Blog / Farming & Processing21 Oct, 2021
2021 Hemp Health & Innovation Expo | 17 Exhibitors & What To Expect
Hempco Admin7 Mins. Read
Hempco Admin
It’s that time of year again; the Hemp Health & Innovation Expo is kicking off very soon! After taking a year break due to the C-Word (Which we won’t mention), we’re incredibly pleased to report that you can once again find us on the floor of this event in November this year!
However, it’s going to be a little bit different.
Restrictions are still in place across Australia, but the sheer determination of Michelle Crain, the director of the event, has given birth to a whole new style for the treasured Hemp Health & Innovation Expo.
It’s going to be 100% Virtual!
...And it’s going to be broadcast across the whole world, too. So instead of a Hemp industry showcase for just Australia, we’re going to have the opportunity to offer the Margaret River Hemp Co experience to the world - alongside 16 other exhibitors currently signed up.
Across a month of the virtual expo, 17 exhibitors and more than five speakers will be demonstrating their passion & expertise in the Hemp Industry… And it’s going to be magnificent.
This week, we had the chance to interview the Hemp Health & Innovation Expo director, Michelle Crain!
Read on to hear what she had to say, learn about how they will run the Expo, and who you’ll find on the Virtual Showroom!
For over 30 years, our family business had been manufacturing fertilisers for the greenhouse/hydroponic sector; moving into the Hemp sector was a natural progression given the demand.
As a family, we attended our 1st Hemp Expo in Vancouver back in 2000. In subsequent years we attended Hemp/Cannabis-related Expos in the UK, Spain, USA.
And from those early days, I had wanted to create an Australian based Hemp/Cannabis Expo. However, the industry in Australia at the time was not of a size that could support an Expo.
In 2016, the industry was growing, Hemp was being talked about as a superfood, and people increasingly discussed Cannabis for its potential medicinal benefits, so it seemed the timing was right.
I can say we are and have always been a small but very efficient team. From the outset, my role has been very hands-on, from bringing on Exhibitors, Speakers, arranging accommodations, travel, floor plans, Exhibitor siting, and the list goes on.
My Co-Director Evan who arranges all media, promo, and speakers, has been with me every step of the way. The success of every Expo is very much dependant on the numbers that attend, which comes down to the promotion.
I’m excited to see Hemp touch all areas of our lives in some way, it’s such a versatile plant with so many applications, but I have always been excited about the prospect of building homes in Hemp; I know that this is something that is being done now, but I hope for buildings of the future it becomes -- let’s say, mainstream.
Australia is the perfect candidate, given our potential for fires which is always of concern; we have termite issues, cooling and heating homes will always be a financial concern, and Hemp homes address all of these issues.
Wow, where do I start? The COVID pandemic destroyed our ability to run any Expos. Hence, our last physical Expo was back in October of 2019 in Brisbane.
In February of this year, when things were looking up, we scheduled our 1st physical to be held in Canberra in November.
I think we are all aware of what has happened between then and now, so our only option rather than cancel yet another expo was to look at alternatives. For the 1st time, the HHI Expo, Australia’s Hemp and Cannabis Expo, is going virtual.
The Virtual HHI Expo will go live on 6 November. The HHI Expo Virtual format sees this year’s event divided into four main parts.
Hit The Lobby to see what’s happening and hang out in The Networking Lounge to connect with fellow hemp/cannapreneurs, investors, consumers, patients, physicians, professionals, & punters.
Visit Exhibitors, chat and purchase products in The Exhibition Hall, then settle into The Auditorium for a curated program of exclusive panels, presentations, and conversations from across the world of Hemp and Cannabis. If you get lost – hit up The Help Desk.
Attendees can participate in the Leaderboard & Scavenger Hunt; the more they engage with anyone and everything within the platform, the higher-up the Expo leaderboard they go and the more prizes they can win. The same applies to the Scavenger Hunt; they find the hidden Hemp leaves right across the event platform to win prizes.
So far, only a few of the speakers have been announced, with the rest pending in days to come! However, the lineup so far is exciting nonetheless. Here’s a list of the confirmed speakers and the topics they will be covering;
Corvain Cooper was eight years into a life sentence for trafficking cannabis. At 12:30 am, just past midnight, hours before President Donald Trump left office, Ivanka Trump called him personally to inform him that Donald Trump had given him a presidential pardon - effective immediately. One hour later, he was out.
Could you imagine how it felt, knowing that you weren’t leaving the walls for 25-to-life… Then eight years in, you get a midnight call and are a free man within an hour?
Suffice to say; this is one worth tuning in to!
A six-part series by acclaimed Australian hemp industry pioneers Margaret River Hemp Co, Margaret River Processing Plant and Hemp Homes Australia. Exclusive to HHI, this is Hemp in real-time and real-life right here in OZ. This is what life looks like for professionals.
Synonymous with ‘cannabis medicine’ over the last 12-24 months, the recent ‘over the counter’ ruling for this cannabinoid in Australia means that You can legally purchase CBD at any chemist in Australia without a prescription.
Join NY city’s 'CBD Emporium' founder Mike Cozy and us as we talk about CBD, including how some low-quality CBD products lack strength & purity and what good CBD can do for your body with the proper dosage.
A paradigm shift for the medical profession providing new treatment options for patients, Emily Rigby looks at how the cannabis movement paves the way for other natural medicines and the 'psychedelic renaissance' to gain traction and acceptance as valid treatment options for patients around the world.
A real-life case study on cancer and Cannabis. One of the first GPs in Australia to prescribe medicinal Cannabis, a speaker at HHI’s inaugural EXPO in 2016. In May 2019, Teresa was diagnosed with recurrent metastatic breast cancer. A patient AND a doctor, this is a story few can tell.
All-in-all, even though we won't catch you in person, it's still set to be an incredible expo! And for the first time, we'll be able to show the world everything that's been happening in the Australian Hemp Industry - all in one place, which will be up for viewing over a whole month.
Some of the biggest names in the industry will be present, and you'll be able to ask questions, make purchases, and view the latest & greatest in their product ranges.
If you've ever been to a Hemp Health & Innovation Expo, you'll know precisely how informative they can be. Now instead of over two days, you can do it in your own time!
We can't wait to see you there.
Will you be attending? Do you think these expos should have both physical and virtual options once restrictions are lifted and things start returning to normal?
Let us know in the comments section below!
Be sure to share this and spread the word about what's going on this year because it's one you won't want to miss.
