Blog, Summary6 Steve Hoffman Blog, Summary6 Steve Hoffman

Hemp Happenings This Summer

Originally Appeared in Presence Marketing News, August 2019
By Steven Hoffman

Compass Natural is pleased to organize the following hemp leadership events.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis to Give Keynote Speech at AHPA Hemp-CBD Supplement Congress, August 16, Denver

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Colorado Governor Jared Polis will present the keynote speech during the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) Hemp-CBD Congress on Friday, August 16, 2019, in Denver. The address by Gov. Polis helps set the national stage for the vitality of the hemp industry and the positive economic impact the commodity will have for farmers and for dietary supplement companies nationwide, says AHPA. Currently, the industry is navigating a rapidly evolving legal, regulatory and financial landscape on how to manufacture and market dietary supplement products with hemp or hemp-derived ingredients including cannabidiol (CBD).

“We’re proud that Governor Polis will present AHPA’s keynote presentation. His participation is integral to the future of hemp and we look forward to continuing to be a voice of the herbal products industry and share his groundbreaking message to our 500+ leading members,” said Michael McGuffin, President of AHPA. “This collaboration with Governor Polis solidifies his plans to make good on the promise he made in January to position and help shape the future of industrial hemp.” The two-day congress includes speakers from USDA and FDA, plus legal and regulatory experts, farmers and producers, manufacturers, retailers and hemp and dietary supplement association leaders. Presence Marketing’s VP of Innovation and Brand Development, Tracy Miedema, will speak at the event, and Presence Marketing / Dynamic Presence will also be a featured Sponsor Partner of the AHPA Hemp-CBD Summit. Visit http://www.ahpa.org.

Photo: Office of Colorado Governor Jared Polis

Second Annual Southern Hemp Expo Returns to Tennessee, Unites Rapidly Growing Hemp Industry

More than 5,000 farmers, entrepreneurs, investors, manufacturers, retailers, and consumers will gather at this year’s 2nd Annual Southern Hemp Expo, a program-rich conference, exhibition and trade show structured specifically for the rapidly growing industrial, nutritional, and therapeutic hemp industries, held at Williamson County AG Expo Park in Franklin, TN, Sept. 6-7, 2019.

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Participants at the 2019 Southern Hemp Expo will learn about the exploding hemp market, which is expected to surge to more than $26 billion in sales by 2025. This year’s Southern Hemp Expo will include a business and investment conference; hemp farm symposium; industry day with a business-to-business expo hall; general public day with an expo hall for consumers; workshops and demonstrations; and networking and entertainment. Attendees will receive up-to-date information about federal and state legislation and regulations, current trends in CBD and hemp supplements; the latest developments in processing, technology and innovation; certification, compliance and lab testing; and breeding, genetics, seeds and clones, and more. Exhibit space and sponsorship opportunities for the Southern Hemp Expo are available online at www.southernhempexpo.com. Southern Hemp Expo is produced by the Colorado Hemp Company—which has been producing the NoCo Hemp Expo, the world’s largest hemp industry gathering, in Colorado since 2014.

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The Year of Hemp: New Farm Bill Ignites Market for All Things Hemp, Showcased at the 6th Annual NoCo Hemp Expo, March 28-30, Denver

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Originally Appeared in Let’s Talk Hemp Newsletter, March 2019
By Steven Hoffman

Featuring an Investor Forum, Business Conference, Farm Symposium and an Impressive Lineup of Workshops and Education During the 6th Annual NoCo Hemp Expo.

Hemp growers, producers, manufacturers, investors and others are feeling bullish in 2019, since the passage in late December of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. Better known as the Farm Bill, the legislation championed by Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) was nothing less than historic, in that it legalized for the first time in over 80 years the commercial cultivation and sale of industrial hemp, defined as containing less than 0.3% THC. Since then, the market for all things hemp has taken off.

And, the exploding world of hemp will be on display at the upcoming NoCo Hemp Expo, March 28-30, 2019, at the Crowne Plaza DIA Convention Center in Denver. Now in its 6th year, the NoCo Hemp Expo is the largest gathering of hemp industry professionals under one roof. Given the excitement about the market today, nearly 10,000 attendees are expected.

