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Lift & Co. expo kicks off in Vancouver

Published on January 9, 2020 by David Wylie

The biggest cannabis trade-show in Canada is in Vancouver this week.

More than 18,000 people will be at Lift & Co.’s Cannabis Business Conference and Expo Vancouver 2020, starting Thursday. Over 280 exhibitors, more than 100 speakers and an expected.

Held at the Vancouver Convention Centre, it’s a chance to mingle and see what’s trending in the industry. There is a strong focus on Cannabis 2.0 products, including edibles, topicals and concentrates.

Launchpad for brands
“This is our fourth year hosting the Lift & Co. Cannabis Expo in Vancouver. This event started as a hub for the medical cannabis community to connect, and has now grown into Canada’s largest cannabis industry and consumer event in the country,” says Matei Olaru, CEO of Lift & Co.

“The Lift & Co. Expo has become a launchpad for Canadian brands and new products, and the mainstage for our industry’s top thought leaders.”

“On the industry side, cannabis is the most exciting sector right now because it is the next major consumer packaged goods industry. For professionals and investors, this is an incredibly important moment to take advantage of the networking and learning opportunities the expo and our stage programming provides,” he says.

Valens on the main stage
Canada’s biggest cannabis companies were in attendance, including Tweed, Aurora and Supreme.

Newly rebranded Kelowna extraction business, The Valens Company, is among the feature presenters Friday on the mainstage; they’ll be talking about the future of the industry.

There are several other cannabis brands from the Okanagan attending, including licensed producers, and companies in extraction, crop nutrients, manufacturing, packaging and edibles.

For example, LYF Edibles from Kelowna is getting traction by giving away non-infused samples of their new gummies, chocolates and baked products lines. Also, Oakum Cannabis Corp., an up-and-coming LP, is exhibiting at the show.

Expo evolved
Olaru says the expos have evolved alongside the industry through to legalization.

Sessions and exhibitors showcase the country’s top and emerging cannabis brands, previews of upcoming 2.0 products like edibles, and a look-ahead to the next frontier with a special panel on psychedelics.

The weekend opened Thursday with the Cannabis Business Conference, talking about data and analytics, brand reputation, and special sessions on emerging markets abroad.

Friday is Expo Industry Day and Saturday is Expo Consumer Day.

This is a little creepy…

From one of the expo workshops: check out this little nugget of consumer data, which is an example of what is being gathered on us cannabis consumers.

‘Hedonistic?’

Want to know what data companies gather on you? Check out this profile on Heather-real person. She’s interested in weed with a rebellious spirit, or weed to relax or be energized, says Cynthia Pachovski, VP of Nielsen Consumer Insights Canada. #lcbc @liftandco @MuggleheadMedia pic.twitter.com/ceUVyYyK0D

— Michelle Gamage (@Michelle_Gamage) January 9, 2020