The Cannabis industry is one of the fastest growing in the world, with North America leading the way. Weather you are a trade show veteran and or just jumping into the industry, conferences and events are a great way to learn, network and immerse yourself into the culture. We meet up with Duane Roebuck who shares what conference you should attend and why.

Video Transcription

Harry Brelsford 0:00

Hey. Hey 420MSP. We are back with the person who single handedly put me in the Canada tech space. Sir. I thank you how you doing Duane Roebuck BlueStar.

Duane Roebuck 0:20

Hey, good to see you, Harry, how’s it going? You give me too much credit, man too much credit.

Harry Brelsford 0:25

Well, hey, if you don’t mind sharing, before we get to the main topic, because this, this will step us into it. But you’ve been traveling a lot to both events and customers stuff. tell tell the audience how much travel you’ve been doing, man, I know. You’re keeping us safe?

Duane Roebuck 0:40

Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely masking up, fully vaccinated, you know, poppin, zinc, and anything else I can get my hands on. So I’ve been traveling all over the country. Since probably the week before Memorial Day, just to, you know, put it in perspective. I looked at it the other day, and I’ve flown, like 33,000 miles man domestically, which is crazy. But in this environment, you know, this is the first opportunity in a year and a half to get out and see people face to face and with what’s going on, you know, with this delta variant, you know, hopefully, everyone out there is staying safe, staying healthy, and you know, doing what you need to do that. So, you know, I thought it would be, you know, a great idea to try to get out because, you know, what, the way things are going, you just don’t know long term. What’s going to happen?

Harry Brelsford 1:40

No, you don’t. And I kind of echo that. I just two days ago, got another COVID test, and I’m vaccinated and so on. came back negative. But Duane, the reason I did it is I’m about to do what call it a working vacation, 10 days drive road trip. And I just wanted to be, you know, extra careful, right? I mean, I’m trying to get all the protocols Now that said, let’s look forward. Next week. You’re teed up to go to the cannabis conference in Las Vegas. This would be the end of August for our viewers. Quickly. What what how does that conference stand out? I I’ve not gone I’ve seen it.

Duane Roebuck 2:20

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it’s, it’s a really good conference. You know, not as big as MJ biz, which is, a lot of times a great thing. And, you know, where MJ biz, the expo floor is just, you know, overwhelming and you could literally spend days upon days, you know, networking. That one, this one, it’s, uh, you know, I would, I would call this a little bigger, you know, bigger than intimate, but not so, so big to where it’s overwhelming. And the information that you get, you know, at this one, they really pride themselves on educating people in the industry and new people coming into the industry. And they have a wide range of topics him, you know, marijuana, social equity, you know, they really span the gamut is put on by ga media. Yeah, and they do cannabis dispensary magazine, cannabis Business Times. And hemp grower magazine, I believe is the hemp version. So, you know, I’m looking forward to it. You know, I know Las Vegas. Piran from the healthcare the hims Expo that they had about Yeah, you have to be matched up so it’ll be interesting to see you know, like, how you network you know, in that environment, but you know, what can you do?

Harry Brelsford 3:47

Yeah, that’s why when I saw you recently at the the Retail Now show you would have seen as wearing daily wear contacts, and part of it was with the mask rikes gets a little foggy man.

Duane Roebuck 3:59

Yeah. Now does it does, you know, cuz I always keep a pair of sunglasses on me. And, you know, it’s amazing how much adjusting you have to do. Yes, keep the glass from fogging up so you don’t end up walking into a wall.

Harry Brelsford 4:16

Well, we could go on and on about if the shows will be as robust this fall, the second half of 2021 with the Delta Varian, and I’m on a call every day as I’m sure you are, we’re all kind of just asking the question, we don’t know the answer. However, if the show must go on, um, what what’s on your docket for the fall? Where can people see you two or three shows you’re planning to go to?

Duane Roebuck 4:43

Well, the cannabis conference next week, if anybody’s in Vegas, and then definitely if you know, if it goes on and I’m optimistic about that, MJ biz, which will be in Vegas towards the end of it. October. And then retail vision at the put on by marijuana adventure magazine, which you know, you’re a part of. Yeah, no, Harry. You know, I’ll be you know, there. You know, I was looking at the cannabis World Congress in business Expo. But I’ve got a vacation planned at the same time. I would be there as well because they’re doing that at the Javits Center. And, you know, I’m kind of disappointed. Because, you know, this. So, to my knowledge, this will be the first event in the New York metro area, since they’ve announced, you know, full adult use legalization in New York. So I look for that to be, you know, a big show.

Harry Brelsford 5:48

Yeah. Yeah. Well, cool. Well keep up the good work. I look forward to seeing you in roughly mid October in Las Vegas. I’m going to add one more, folks, just since we’re having show talk, but a Seattle publisher, George J. is launching a show at the same time his mjbizcon called mj impact across town of Vegas, so we’ll see how that goes all hopped on Uber and go peek at it for sure. Thanks Duane.

Duane Roebuck 6:18

Hey, thank you, Harry, and stay safe and stay healthy.