Starting in November of 2015, we asked the cannabis community to nominate and vote for their favorite individuals, products, and organizations in the field for the inaugural Laurel Awards.
We weren’t sure what to expect, but we quickly took stock of the major players in the industry as more than 1,100 initial nominations and well over 7,500 official votes were submitted. The top winner by people’s choice in each of the ten categories will hold the honor for one year.
CONGRATULATIONS TO
Marijuana Business Conference & Expo, Las Vegas
Winner of the Laurel for Best Cannabis Industry Trade Show
After hearing all the buzz about the event for weeks afterward, it’s clear: Marijuana Business Daily, one of the original B2B cannabis industry publications, certainly knows how to throw one heck of a party.
The largest and oldest cannabis trade show running, Marijuana Business Conference & Expo (or MJBiz for short) brought thousands of industry professionals and enthusiasts out to the off-strip Rio casino hotel in November, for a weekend of networking, conference sessions, investor pitches, and of course, exquisite branded product launch celebrations and swanky after-parties. Secret invite-only lists and rooftop VIP venues were standard as the cannabis community’s biggest players somehow managed to strike amazing new deals and partnerships over the course of the weekend.
Featuring thousands of attendees from across the country, an expo floor featuring over 200 exhibitors, and former presidential candidate and consumer advocate Ralph Nader as one of the keynote speakers, this trade show was highly anticipated, got tons of media attention, and rounded out one of the most event-filled calendar years the cannabis space has ever seen.
This year, MJBiz travels to the unlikely locale of Orlando, Florida where cannabis is still controversial, but close to making its official debut. Though the southeastern United States is far from a hotspot for the cannabis industry, this huge conference could really leave its mark and build some momentum for reform.
For more information on this year’s event, visit mjbizconference.com.
