If Brightstar Care holds the Branch Leadership Conference virtually, are the same attendance requirements applicable as in-person conferences?
Brightstar_Care Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
a virtual experience, you will be required to attend and must pay the registration fee regardless of your participation in the virtual annual meeting. All attendees at annual franchise meetings must remain at and participate in those meetings for their full duration.
Additionally, if held, you must send at least one person (either director of operations, branch manager, DON, or salesperson) to the annual Branch Leadership Conference. When your Agency is doing between $20,000 and $40,000 in weekly Net Billings in the quarter prior to the Branch Leadership Conference, you must send a minimum of 2 key employees; if your Agency is doing over $40,000 in weekly Net Billings in the quarter prior to the Branch Leadership Conference, you must send a minimum of 3 employees with an employee attending each of the following tracks and all related break-out sessions—operations, sales, clinical, and recruiting. The conference will last no more than three (3) business days. All attendees must remain at and participate in the Branch Leadership Conference for its full duration. We may charge a registration fee, and you must pay all travel expenses (transportation, hotel, meals, etc.) plus any related salary expenses. You must pay—for all of your required attendees—all registration fees charged for the Branch Leadership Conferences and all fees for the scheduled hotel accommodations, whether or not the required attendees actually attend. We reserve the right to hold the Branch Leadership Conference via a virtual experience
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD pages 117–118)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Brightstar Care's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the same attendance requirements apply whether the Branch Leadership Conference is held in person or virtually. Specifically, franchisees must send at least one person (director of operations, branch manager, DON, or salesperson) to the annual Branch Leadership Conference.
The number of required attendees increases with the agency's weekly net billings. If the agency's weekly net billings are between $20,000 and $40,000 in the quarter prior to the conference, a minimum of two key employees must attend. For agencies exceeding $40,000 in weekly net billings during the same period, at least three employees must attend, with representation from operations, sales, clinical, and recruiting tracks.
All attendees are required to participate for the conference's full duration, regardless of whether it is held in person or virtually. Franchisees must also pay the registration fee, even if they or their staff do not participate in a virtual conference. This policy ensures that franchisees remain engaged with Brightstar Care's training and development initiatives, regardless of the format.