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Attending the 2019 Cannabis Drinks Expo? Here’s How to Get the Most Out of It

A quick guide on how to navigate your full day at the Cannabis Drinks Expo

18/07/2019

On July 25, the first-ever Cannabis Drinks Expo (CDE) will take place at the South San Francisco Conference Center. With more than 80 exhibitors and hundreds of participants already signed up to attend, the inaugural CDE is already shaping up to be the biggest global gathering of cannabis drinks professionals ever.

If you are looking for a gateway to the legalized cannabis category, the place to be this summer will be the Cannabis Drinks Expo in San Francisco.

What is particularly noteworthy about the Cannabis Drinks Expo is the wide variety of attendees and exhibitors planning to attend. In addition to branding, marketing, and retailing experts, there will be medical experts, legal experts, political analysts, and scientists.

You’ll also have a chance to interact with winemakers, distillers, mixologists, bartenders and other influencers in the wine and spirits industry. 

Since the CDE is scheduled to take place on just a single day in July, you’ll want to make sure that you make the most out of your time there. With that in mind, we’ve put together a quick guide for how to navigate the full day of the Cannabis Drinks Expo.

CHECK OUT THE FULL AGENDA OF SPEAKERS BEFORE YOU ARRIVE

The agenda for the Cannabis Drinks Expo is designed to appeal to a wide range of industry professionals involved in the development, production, distribution and retailing of cannabis-infused drinks. As a result, you’ll want to mark the sessions and presentations that provide the greatest value for your future business goals in the cannabis drinks industry. And, of course, you’ll also want to check out the list of the VIP speakers, such as Terence Donnelly, Chairman, and CEO of Hill Street Beverage Company; or Bill Silver, CEO of CannaCraft.

Checkout Speakers Conference Schedule | View 2019 Speakers

GET TO KNOW YOUR FELLOW PARTICIPANTS AND VENDORS

At the Cannabis Drinks Expo, it’s really the people that matter. You never know where the next brilliant idea for a new product launch will come from, so take time to meet as many people as you can throughout the trade show event. You might find yourself talking to a world-renowned mixologist looking for new cannabis cocktail ideas, or an R&D expert working on a brand-new packaging solution for cannabis-infused drinks. For anyone curious about the future direction of the cannabis drinks industry, the Cannabis Drinks Expo is an exciting place to meet the real movers and shakers in the industry.

Checkout List of 2019 Exhibitors | Schedule a Meeting with Exhibitor

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IMPROMPTU NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

While there are plenty of networking opportunities throughout the show, some of the best opportunities for developing new relationships with fellow professionals will likely take place before or after the show wraps up. The Cannabis Drinks Expo takes place in the heart of San Francisco, so you have full access to the Bay Area. After hanging out at the local bar scene, for example, you might come up with some brilliant ideas for cannabis-infused spirits. Or, at a tour of a local winery, you might come across an accomplished winemaker looking for an on-ramp into the fast-growing cannabis industry. The Cannabis Drinks Expo website maintains a constantly updated list of all participants – so you can keep an eye on high-profile exhibitors such as Rebel Coast Winery (the first cannabis-infused wine company) or Weedka (high-quality, cannabis-infused vodka) that already have found distribution in the cannabis drinks industry

ASK PLENTY OF QUESTIONS

The world of cannabis drinks is so new and so diverse that even long-time veterans of drinks retail and distribution are sure to have plenty of questions. So don’t be afraid to track down event speakers throughout the day, or to linger after a presentation has ended in order to ask a very specific question you might have about getting started in the cannabis drinks industry. Moreover, since rules and regulations for legalized cannabis can differ so much on a state-by-state basis, the Cannabis Drinks Expo is a great place to seek out specialized legal help. There are plenty of speakers at the CDE who have precisely the type of legal expertise you need in order to navigate the sometimes-confusing world of legalized cannabis.

FOLLOW ALONG ON SOCIAL MEDIA

We will be uploading plenty of live content on our social media about speakers, new product launches at the event, or exciting developments involving exhibitors and participants, during and after the event so make sure you follow us on InstagramTwitter, and Facebook and keep a check on #CannabisDrinksExpo, our official hashtag.

If you're attending, do ask us questions and don't forget to share your favorite moments with us using the same tag!

Follow along and you might get some great networking ideas, as well as some clever ideas for how to showcase, market or distribute your drinks products.

DOWNLOAD ON-DEMAND CONTENT FROM THE EVENT TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS

Keep an eye on the main Cannabis Drinks Expo website for on-demand content from the event, including exclusive YouTube video content. All presentations will be made available to participants after the conclusion of the show, so that frees you up on the day of the event to focus only on the content that has the greatest direct impact on your ability to grow your business.

PRIORITIZE KEY TAKEAWAYS AND TACTICS

A major focal point of the Cannabis Drinks Expo is helping participants learn about new trends and key market forecasts that can help to propel their future business. For some, that learning could result in developing a new platform for growth; for others, it might mean creating a new on-ramp for an entirely new category of a consumer product. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to network with fellow professionals. Whether you are focused on product development, production, distribution or retailing of cannabis drinks, you’ll find someone who can open doors for you in the industry.

CONCLUSION

The first-ever Cannabis Drinks Expo in San Francisco is for anyone curious about the future direction of the cannabis industry and is already shaping up to be the biggest gathering of its kind in North America, not to mention the world. By following the tips and advice above, you’ll have everything you need to make the most of your time in San Francisco at the Cannabis Drinks Expo. The 2019 CDE has the potential to become your gateway to the new legalized cannabis category, with plenty of revenue and profit opportunities to follow.

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