Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference
Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference
If you're on the fence about attending next week (September 13-14), consider this a nudge to do so.
Update: I mentioned last week about getting a group together for a smaller event during Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, it’ll be a dinner/drinks on Monday night if you happen to get in early. Though the conference is Tuesday/Wednesday, it actually kicks off on Monday with a welcome reception and the Benzinga Cannabis Awards.
🏙️ Overview. This is the conference where you not only make sure you’re around the city when it’s happening, but you actually attend. Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference has become the center of gravity for Cannabis industry founders, executives, investors, and other insiders. Benzinga expects 600+ companies, 2,000+ attendees, and 150+ speakers. This will be my third time (NYC 2021, Miami 2022) and I view it as essential to attend.
📱 Access. The environment makes it easy to run into investors and executives (or ex-NFL players like Ricky Williams and Calvin Johnson) that otherwise may be hard to reach. The best way is to probably wait by the stage after speakers wrap up—it’s usually only a handful of people that do this. So if you’re looking to get a conversation going with Charlie Bachtell (Cresco Labs), Emily Paxhia (Poseidon), Matt Hawkins (Entourage Effect Capital), Nancy Whiteman (Wana Brands), Chris Beals (WM Technology), or any of the other speakers, make sure you’re in the first few rows during their panel and approach them after. You’ll also run into others just from being at the conference and networking events over the course of the two days.
📺 Content. There are three different stages (Breakout, Industry, Investor) covering different trending topics in the industry and deeper dives into companies. A few I’m looking forward to:
Business Development in Turbulent Times (Jushi, Vicente Sederberg)
The Investors’ Take: Risks Yes, But Also Opportunity (Canaccord, Poseidon, CB1, Entourage Effect Capital, Amplify Seymour Cannabis ETF)
How Brands Can Scale Outside the MSO Structure (Wana Brands, Cann, Garden Society, Mattio Fiore, Headset)
East Coast on the Rise: How Cannabis in the Tri-State is Taking Focus (Ayr Wellness, Poseidon, Jushi, Acreage, Verano)
The Midwestern Cannabis Landscape (MGO, MariMed, PharmaCann, 4Front)
Tech Taking Cannabis Mainstream (LeafLink, Fyllo, SuperNet, Metrc)
Various Brands (Garden Society, House of Puff, MAKR House, Rebelle, House of Saka, 40Tons, Black Buddha Cannabis, Highsman, Primitiv, 93 Boyz)
I would prioritize the in-person networking as all Benzinga panels will be recorded and available to view after (Recap of Benzinga Miami 2022).
📜 Legislation / SAFE / MORE. Rep. Troy Carter (D-LA), U.S. House of Representatives will speak on how legilsation can ensure access to capital for the Cannabis industry. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) will speak with Brady Cobb (Sunburn Cannabis) on SAFE/MORE.
🔗 LinkedIn. Use Linkedin to announce you’re attending or connect with other attendees ahead of time by replying in the comments. It’s a good way to reach out to people like Kristina Adduci (House of Puff), Jason Reposa (Good Feels), Rusty Wilenkin (Old Pal) who are open to connecting.
💬 Why Others Are Attending.
“Historically, Benzinga has always been a top-tier networking engagement comprised of the best minds in the industry, and I always walk away with more than I came in with. This year I am looking forward to spending face time with our key partners, making new connections, and further developing some great relationships with our Chicago-based clients.” — Scott Kenyon, CEO, Würk
“I’m looking forward to connecting with industry colleagues, meeting the next wave of retail operators and participating in the conversation on how the industry is navigating through the current environment.” — Robby Pinnamaneni, Head of Corp Dev, Eaze
👋 Highly Objective is curated by Dai Truong, who leads Cannabis Investment Banking at Arlington Capital Advisors. Third-party information presented here and links to third-party content are for informational purposes only and are not intended as a recommendation, offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument, security or investment. The information provided is not warranted as to completeness or accuracy and is subject to change without notice. Linking to third-party sites in no way implies an endorsement or affiliation of any kind between Arlington Capital Advisors, LLC, or its affiliates and any third party. The information in this blog constitutes my own opinions (and any opinions posted by guest bloggers from time to time) and it should not be regarded as a description of services provided by Arlington Capital Advisors, LLC or any affiliate.