It was certainly a day to remember when 100 franchisees of Stagecoach Performing Arts gathered in the capital to mark recent company milestones and successes.
For the first time since Covid-19 reared its ugly and deadly head more than 18 months ago, the franchisees of Stagecoach Performing Arts have finally met in person once again. The venue for this month’s gathering took place at Park Plaza on London’s Albert Embankment, where 100 existing business partners celebrated the on-going success of the company.
Despite the pandemic, the global children’s franchise has remained remarkably resilient during one of the most difficult economic periods of the past 50 years. This recent event follows on from the company’s virtual conference in July of this year and, over the past few weeks, there has been plenty of good news emanating from the corridors of Stagecoach Performing Arts.
With the new academic year underway, Stagecoach is delighted to report that the company has experienced a 39% increase in student enrolments. This represents the highest uptake in the history of the franchise.
Andy Knights, chief executive of Stagecoach Performing Arts, explained: “We believe that this event has helped everyone involved. Being able to bring 100 of our franchisees together was not only long-awaited but has made everyone excited to be part of our wonderful community once again.
“We were able to celebrate milestones within the company, as well as a huge uptake in recent student enrolments. Finally, we’ve opened our doors to the public all over again. It’s a significant moment for us and we can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
Among the significant milestones were the long-service awards presented to 27 franchisees who were celebrating their 10-year anniversaries with Stagecoach. As many as six were recognised for being business partners for 20 years, while one was presented with an award for reaching three decades.
One of the attendees was Claire Gissing who owns and runs Stagecoach Havant. She said: “This was my first event. I have been in business for two years and it was nice to meet with other franchisees, along with those from head office.
“It’s great to be part of the Stagecoach community. When you’re running your own business, you can end up not really mixing with anyone. But I now feel part of something bigger. At the end of the day, it was great to celebrate with my peers. Our industry has been heavily impacted during the pandemic, but we came together to celebrate success. I want to grow my business and this event was a great boost for all of us.”
The occasion witnessed speeches from the executive team of Stagecoach, along with presentations to franchisees.
The company’s business partners operate more than 2,000 schools and classes across eight countries, and have helped to unlock the potential of millions of students since opening for business 33 years ago. Among the actors and actresses to have benefited from attending Stagecoach classes in the UK are Dani Harmer, Emma Watson and Jamie Bell.
