2025 Annual AKFCF Convention

What does “Share Your Story” mean?

We all have a story to tell, and your story is a unique thread of fabric in the story of KFC. Since the beginning, Franchisees have had a hand in writing one of the greatest restaurant success stories of all time…The KFC Story.  The Colonel, our original author, had the dream and ambition of creating and serving his world-famous chicken recipe to his guests.  However, without the Franchisees of this unique system, the Colonel’s dream would have never been realized, and the KFC story would have ended long ago.   

Storytelling is a powerful way for successful people to share knowledge and connect. Stories outshine statistics, and create a vehicle in which we can persuade, influence, and inspire one another.  By sharing our stories, the triumphs, and the struggles, we build trust, which then opens the door for growth.  And growth is what we are all striving for.  

Storytelling is an art, but you don’t have to be an artist to tell a great story, like the Colonel, you just need heart, authenticity, and the willingness to share.  

Everyone associated with our Brand, including you, has added chapters to this story over time, making Kentucky Fried Chicken what it is today, and we’re not done yet.  

What better place for us to gather than Nashville, a city notorious for music, neon lights, fried chicken and great stories!  

Join us at the AKFCF Convention in March of 2025 and get ready to craft, leverage and expand your story and your business in Nashville!

Leslie Sharp

AKFCF President 

Convention Registration Live October 1st

Early Bird Rate – $249

Register by November 30th

Regular Rate – $399

Register by January 31

2025 On-Site Rate – $499

Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center

Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center

2800 Opryland Drive

Nashville, TN 37214

615-889-1000

www.marriott.com

 AKFCF Group rate based on availability.

$239 per night plus a $20 resort fee, 9.25% State Tax, 6% Occupancy Tax and $2.50 city tax.

Resort Fee includes: Property wide high speed wireless internet access, unlimited local and long-distance calls, Daily Shuttle service to Opry Mills & The Inn at Opryland, Shuttle transportation to scheduled Grand Ole Opry and General Jackson Showboat Performances, Bottled water (2 daily), Daily credit of up to $10.00 per room toward dry cleaning, and transportation to Gaylord Springs Golf Links, practice range access and daily bucket of balls.

Tentative Schedule

Sunday, March 23

11:00 am – 6:00 pm – Attendee Registration

1:00 – 5:00 pm – Workshops (3)

5:00 – 7:00 pm – Country Icons Reception in Trade Show

Monday, March 24

7:00 am – 8:30 am – Breakfast

9:00 am – 12:30 pm – AKFCF General Session at the Grand Ole Opry

1:00 pm – 2:30 pm – Lunch and Colonel’s Kitchen Clash with Celebrity Chef Edward Lee

2:45 pm – 4:00 pm – General Session

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm – KFChic Reception in Trade Show

Free Night

8:30 pm – 11:00 pm – KFC Foundation Event – Pins Mechanical

Tuesday, March 25

8:00 – 9:00 am – Breakfast

9:00 am – 12:00 pm – KFC General Session

12:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Lunch in Trade Show

2:30 pm – 4:30 pm – General Session with AKFCF, NCAC, RSCS and GAC

6:30 pm – 10:15 pm – Final Night Celebration at Category 10

Wednesday, March 26

7:30 am – 8:30 am – Breakfast

8:30 am – 3:00 pm – AKFCF Franchisees Only Day

8:30 am – 8:45 am – AKFCF President Closing Remarks

8:45 am – 10:15 am – Legal Update

10:30 am – 1:30 pm – Regional Meetings

1:30 pm – 3:00 pm – AKFCF Board Meeting

KFC Kitchen Clash Contest – Casting Call for Contestants

Step right up, culinary contenders and fried chicken aficionados! Get ready to spice up your life with a dash of competition and a sprinkle of fame at the hottest event of the AKFCF Convention—the “KFC Kitchen Clash”!

If you’ve ever dreamed of sizzling in the spotlight and showing off your cooking skills, this is your golden ticket. Under the watchful eye of none other than Celebrity Chef Edward Lee, this cooking challenge is your chance to prove that you can cook with the elite—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to turn up the heat alongside your peers.

The “KFC Kitchen Clash” isn’t just any cook-off. It’s where the ticking clock is your dance partner, and mystery ingredients are the rhythm you move to. Imagine the thrill of racing against time, the crowd cheering, as you whip up a signature dish that could crown you the culinary king or queen of the “KFC Kitchen Clash.” Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to create something extraordinary from the unknown transforming the unassuming into the unforgettable.

This playful and lighthearted showdown is tailor-made for any AKFCF Convention Attendee looking to add a pinch of fun to their professional networking. It’s a chance to laugh, let loose, and maybe—just maybe—walk away with bragging rights that will last a lifetime.

So, do you have the secret sauce to success? Can you stand the heat and stay in the kitchen? There’s only one way to find out. Don your apron, grab your tongs, and get ready to join the ranks of the brave, the bold, and the battered—where the only thing hotter than the fryer is the competition.

We will select four teams of two to compete. Chef Lee and a panel of judges will select the winning dish. To apply, please contact AKFCF Executive Director Kelly Rodenberg at kelly.rodenberg@akfcf.com for an application. The deadline to enter is January 3^rd.

Join us at the “KFC Kitchen Clash” and let’s get cooking!