Caldeira of International Franchise Assn. to speak to New England Franchise Assn. on Nov. 9 at Newton Marriott

International Franchise Association (IFA) CEO Stephen Caldeira will speak to New England Franchise Association (NEFA) on Tuesday, November 9th at the Marriott Hotel, 2345 Commonwealth Ave. Caldeira is the new president and CEO of the (IFA), one of the world's oldest and largest organizations representing franchising worldwide.He started his new position as IFA president on June 15th. Caldeira has New England ties and was most recently director of Global Communications for Dunkin' Brands. "Franchising is not immune to the current economic shift," said Caldeira. He added, "I'll talk about how the franchising community is impacted, the trends that are apparent and the future of where franchising is heading. These are not times to be reactive. Franchisors are taking bold steps to maintain momentum." Headquartered in Washington, D.C., IFA works to protect, enhance and promote the U.S. franchise industry which consists of 900,000 U.S. franchise businesses that create 21 million jobs and $2.3 trillion of economic activity annually. The evening includes a cocktail and networking session beginning at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m., and then the presentation. The entire business community is urged to attend. Membership in the NEFA is NOT required. Reservations are required. Registration fee is $75 per person and includes dinner. NEFA members receive $25 off.