A renowned cannabis trade show will be making its way back to Vancouver in January following a two-year hiatus from the city over global turmoil related to the pandemic.
The Lift Vancouver 2023 business conference and trade show held between Jan. 12-14 will be focused on meaningful change and sustainable growth in the cannabis industry. It will be held at the Vancouver Convention Centre in the city’s downtown core.
Key topics of discussion at the preliminary Lift Cannabis Business Conference (LCBC) on the 12th will include Canadian cannabis leadership; creating authentic cannabis brands that last; identifying laws and regulations to change, re-write or throw out; and how to finance during turbulent marketing conditions.
The event will feature hundreds of exhibiting companies along with the brand-new Cannabis Retailer Zone and Brand Discovery Pavilion areas making their debut.
Event sponsors/partners will include GreenPlanet Wholesale, the Canadian Cannabis Tourism Alliance, Dutchie and Mills Nutrients.
Lift&Co. Expo Vancouver '23 will feature a new Brand Discovery Pavilion showcasing innovative & best-selling cannabis brands, plus the new Retail Zone provides cannabis retailers a cost-effective connection with consumers. Click for more info: https://t.co/qXA269Vdi3#liftcoexpo pic.twitter.com/KcQdcecnXv
— Lift Events & Experiences (@lift_events) September 26, 2022
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Lift Vancouver 2023’s director of content discusses event’s focus and noteworthy presentations
The Director of Content for the Lift event, Barry Smith, explained to Mugglehead in an interview what the focus of the event next year would be.
Barry Smith, Director of Content. Photo via Lift Vancouver 2023
“So the focus of the content next year will be centred around four questions. What might happen in the future, what might you need to be prepared for, how can you prepare for it now and how can we contribute to the industry to push it forward?” said Smith.
Smith also discussed two upcoming presentations from representatives of Tantalus Labs and the Cannabis Council of Canada (C3) that would be given at the Lift Cannabis Business Conference portion of the event on January 12 which he believes will be quite insightful due to their diverse perspectives on the same topics.
“We have, for example, a regulatory session in the Lift Cannabis Business Conference (LCBC) on the 12th. It’s intended to be comprehensive in-depth content learning for entrepreneurs, the people who make business strategies then go back to their offices and assign someone to change their approach,” said Smith.
Smith says that as the industry has matured, a lot of different groups have many different ideas of what the best models are for the industry going into the future.
“So in the LCBC, we have two great speakers who have done some excellent work which is aligned, but not identical by any stretch, and that’s George Smitherman from C3 and Dan Sutton from Tantalus Labs. So we have a large producers perspective and then a smaller producers perspective.”
He added that the two cannabis industry figures would be giving separate presentations with the beginning of each being a point-counterpoint type of discussion/debate.
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Lift Vancouver 2023’s senior vice president talks about a constantly evolving industry and promising after party
Lift’s Senior Vice President Lindsay Roberts explained that most industries do not evolve as quickly as the cannabis industry does due to how new it is. She says trying to keep up with the fast pace of the cannabis industry’s evolution in her position for the sake of the expo involves quick thinking and staying on your toes.
Lindsay Roberts, Senior Vice President. Photo via Lift Vancouver 2023
“Most industries aren’t changing as fast as the cannabis industry unless there’s some new technology or something groundbreaking,” said Roberts.
“Things with the industry were kind of chill and still for a while, and the show kind of follows along with that, but we’re gonna have to really be on our toes to keep up with how the industry evolves so we make sure the show evolves alongside with it,” she explained.
Roberts also discussed what the event’s after-party would look like and expressed her excitement about the diverse crowd that would be in attendance.
“So, the closing moment of the event will be a party, which I think is absolutely perfect. It will be at Lamplighter’s in Gastown, a cool area within walking distance from the convention centre,” said Roberts.
“Everyone’s welcome, it’s meant to be inclusive and the whole industry is invited. The consumers who have their passes are welcome too so I’m kind of excited to see the business and the consumer side mix.”
She added that the party would help show consumers and others what a cool, open, professional and fun industry the cannabis business is. She says it will be a perfect closing moment for the event.
rowan@mugglehead.com
