The legalization of cannabis is ongoing in many states across the U.S. and in many countries worldwide. In response to the steady expansion of the industry, the first marijuana business conference—MJBizCon—was held in Las Vegas in 2012. In 2022 MJBizCon is in its eleventh year! It’s hosted by Marijuana Business Daily® (MJBizDaily), an online news site that serves the national and global cannabis industry.
Why Exhibit at MJBizCon?
The legal cannabis industry is still young, and so is MJBizCon. But both the industry and the event are growing and maturing rapidly. This event is already one of the biggest marijuana business conferences in the industry. It has rapidly expanded—from a three-day weekend in 2012 to the full five-day event that it is now. This reflects how huge the industry now is. As of 2019, MJBizCon became not only the biggest cannabis conference in the country but also the fastest-growing trade show overall. And with lots of room for individual businesses to grow within the cannabis industry, this is the show to be at!
2022 MJBizCon Quick Stats
- The world’s biggest marijuana business conference and trade show
- 35,000+ attendees from all 50 states and 60 countries around the world
- 1,400+ exhibitors
- 320,000 square feet of expo space at the Las Vegas Convention Center
- 140+ speakers
- 35+ conference sessions
MJBizCon grows every year. In 2018 it attracted over 27,000 attendees, and in 2019, over 35,000. After going virtual in 2020, MJBizCon returned to the live format in 2021. This event continues to go from strength to strength, and it’s still the number one global cannabis business conference and trade show.
One reason the event is expanding so quickly is that the cannabis business covers a wide range of sectors and professions. From growers and manufacturers to retail stores and cannabis dispensaries, online stores, medical research, healthcare workers, and the legal profession, there’s a diverse range of companies involved. Many businesses have the chance to forge relationships with others in this growing industry.
What’s Happening at MJBizCon in 2022?
MJBizCon will take place from November 15 to 18, 2022 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. This year the expo will span 2 full floors of the South Hall, totaling over 320,000 square feet. Highlights include:
- 1,400 exhibitors, 140 speakers, and 35,000 attendees
- CannaVest West Institutional Capital Forum, a two-day forum for investors
- reMind Psychedelics Business Forum, a day-long forum covering research, trends, and timelines in the cannabis industry
- MJBiz Marketing Forum, delivering marketing strategies and tools for marketing in the cannabis industry
- MJBiz Hemp and CBD Forum, a deep dive into the hemp and CBD business
- Innovative Product Showcase, a display of 100 of the most innovative products in the industry
Attendees
MJBizCon is attended by people in all sectors of the marijuana business. Attendees include small cannabis cultivators and retailers and the sales reps, managers, and executives of large multi-state and global companies. These include tech and R&D companies, as well as large-scale producers and retailers.
Exhibitors
In 2022 featured exhibitors at MJBizCon include:
- Agrify, an innovative provider of cultivation and extraction solutions
- Agronomic IQ, a company that manufactures HVAC systems for grow rooms
- Cann Drying Systems, OEM manufacturer of drying and curing equipment
- Dutchie, a cannabis technology platform for commerce and dispensary operations
- Fohse, a company that designs and manufactures specialized horticultural lighting
- Purpl Scientific, Inc., a company that develops tools for testing cannabis products
That’s just a small sample of the over 1,400 companies exhibiting at MJBizCon in 2022. Other industries showing up on the 2022 exhibitor list include:
- Food technology
- Agriculture and farming
- IT service providers
- Marketing and advertising companies
- Electronics manufacturers
- Packaging and labeling suppliers
- Insurance and legal providers
- Product licensing
- Financial services, including banking, insurance, and real estate
- And more
Speakers and Sessions
The MJBizCon 2022 agenda features a huge list of forums, general sessions, and networking events, tailor-made for cultivators, manufacturers/processors, and retailers. Plus, there are special sessions focusing on hemp and CBD products, as well as sessions for industry newbies.
The featured speakers for 2022 include:
- Berner, Co-Founder & CEO of Cookies®
- Rhonda Kallman, Founder & CEO of Boston Harbor Distillery
- Chris Walsh, CEO of MJBiz
General sessions included a wide range of topics:
- Regulations and licensing
- Taxes and legal issues
- Marketing and branding
- Investing
- Research and development
- Emerging technology
New to MJBizCon in 2022
In 2022 the expo hall is separated into four pavilions, meaning visitors can get where they need to go more quickly. That equates to more traffic—and more targeted traffic—for exhibitors. The new pavilions are:
- Cultivation products & services: Including seeds and clones, fertilization, irrigation, facility design, greenhouse components, and lighting
- Processing, packaging & lab services: Products to transform plants into products, including distillation and extraction equipment, flavors, automation solutions, packaging solutions, and more
- Retail & dispensary: All the brands, products, and paraphernalia destined for retail sale
- Business services: Critical services and solutions for the cannabis trade, including software, technology, security, HR and staffing, marketing, and more
Also new in 2022 are two Exhibitor Spotlight Theaters, where exhibitors have the chance to showcase themselves more prominently; plus, there are new social and networking spots right on the expo floor.
How to Focus Your Booth Design for MJBizCon
The cannabis industry is growing. There are many new—and established—businesses all looking to capture a part of this expanding market. Many of them are also hoping to establish themselves as industry leaders. In this new industry, a “pecking order” has yet to be established, and while there are some well-known players, the field is still wide open for newcomers. Attending a marijuana business conference is your chance to claim your place in the industry and become one of them.
All of this points to branding being one of your most important concerns when it comes to booth design. Whether you’re running a start-up or hoping to position your established business in a new industry, branding is the key. You must determine what makes the MJBizCon audience unique, decide how you want them to perceive your organization, and then make sure your branding does that for you.
Your exhibit should try to do the following:
- Showcase what your organization is good at and make it relevant to your target audience. Many different products and services are relevant in the cannabis industry—even if the connection isn’t immediately obvious.
- Show your audience how your products or services can solve their problems. Make it visual and tactile if you can. Let people see how your solutions work, so they can imagine using them.
- Make your most important pieces of information bite-size to prevent info overload. If people feel overwhelmed, they stop paying attention.
- Include multimedia to attract attention and provide information.
- Add interactive elements to make your booth more interesting and engaging than other exhibits at the cannabis business conference.
In a newer industry, the most effective kinds of exhibits are the ones that are highly visible in a crowded hall. Visibility is all-important at MJBizCon because with few established players, you have a better chance to capture audience attention for yourself. You’re not competing with lots of well-established industry giants because there aren’t many of those yet. It’s a prime opportunity to claim your share. MJBizCon is the kind of show where your exhibit should focus on being visually impressive and highly visible. Think large custom exhibits, memorable graphics, interactive elements, and other features that command attention. A great presentation or product demonstration is useful too. The more visually interesting you can make your exhibit, the better!
A Can’t-Miss Event for Anyone Who’s Serious About Getting Ahead in the Industry
MJBizCon is the biggest and fastest-growing event in the marijuana industry. As such, it’s a high priority event for any individual or company working in the business. Even if you’re not, it’s worth considering whether your organization might find a new market by making an appearance.
Contact us to learn how we can help you bring in more leads at MJBizCon.
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