MJBizCon Next, the first Marijuana Business Conference & Expo satellite conference held in New Orleans at the Ernest N Morial Convention Center May 9th through 12th 2018, included seminars, panels and talks on all manners cannabis business and related topics, including keynotes from billionaire Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary and marketing guru/rockstar Gene Simmons. The event included an expo hall filled with the latest innovations in cannabis business technologies, products and service providers.
Over the three-days, the event featured 74 speakers, 3,100 cannabis professionals, and 278 exhibitors— MJBizCon Next is billed as the “pre-eminent conference for professionals looking at emerging technology, markets, and ideas in the cannabis industry.”
Ben Cassiday, cofounder of True Terpenes, enjoyed his MJBizCon Next experience. “It was A+,” he tells The Weed Blog. “MJBiz does a great job on all fronts.”
With this year’s New Orleans location, organizers and participants saw the conference as a way to connect industry leaders across the U.S.
“The best part of the conference was meeting clients in a new market, closer to their homes and the circumstances and environment where they are doing business. Being in New Orleans exposed me to many new experiences,” says Cassiday.
Oregrown CEO Aviv Hadar, one of MJBizCon Next’s featured speakers, found value in attending the expo hall and other keynotes, too. “MJBizCon Next was extremely well done,” says Hadar. “It was an all-around world-class experience. Wonderful exhibitors. Professional communication from event organizers to speakers. I particularly enjoyed the session about cannabis investing. As an entrepreneur/operator working directly in the industry, I found it incredibly insightful to hear about risk concerns, different levels of risk tolerance and generally how the tide has turned when it comes to investing into cannabis from the mainstream.”
Liz Gold, a special correspondent for CPA Trendlines, appreciated tracks including accounting principals and justice reform. “I enjoyed many of the sessions, including the keynote by Jesce Horton of Saints Cannabis and “The Five Things You Need to Stay out of the IRS Auditor’s Office by Robert Carp,” says Gold, who expressed her favorite seminar featured a conversation between Cresco Labs CEO Charles Bachtell and Green Thumb Industries CEO Pete Kadens. “I really appreciated how Pete talked about the importance of expunging those with nonviolent drug convictions and how there’s a lot of work to be done to provide jobs to those impacted by the war on drugs who still can’t take advantage of the opportunities now available. More of that conversation needs to be taking place in the business community,” she says. “Overall, it was fun to meet up with friends I had never met in person and make new connections. I would recommend this conference to anyone looking to learn more about the ins and outs of the cannabis industry.”
Upcoming MJBiz Conferences
MJBizCon Int’l — August 14-16, 2018: Main Conference & Expo at Metro Toronto Convention Centre
MJBizCon — Nov 14-16, 2018: Main Conference & Expo at Las Vegas Convention Center
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