Indeed, the legalization of industrial hemp has been a boon for independent natural foods and specialty retailers, said Loren Israelsen, President of the United Natural Products Alliance, an expert on regulatory law, and a featured keynote speaker at NoCo6. “For smaller stores, this category has been a lifeline for them as they battle to maintain foot traffic in the stores as online sales continue to grow,” said Israelsen, who will present his perspectives on hemp, CBD, dietary supplements and the FDA at NoCo6’s Business Conference on Friday, March 29.

According to Hemp Business Journal’s new reportThe Global State of Hemp: 2019 Industry Outlook, U.S. sales of hemp products – from full-spectrum hemp extract and CBD products to hemp foods, textiles, building materials, bioplastics and more – estimated at $1 billion in 2018, are projected to grow 27% annually to reach $2.6 billion by 2022. Global hemp retail sales totaled $3.7 billion in 2018 and are projected to grow to $5.7 billion by 2020.

NoCo Hemp Expo Program Highlights
Featured speakers for this year’s NoCo Hemp Expo include Colorado Governor and hemp advocate Jared Polis; Native American tribal leader turned hemp farmer Winona LaDuke; David Bronner, 5th generation CEO of legendary soap maker Dr. Bronner’s; renowned market researcher Dr. Michelle Barry; regenerative agriculture and soil expert Ray Archuleta; hemp expert and author Doug Fine; hemp entrepreneurs Dani Billings of Nature’s Root and Janel Ralph of Palmetto Harmony; and other leaders breaking new ground in the industrial hemp market. For a complete list of speakers, visit here and for a full program schedule, visit here.

Other NoCo6 event highlights include:
Hemp Industry Daily Investor Forum, Thursday, March 28, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Legal updates and insights; investment trends and deal flow; opportunities and investments; networking; luncheon and more. Visit here for info.

Let’s Talk Hemp Business Conference, Friday, March 29, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Vertical integration; policy and regulation; compliance and certification; processing and manufacturing; market research; the global business of hemp. Visit here for info.

Let’s Talk Hemp Farm Symposium, Saturday, March 30, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Regenerative farming; soil health; genetics; new technology and equipment; regulations and compliance. Visit here for info.

Expo Hall, Friday and Saturday, March 29-30, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
With more than 225 exhibitors, NoCo6’s Expo Hall is open to B2B visitors on March 29 and March 30. The Expo Hall is open to consumers and the public on March 30. Features include the Bish Equipment Zone, HempToday International Alley, Science & Tech Spotlight, Adept Payments Workshop and Education Stage, EnviroTextiles Fashion Parade, Blu Nahulu Art Zone and more. Visit here for info.

NoCo After Party, Saturday, March 30, 8:00 pm – Midnight
Hang with friends at the Hemp Renaissance Ball After Party on Saturday, March 30, 8:00 pm – midnight at the Renaissance Hotel – Denver Stapleton. Buy tickets here.

Press Conference, Friday, March 29, 9:00 am – 9:45 am
For media attendees, NoCo Hemp Expo will host a press conference on Friday, March 29, 2019, onsite at the Crowne Plaza DIA Convention Center at 9:00 – 9:45 am, before the conference and exhibition hall opens. To qualify for a Press Pass, journalists, editors and media must complete a press application here.

“With more than 25,000 industrial uses, hemp is a gift to humanity and the environment,” said Morris Beegle, co-producer of NoCo6. “We have an incredible opportunity to build the kind of sustainable, regenerative, socially responsible marketplace we want, and NoCo Hemp Expo is where the hemp community convenes to plan and prepare for a bright future.”

Tickets Are On Sale Now
Tickets are available for the Pre-Conference Hemp Industry Daily Investor Forum, Let’s Talk Hemp Business Conference, Let’s Talk Hemp Farm Symposium and B2B Industry Day in the Bluebird Botanicals Expo Hall. For all ticket levels, information and to purchase tickets, visit our website.

Thank You to Our Sponsors
GenCanna™ is the Presenting Sponsor of NoCo6.

Business Conference Sponsors include: Elixinol, New Hope Network, Benmar Extractions, Hoban Law Group, Lilu’s Garden, McAllister Garfield P.C., Frank Robison Law Group, and Steep Fuze Coffee.

Farm Symposium Sponsors include; Bluhen Botanicals, Bish Enterprises, Colorado Breeders Depot, Front Range Biosciences, Hempsac, New West Genetics, ProVerde Labs and Rad Extracts. Meet all of our Sponsor Partners here: https://nocohempexpo.com/sponsors/.

