Cannabis Conference 2019 is here, and thousands of industry professionals from more than 25 different countries have gathered at the Westgate Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., for this three-day event, April 1-3, to get up close and personal with many of the brightest minds in cannabis.
The third-annual conference produced by the award-winning publications Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary, Cannabis Conference 2019 is the only North American conference focused exclusively on cannabis cultivators and dispensaries. The event is backed by an advisory board comprising cultivation and dispensary experts, and features more than 40 education sessions led by more than 90 industry experts. Cannabis Conference 2019 also includes a sold-out expo floor spanning 70,000 square feet and showcasing over 125 technology and solutions providers that serve cannabis cultivation and dispensary businesses.
Registration opens at 8 a.m. on Monday, April 1. Starting at 10 a.m., All-Access Pass registrants will gain special admission to pre-show workshops on a variety of topics, including expansion and franchising, biological controls, extraction lab setup and supply chain management.
John Cochran, COO of Harvest Health & Recreation and former CEO of Pabst Brewing Co., will deliver the Cannabis Conference 2019 Welcome Keynote, “Tapping the Beverage Market Boom,” at 1:35 p.m. on April 1. Harvest is a vertically integrated cannabis company with licenses for more than 140 retail, cultivation, manufacturing and distribution facilities across 12 U.S. states. In his keynote, Cochran will detail his vision for cannabis beer and other beverages in the North American and global marketplace, including what legislative changes need to be addressed to enable the cannabis-beverage market to reach its full potential. He will also explore Harvest’s value chain and frameworks for considering profitable, scalable solutions and the importance of communicating those shifts to investors.
Jeremy Plumb, director of cultivation for Pruf Cultivar, will deliver the keynote, “Wayfinding: Re-Envisioning Cannabis Consumer Relationships for a Post-Prohibition Era,” at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 2, where he will share insights into existing product mixes and production methods, including high-THC/Type-1 myrcene dominance, product characterization, pyrolization, concentration, inter-lab variability, grower personas, hype-strain versus chemovars, and more. Plumb will also review emerging research perspectives—and a few practical techniques to achieve maximum benefits—with a focus on the currently underserved markets, including women, Baby Boomers, and those requiring long-term, affordable and therapeutic use.
During the “Global Cannabis and Your Role” keynote panel at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 3, Washington’s Finest Cannabis’ Crystal Oliver, The Farm’s John Billings, Connecticut Pharmaceutical Solutions’ Rino Ferrarese and Thomas Schultz, and RD Industries/Rare Dankness’ Scott Reach will explore the outlook for the industry’s small and big businesses, defining their role in our future. With international cannabis a reality, Canada’s legalization rollout, consolidation, pricing declines and more, the panel will discuss how businesses of all sizes can survive.
Additional Cannabis Conference 2019 speakers include Anna Shreeve, Charlie Bachtell, Mark Zatyrka, Wanda James, James Andrus, Debby Goldsberry, Nello Gonfiantini and more, who will provide in-depth educational programming focused on dispensary success.
Sessions to help retailers achieve success in this constantly evolving industry will cover topics such as:
- Retail Store Design and Product Merchandising Tactics That Boost Sales
- Tips for Creating a Winning License Application
- Insights on the Hemp-Derived CBD Market
- Tips for Banking, Cash Handling, Credit Card Processing and Cryptocurrency
- Tips to Navigate an Acquisition Deal
- Elevated Consumer Experiences: Drive-Thrus, Online Ordering and Delivery Businesses
- Foolproof SOPs and Employee Handbooks
- Marketing That Works
The event also offers daily networking and opportunities for attendees to personally meet with professionals from both ends of the supply chain.
