As virtually all professional networking and formal education in cannabis migrates online, conference organizers are reimagining what they do outside of the confines of a hotel or a convention hall.
New Frontier Data, a Washington D.C.-based research firm and conference organizer, today is hosting a Global Cannabis Town Hall for cannabis investors, operators and marketers. With regional segments from four continents, speakers will share how the industry by market and region is impacted by coronavirus.
“I think the attendees will be very interested in learning how companies are dealing with the crisis now in regard to health and safety measures,” said Peter Vogel, CEO of Denver-based LeafWire, a digital networking platform for cannabis professionals whose presentation is titled “Cannabis Jobs in the New Normal.”
LeafWire, which raised $1 million in 2018 from early-stage venture investors including Chicago-based Network Ventures, similar to LinkedIn allows members create profiles, connect with others and initiate professional conversations. Vogel said connections seem especially kind during these times of uncertainty.
“As a whole, people have been very positive and are happily sharing stories about all the cannabis companies that are donating equipment and money to help the crisis,” he said. “People are being very helpful and collaborative, and really see this as a time to help each other out.”
Additional conferences shifting to virtual environments include the CBD Retail Trends conference in May and the U.S. Cannabis Conference & Expo in June.