About the NoCo Hemp Expo
The 6th Annual NoCo Hemp Expo is produced by the Colorado Hemp Company, a division of WAFBA LLC (We Are For Better Alternatives), based in Loveland, CO. WAFBA also is the producer of the 2nd Annual Southern Hemp Expo and founder of TreeFreeHemp paper and printing services. Areas of focus include product and brand development, event production, consulting and advocacy. NoCo6 provides support to nonprofit organizations including Bee Heroic; the Jack Herer Foundation; and Hemp History Week, celebrating its 10th anniversary in June 2019. Learn more at NocoHempExpo.com, or visit us on YouTubeFacebook and Twitter, #NoCo6. 

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Denver to Host World’s Largest Gathering of Hemp Industry Professionals

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Originally Appeared in Let’s Talk Hemp Newsletter, March 2019
By Steven Hoffman

Hemp is changing the world, and as sales take off for all things hemp – from full spectrum hemp extract and CBD products to foods, textiles, building materials, plastics and more – nearly 10,000 producers, investors, entrepreneurs and others will converge on March 28-30, 2019, at the Crowne Plaza DIA Convention Center in Denver, Colorado, for the 6th Annual NoCo Hemp Expo.

NoCo Hemp Expo is the largest gathering of hemp industry professionals under one roof. The highly anticipated event includes an expert lineup of speakers plus a pre-conference Investors Forum on March 28, and full day events including a Business Conference on March 29 and Farm Symposium on March 30. An expanded exhibit hall is open for B2B visitors on March 29-30, and to the public on Saturday, March 30. Visit here for ticket info.

Program Highlights
Featured speakers for this year’s NoCo Hemp Expo include Colorado Governor and hemp advocate Jared Polis; Native American tribal leader turned hemp farmer Winona LaDuke; David Bronner, 5th generation CEO of legendary soap maker Dr. Bronner’s; renowned market researcher Dr. Michelle Barry; regenerative agriculture and soil expert Ray Archuleta; hemp expert and author Doug Fine; hemp entrepreneurs Dani Billings of Nature’s Root and Janel Ralph of Palmetto Harmony; and other leaders breaking new ground in the industrial hemp market. For a complete list of speakers, visit here and for a full program schedule, visit here. Other event highlights include:

Hemp Industry Daily Investor Forum, Thursday, March 28, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Legal updates and insights; investment trends and deal flow; opportunities and investments; networking; luncheon and more. Visit here for info.

Let’s Talk Hemp Business Conference, Friday, March 29, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Vertical integration; policy and regulation; compliance and certification; processing and manufacturing; market research; the global business of hemp. Visit here for info.

Let’s Talk Hemp Farm Symposium, Saturday, March 30, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Regenerative farming; soil health; genetics; new technology and equipment; regulations and compliance. Visit here for info.

Expo Hall, Friday and Saturday, March 29-30, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
With more than 225 exhibitors, NoCo6’s Expo Hall is open to B2B visitors on March 29 and March 30. The Expo Hall is open to consumers and the public on March 30. Features include an Equipment Zone, International Alley, Science & Tech Spotlight, Workshop Stage, Fashion Parade, Art Zone and more. Visit here for info.

After Party, Saturday, March 30, 8:00 pm – Midnight
Hang with friends at the Hemp Renaissance Ball After Party on Saturday, March 30, 8:00 pm – midnight at the Renaissance Hotel – Denver Stapleton. Buy tickets here.

Press Conference, Friday, March 29, 9:00 am – 9:45 am
For media attendees, NoCo Hemp Expo will host a press conference on Friday, March 29, 2019, onsite at the Crowne Plaza DIA Convention Center at 9:00 – 9:45 am, before the conference and exhibition hall opens. To qualify for a Press Pass, journalists, editors and media must complete a press application here.

“We are truly excited to have top leaders, founders and luminaries in the hemp industry participate in and support this year’s NoCo Hemp Expo,” said Morris Beegle, co-founder of Colorado Hemp Company, producer of NoCo6.With more than 25,000 industrial uses, hemp is a gift to humanity and the environment. We have an incredible opportunity to build the kind of sustainable, regenerative, socially responsible marketplace we want, and NoCo Hemp Expo is where the hemp community convenes to plan and prepare for a bright future.”

