HEMP SponsorThe organizers of USA CBD Expo had a feeling that Florida was on the brink of passing a hemp pilot program, so they planned a conference in Miami to address the needs of the emerging CBD market — and their foresight has paid off.
With recent hemp legislation passing at both the national and state level (including in Florida), USA CBD Expo 2019 is ready to set up shop in Miami Beach in early August, eager to share the benefits of the crop and its products with consumers and entrepreneurs alike.
The CBD trade show will take place August 2-4 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Educating the public and expanding the knowledge of members in the industry is the central focus of the event. It will host over a dozen sponsors and approximately 300 vendors, who represent more than 400 CBD industry brands.
CBD Education Is Key
“This is a new industry, and education is going to be the key here in our opinion. Both educating the new business owner who’s getting into the sector, as well as the consumer on the different types of CBD, [and the] different types of cannabinoids that are available,” says Zachary Bader, the co-founder of USA CBD Expo.
He added that many educational opportunities will also be available at the conference. This includes a lineup of speakers who are professionals in many areas of the industry. It also includes physicians, attorneys, business owners, and executives. They will speak on topics such as current market trends, compliance, FDA regulation, marketing, and financial services.
Members of the industry will also have the chance to share their knowledge with consumers and each other on the expo’s 110,000 square feet exhibition floor.
The first half of USA CBD Expo, all-day Friday and Saturday morning, will be a B2B-exclusive affair, with direct access to speakers, exhibitors, and activities including a networking mixer and awards ceremony limited to business pass holders.
“It’s an awesome opportunity for emerging CBD companies to engage with both local retailers, as well as national buyers in several categories,” Bader says.
He adds, “Our expo will give CBD entrepreneurs, many of whom are interested in any opportunity that they have to engage with consumers en masse, a chance to connect with the Miami-Dade market.”
“It gives the CBD brands the opportunity to speak to consumers, to engage with them, to introduce them to their products, to hear what they like, what they don’t like,” explains Bader.
Florida CBD Market Ready to Grow
When deciding on the location for USA CBD Expo 2019, Bader’s team was looking for an area with a friendly regulatory environment, a strong existing base of CBD businesses, and a large pool of consumers to draw upon. With Florida, they had to rely on where they believed hemp regulation was headed.
“When we first decided on Miami, there wasn’t a pilot program available there,” notes Bader. “But when speaking with lobbyists and then taking a look at what was going on, we felt comfortable that new legislation was going to be passed that opened a pathway for our show. We were right, the legislation did pass. Florida is now somewhat open to not only growing and processing, but the sale of these products, and is working towards more streamlined legislation as we speak.”
Once it was determined that Florida’s hemp policy was going in the right direction, Bader then surveyed thousands of retailers in the Miami area to judge their interest in the industry.
“It’s important for us that there are a healthy amount of retailers within the general area that are carrying CBD products or interested in CBD products,” says Bader.
Satisfied that CBD products already hold a presence in Florida that was prime for growth, Bader says the large Miami-Dade consumer base fulfilled the last requirement for a USA CBD Expo site.
“So, we’re really excited that there’s just such a big market in Florida,” he says. “There’s also a large distribution market, as well as manufacturing. So, Florida checked all of our boxes.”
USA CBD Expo 2019 will be held at the Miami Beach Convention Center on August 2-4. Tickets can be purchased online, with general admission tickets priced at $19.99 and business passes available for $99.99. Use the code HEMPMAG to get FREE tickets, both for business and consumer.
This post is sponsored by USA CBD Expo. Thank you for supporting the businesses that have partnered with HEMP.