Fee. This fee applies even if Bee Organized waives the fee for franchisees who do attend the conference.
This policy has significant financial implications for prospective Bee Organized franchisees. Even if a franchisee chooses not to attend the conference, they are still obligated to pay the Annual Conference Attendance Fee. This fee can be up to $1,000 per attendee per year. This means that franchisees need to budget for this expense regardless of their decision to attend the conference. The franchisor determines the exact amount of the fee.
While attendance is not mandated, the financial structure incentivizes attendance, as franchisees must pay the fee regardless. This arrangement is somewhat unusual in franchising; typically, conferences are optional, and fees are only charged to those who attend. Prospective franchisees should consider this policy when evaluating the overall cost of investing in a Bee Organized franchise.