Tickets on Sale Now for Largest Hemp Industry Gathering in the Eastern U.S.,
Sept. 6 – 7, 2019, 10 am – 6 pm, at the Williamson County AG Expo Park in Franklin, TN
FRANKLIN, TN (August 21, 2019) – Organizers for the Southern Hemp Expo (SHE) are gearing up in welcoming more than 5,000 hemp industry experts and enthusiasts to Tennessee, an epicenter for the exploding hemp market, this September 6 – 7 at the Williamson County AG Expo Park in Franklin, TN. As the hemp industry continues to grow exponentially, SHE is looking forward to returning to the great state of Tennessee for the second year in a row focusing on the economic impact and innovation in the marketplace for all things hemp.
The two-day conference and exposition is open to entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors, manufacturers, producers, agriculturalists and consumers interested in products made from hemp, CBD and full spectrum hemp extract. This year’s SHE event features a business conference; farm symposium; and industry day with a business-to-business expo hall on Friday, September 6. The general public is then invited to attend on Saturday, September 7, with nearly 150 exhibitors, workshops and demonstrations.
Among the speaker line-up, SHE is pleased to announce that two-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion turned hemp farmer, Matt Hagan, will take the stage for a keynote address on Saturday during the conference. Expo attendees will receive up-to-date information about federal and state legislation and regulations, current trends in CBD and hemp supplements; the latest developments in processing, technology and innovation; certification, market research, compliance and lab testing; breeding, genetics, seeds and clones, and more.
Presenting Sponsor Blühen Botanicals
Tennessee’s Blühen Botanicals will be featured as the Presenting Sponsor of Southern Hemp Expo. Founded by a dedicated team of Knoxville, TN-based entrepreneurs, soil scientists, farmers and hemp advocates, Blühen Botanicals is a hemp biomass processing and extraction company with farming and distribution partners across the United States. With a dedicated, pharmaceutical grade hemp research facility, Blühen works with manufacturers to produce custom formulations for its own blend of boutique wellness products such as full spectrum hemp extract oils, softgels, creams, and pet treats and oils. The company employs expert entomologists, plant pathologists, agronomists, chemists, and engineers. Learn more at www.bluhenbotanicals.com.
Hemp’s Economic Impact
“The excitement and momentum around hemp has amplified eleven-fold since the end of 2018, and the volume is only getting louder. People from all industries and all walks of life are showing interest and curiosity about the opportunities and benefits of this plant,” explains Morris Beegle, Producer of Southern Hemp Expo.
Hemp-derived CBD sales alone increased 57% in 2018 over the previous year, according to Nutrition Business Journal, with sales reaching $238 million. Additionally, according to data gathered by advocacy group votehemp.com, hemp acreage under license across the U.S. increased nearly five-fold in the past year from 112,000 acres reported in 2018 to 480,000 acres reported in 2019. Eric Steenstra, President of votehemp.com, notes that the states of Kentucky and Tennessee are among the top five hemp-producing states in the U.S., and the state of Tennessee also has the highest number of applicants, indicating a strong level of interest in hemp production among small scale and family farms. Steenstra says that a full report on the growth of hemp acreage and other key agricultural data will be available at the Southern Hemp Expo.
Other Lead Sponsors
- GenCanna: Founded by industry pioneers who champion the world’s leading hemp genetics, cannabidiol (CBD) formulations, and groundbreaking legislation, GenCanna™ on scaling premium agricultural hemp production for food products to promote easy availability locally, nationally, and globally. GenCanna’s mission is to deliver wellness and quality of life to the world by helping farmers farm.
- Hoban Law Firm: Hoban Law Group is one of the nation’s premier cannabis business law firms, serving clients with medical and adult use marijuana businesses as well as those operating in the industrial hemp sector. Hoban’s attorneys are actively engaged in legal and professional organizations around the world and are regularly featured speakers at all major cannabis industry conferences in the U.S. and abroad.
- LabCanna: LabCanna is proud to call Franklin, TN home where they officially started in January of 2016 after Co-Founders, Joshua Camp and Ian Leadon decided to take part in Tennessee’s Industrial Hemp Research Program. In April of 2016, LabCanna was awarded the first ever Hemp Processing License by the State of Tennessee. LabCanna was also among the first to receive a hemp growers’ license in Tennessee, which was immediately put to use on their farm in Franklin, TN.
- Restorative Botanicals: Boulder County, CO-based Restorative Botanicals, founded in 2015, offers a wide portfolio of full-spectrum hemp oil blends, foods, softgels and topical products made in a CDPHE-licensed, FDA-registered food manufacturing facility from certified organic and registered Colorado hemp. Restorative Botanicals oils are extracted using a solvent-free, low-temperature CO2 process that preserves the plant’s broad spectrum of beneficial compounds and optimizes its naturally occurring cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, antioxidants and phytonutrients.
- Extract Labs: Combat veteran, Craig Henderson, started Extract Lab company out of his garage in 2016 after serving in the U.S. Army. He earned a Master’s of Engineering from the University of Louisville, in Kentucky and gained industry experience while working as a salesperson and expert instructor in supercritical CO2 extraction. In just two years, Extract Labs has grown exponentially in its Colorado headquarters and has recently added a second lab in Louisville, KY.
- HGH Seed: Longmont, CO-based HGH Seed, a hemp genetics company, will be sponsoring the After Party to benefit the Jack Herer Foundation on Saturday, Sept. 7 from 8 pm – midnight. Committed to farming superior quality and consistent strains of hemp flower, HGH Seed Inc. aims to reinvigorate agriculture, foster new economic opportunity, and promote environmental sustainability.
For a complete list of sponsors, please visit: https://southernhempexpo.com/sponsors/
Tickets and Press Passes Available Now
Avoid the lines and preregister before SHE sells out! Tickets are on sale and available now for purchase: www.southernhempexpo.com. For press passes, please contact Evan Tompros at Compass Natural Marketing at evan@compassnatural.com.
About the Southern Hemp Expo
The Southern Hemp Expo is produced by the Colorado Hemp Company, a division of WAFBA LLC (We Are For Better Alternatives), based in Loveland, CO, and producer of NoCo Hemp Expo, the world’s largest and most comprehensive trade show and conference for industrial hemp. WAFBA is founder of TreeFreeHemp paper and printing services and the Colorado Hemp Company. Areas of focus include product and brand development, event production, consulting and advocacy. Learn more at SouthernHempExpo.com, and find us on Facebook and Twitter.
Contact
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, 303.807.1042, steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com
Morris Beegle, Colorado Hemp Company, 970.541.0448, info@southernhempexpo.com
