keenly waiting in a line to enter the hall.
Since Georgia lawmakers legalized
hemp farming last year, the hall was
unsurprisingly dominated by hemp
farmers. The potent fragrance of the
plant refl ected this as it was prevalent
across all four corners of the hall with
CBD-rich hemp fl owers available in bulk.
To the untrained eye, the fl ower looked
nearly identical to its close relative –
marijuana. Manufacturers were keen
on presenting their cultivated dried
buds which were impressive I have to
say. The versatile crop was also available
in other products across the show
such as textiles, pet care, health foods
and holistic body care – which further
diversifi ed and appealed to a wide-
range of buyers.
Although it’s always a pleasure to see
familiar faces at trade shows, I noticed
a string of new brands, such as Good
CBD Shop, Happy Hemp Farmacy
and Connect Hemp Co. to name just
a few. This was exciting to see as it
demonstrated the rapid growth of the
cannabis industry.
Interestingly, the show also drew in
exhibitors with non-hemp products,
among them were vape companies
such as The Fountain E-liquid and My
Vape Bar – the latter were pleased to
have exhibited at the show saying it
had been a successful event which gave
them the opportunity to market and
connect with a new wave of consumers.
The general atmosphere in the hall was
very chilled and relaxed throughout the
two-day show. The volume of music
was on point and not too loud - this
is something I appreciate as it gives
businesses the chance to communicate
and network without any distractions.
The convention, which is situated three
miles east of the Hartsfi eld-Jackson
International Airport offered many
useful services for exhibitors, trade
visitors and consumers such as parking
which was easily accessible across the
160-acre complex, free WIFI which
brought instant happiness to my life, and
nearby you had many award-winning
restaurants and top hotels. Considering
this was their fi rst-ever tradeshow
targeting a new industry, it was
structured very well and ran smoothly.
I’d like to thank the organizer
Michael and the whole team for their
hospitality throughout the show and
for making it an enjoyable experience.
I noticed some exhibitors reaching
out to Michael and wanting to re-
book their stand for the upcoming
Hemp World Expo at the Mohegan
Sun. That’s always a sign of a
successful show. Undoubtedly, you
will f ind us there too.
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