MJBIZCon, the world's biggest cannabis fair, breaks audience records

The world's largest cannabis trade show, the MJBIZ Conference, organized by Marijuana Business Daily The event in Las Vegas wrapped up last week and set attendance records. The growing number of exhibitors and the surge in attendance reflect the growing interest in cannabis and the industry’s rapid growth.

An Exceptional Year

Official figures for the event show more than 27,000 participants, which is 52% more than in 2017. Attendance was limited to industry professionals, with a registration fee of 400$. According to the organizers, approximately 13% of the participants were international attendees from 70 different countries. As expected, the majority of them—70%—were Canadians. «We spoke with entrepreneurs from all over the world,” explains Zachary Venegas, president and CEO of Helix TCS, Inc.

This year’s fair featured 1,028 booths, an increase of 38% compared to the previous edition. Even the floor space allocated to the exhibition increased by 70%. To walk through all the exhibition aisles, visitors had to cover a distance of just under 5 km. “The scale of this event is just massive,” remarked the CEO and president of NanoSphere Health Sciences, David Sutton. «I’ve been here for three days, and there’s no way I’ve seen all the companies at the expo. I probably haven’t even made it from one wall to the other. There are thousands of new companies here doing incredible things and showing that the industry is booming.».

In addition to the exhibition, there will be lectures delivered by 158 speakers on more than 30 topics ranging from business development marketing and legislation. The expo brings together all sectors related to cannabis, from production to distribution, including consulting and technology. The entire cannabis industry is represented, regardless of the field—medical, recreational, or industrial—with products ranging from cosmetics and food to recreational items, technology, and much more. “It’s like the Super Bowl of cannabis because all the companies come here,» explains CuraLeaf CEO Joseph Lusardi. «It’s a great way not only to interact with entrepreneurs from all over the world but also to stay up to date on the latest industry trends.».

“It’s the only time of year when the entire industry comes together in one place,» explains Jamie Cooper of Cannabiz Connection who is from Michigan. «It’s all about networking!» The event is indeed an opportunity for entrepreneurs to connect and form partnerships. MJBIZCon has clearly become an unmissable annual gathering for cannabis industry players. Yet the first edition in 2012 drew only 402 attendees—a sign that the industry has grown exponentially in recent years. Zachary Venegas, President and CEO of Helix TCS, Inc., also noted the significant interest in industry consolidation during his conference on mergers and acquisitions: “It was immediately obvious from the audience that industry consolidation is very much on people’s minds.» The next edition will take place in June 2019 in New Orleans and promises to break all records once again.