WAFBA Announces a Pause for 2023 Southern Hemp Expo in Nashville
SHE became dominated by Delta-8 and other intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids popular in areas where adult-use cannabis is not legal.
LOVELAND, Colo. (April 18, 2023) -- WAFBA -- We Are For Better Alternatives, the umbrella organization that hosts and produces NoCo Hemp Expo, Southern Hemp Expo, Hawaii Hemp Conference, Winter Hemp Summit and other hemp-centric conferences, trade shows and events -- is going to pause the 2023 Southern Hemp Expo. The Southern Hemp Expo, aka SHE, launched in 2018 in Nashville as the sister show to NoCo Hemp Expo, the most comprehensive hemp exposition and trade show on the planet.
SHE was a highly successful event in both 2018 and 2019 but was canceled in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic. SHE moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, in 2021 and back to Nashville in 2022. Both shows struggled to regain the momentum that the hemp industry had prior to the pandemic and both shows ended up being dominated by the rise in the intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoid category, including Delta-8, HHC and other derivatives that have come to be popular with the consumer market in areas of the United States where adult-use cannabis is not yet legal.
Hemp for Health and Wellness
Both NoCo Hemp Expo and Southern Hemp Expo were founded on the decades-long mission and mantra that hemp is for health and wellness for humans and animals and an environmental benefactor for the planet in being able to produce eco-friendly, carbon-neutral to carbon-negative materials for a variety of industrial applications. These include commercial and residential construction products, textiles, automotive components, paper and packaging, bioplastics and biocomposites, animal bedding, biochar and more.
Another long-standing mantra for the hemp industry has been “hemp does not get you high,” which was the case until the domestic oversupply of CBD biomass increased significantly in 2019 and 2020. Additionally, the FDA continued to skirt its regulatory responsibilities given to the agency by Congress in the 2018 Farm Bill to regulate the burgeoning and popular CBD market. The lack of regulatory oversight kept major retailers and major consumer brands on the sidelines as well as investment money out of the industry. This in turn was a factor in the increased oversupply and the eventual development of the synthesized, hemp-derived cannabinoid market that is proliferating today. This market has opened up a variety of concerns, from consumer safety issues to state product bans as well as state legislation approving of these products, and other various regulatory murkiness around the country. To put it simply, it's a mess and extremely complicated to navigate in this new category of the hemp industry. To be clear, WAFBA, Southern Hemp Expo and its management are not in favor of "banning" or making "illegal" this new category of hemp-derived products. This category of products needs federal regulation, which we hope will occur in the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill.
Focus on Flagship Event
With the above-mentioned confusion, complexity and the state of intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids, WAFBA has made the decision to focus its trade show and event energy on its flagship event, NoCo Hemp Expo, and to do everything we can to build this event as the international hub and gathering spot of hemp-based heath, wellness, nutrition, environmental, and socially impactful opportunities that can benefit humanity and the planet.
For additional information and to keep abreast of future activities and events, we encourage the industry and interested parties to subscribe to our newsletter and visit our media platform at www.letstalkhemp.com.
Contact
Morris Beegle, WAFBA, info@nocohempexpo.com
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com, tel 303.807.1042
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper Lifts COVID Restrictions in Time for Southern Hemp Expo at Raleigh Convention Center, Sept. 2-4, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper Lifts COVID Restrictions in Time for Southern Hemp Expo at Raleigh Convention Center, Sept. 2-4, 2021
Governor’s executive order lifts COVID restrictions for masks and capacity limits at public gatherings
What: Southern Hemp Expo (SHE3) in Raleigh, NC, will return to “normalcy” after a new executive order by Gov. Roy Cooper who has lifted restrictions for COVID-19. (information listed below)
When: September 2-4, 2021
Where: Raleigh Convention Center, 500 S Salisbury St., Raleigh, NC 27601
More information: Click HERE
Denver, CO (May 20, 2021) -- Networking, supply chain expansions and new hemp business connections will return full-force at the Southern Hemp Expo in Raleigh, NC, after a new executive order from Gov. Roy Cooper lifted COVID restrictions throughout the state last week.
The governor’s Executive Order 215 significantly lessens restrictions going forward into North Carolina. Effective immediately, all requirements for mask-wearing, social distancing, and wellness screenings have been removed and are no longer mandatory for events at the Raleigh Convention Center (RCC), except when more than 5,000 people are gathered in one space, said Hayley Burkhardt, Events Manager for the RCC. Even that last restriction for 5,000 attendees in one space may soon be lifted well in time for the Southern Hemp Expo on Sept. 2-4, Burkhardt said.
Open for Business, with Cleanliness and Sanitation Assured
“Covid-19 took us on a wild ride,” Burkhardt said, but the convention center was looking forward to the return of face-to-face events. The RCC will still undergo thorough cleaning and sanitation procedures, Burkhardt emphasized.
Case counts in North Carolina have dropped, and 51% of the state's residents over the age of 18 have received at least one vaccination, the governor’s office said. “North Carolinians have made great progress in getting vaccinated, and every day, more North Carolinians are protected from this deadly disease,” Gov. Cooper said in a statement Friday.
The World of Hemp, in One Location
The Southern Hemp Expo 2021 will bring a robust trade show featuring 250 exhibitors, three full days of expo hall and education including the Let’s Talk Hemp Business Conference and Farm Symposium.
Southern Hemp Expo attendees will include farmers, genetics companies, soil amendment suppliers, equipment manufacturers, hemp foods producers, pet product formulators, extraction experts, processors, lab companies, industry organizations, brands, distributors, retail and wholesale buyers, marketers, ancillary service providers and more.
Raleigh offers a unique setting for networking, business meetings and an all-in-one location designed to meet with existing and new clients. SHE3 will feature a welcome reception, gala, concert, and multiple networking parties to celebrate the reuniting of the hemp world. Check out the many features of Raleigh, NC here: https://www.visitraleigh.com/
More than 100 speakers and special keynote guests will provide the latest in green technology initiatives, natural fiber textile developments, building & construction materials, bioplastics, superfoods, cannabinoid applications and educational tracks for general consumers.
In March, the Let’s Talk Hemp Conferences welcomed thousands of guests and hundreds of exhibitors in Denver, Colorado at the National Western Complex for the 7th annual NoCo Hemp Expo as the first in-person expo after several virtual conferences held in 2020-2021.
“It’s time to get the hemp industry back on track and focused on the future so we finish 2021 on a high note, and move into 2022 with a clear understanding of the obstacles and opportunities that lie ahead of us,” said Morris Beegle, president and co-founder of We Are for Better Alternatives (WAFBA).
Exhibit at SHE3 and Save with Early Bird Discounts
For businesses interested in exhibiting at the 3rd Annual Southern Hemp Expo, opportunities to reserve a booth and secure sponsorship are now available. Early bird discounts have been extended through May 31, 2021. Visit and apply today: https://www.southernhempexpo.com/exhibitor-info/
About WAFBA and Colorado Hemp Company
We Are For Better Alternatives (WAFBA) is committed to researching and developing better alternatives so that hemp can once again thrive, prosper, and help individuals and communities throughout America and around the globe. The Colorado Hemp Company, producer of Southern Hemp Expo and NoCo Hemp Expo, is a leading organization for the advancement and advocacy of hemp farming, processing, production, innovation, education, and legalization in the USA. The entire team is committed to researching and developing alternatives so that hemp can once again thrive and help individuals and communities throughout America and around the globe.
Contact
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, 303.807.1042, steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com
Morris Beegle, President of WAFBA, 970.541.0448, morris@morrisbeegle.com
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