Giving Back
NoCo6 provides support to nonprofit organizations including save-the-bees group Bee Heroic; hemp education group the Jack Herer Foundation; and Hemp History Week, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, June 3-9, 2019.

Thank You to Our Sponsors
GenCanna™,  is the Presenting Sponsor of NoCo6. Other sponsors include Ambary Gardens, Botanical Rush, Canalysis Laboratories, CV Sciences, Enerhealth Botanicals, Extract Labs, Front Range BioSciences, Hawthorne Gardening, Hempsac, Ingenuity Beverages, Isolate Extraction Systems, Lazarus Naturals, Lilu’s Garden, New West Genetics, ProVerde Laboratories, Pure Hemp Botanicals, RAD Extracts, and Frank Robinson Law Group. Meet all of our Sponsor Partners here: https://nocohempexpo.com/sponsors/.

Tickets Are On Sale Now
Tickets are available for the Pre-Conference Hemp Industry Daily Investment Forum, Let’s Talk Hemp Business Conference, Let’s Talk Hemp Farm Symposium and B2B Industry Day in the Expo Hall. For all ticket levels, information and to purchase tickets, visit our website.

About the NoCo Hemp Expo
The 6th Annual NoCo Hemp Expo is produced by the Colorado Hemp Company, a division of WAFBA LLC (We Are For Better Alternatives), based in Loveland, CO. WAFBA also is the producer of the 2nd Annual Southern Hemp Expo and founder of TreeFreeHemp paper and printing services. Areas of focus include product and brand development, event production, consulting and advocacy. Visit NocoHempExpo.com, or visit our YouTube Channel for a video about #NoCo6. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter, #NoCo6. 

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David Bronner, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Other Leaders in Natural Products and Industrial Hemp to Speak at 6th Annual NoCo Hemp Expo, March 28-30, in Denver

For Presence Marketing Newsletter, March 2019
By Steven Hoffman

Photo: Dr. Bronner’s

Photo: Dr. Bronner’s

Hemp industry and natural products pioneer David Bronner, Cosmic Engagement Officer (CEO) of the 5th generation soap company Dr. Bronner’s, will be a featured keynote speaker at the upcoming NoCo Hemp Expo (NoCo6), March 28-30, 2019, at the Crowne Plaza DIA Convention Center in Denver.

In addition, Colorado’s newly elected Governor Jared Polis, who in his first State of the State speech in January 2019 announced his plan to “make good on the promise of industrial hemp,” will be a featured speaker at NoCo6.

Now in its 6th year, NoCo Hemp Expo is the largest gathering of hemp industry professionals under one roof. Approximately 8,000-10,000 attendees, including investors, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, farmers, producers, retailers and other leaders in hemp are expected to attend the 2019 event to participate a newly added pre-conference Hemp Industry Daily Investor's Forum on March 28, plus a full-day Business Conference, Farm Symposium and expanded Exhibition Hall open to professionals on March 29-30. Additionally, tickets are available to the public to visit the Expo Hall on Saturday, March 30.

A tireless advocate for cannabis legalization and numerous other social justice and environmental causes, David Bronner will address the opportunities and challenges facing the hemp industry and how to navigate business growth in an exploding market, as industrial hemp is now legal under the 2018 Farm Bill. David’s talk, scheduled for Saturday, March 30, also will address hemp’s key role in regenerative organic agriculture to help rebuild soils, sequester carbon and mitigate climate change.

Photo: State of Colorado

Photo: State of Colorado

Governor Polis, an Internet entrepreneur, educational leader, former U.S. Congressman and Colorado native, is a longtime supporter of the hemp and cannabis industries. He advocated for expungement of non-violent cannabis-related criminal records, expansion of Colorado’s medical marijuana program and non-cooperation with enforcement of federal prohibition during his campaign. Governor Polis even had the programs for his inauguration on January 8 printed on hemp paper.

“Hemp is an amazingly versatile crop, and I’m proud to see Colorado’s rural communities leading the way to unleash its untapped economic potential,” he said during the campaign. “As Governor, I’ll support our farmers and innovators who want to develop industrial hemp—and I’ll tell the federal government to stay out of their way.”

The hemp industry is poised for exponential growth now that this incredibly useful plant is legal to grow and sell in the U.S. for the first time in over 80 years, and is expected to reach $4 billion in sales by 2022. Visit www.nocohempexpo.com.

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