FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEATTLE, August 20, 2020 (PR Newswire) – MJ Unpacked, a state-specific, virtual event series designed exclusively for the cannabis industry’s CPG brand and retail executives, today announced the schedule for its next event, MJ Unpacked Midwest, which covers the states of IL, MI, MO, OK, and OH and runs from September 23-24.
“The landscape of cannabis in the Midwest is rapidly changing,” said MJ Unpacked co-founder George Jage. “Illinois and Michigan are showing great numbers in their emerging adult-use markets, and Missouri and Oklahoma have tremendous patient counts per capita for their medical markets. These states are not as prone to competing with illicit market forces as the West Coast states and we expect them to develop strong regulated markets quickly–as seen by some of the early numbers coming from Illinois. We’re excited to deliver our proven virtual event and conference platform to these markets at this critical time.”
MJ Unpacked will lead off with a deep dive into consumer insights delivered by its strategic partner, BDSA, formerly BDS Analytics. This session will be followed by a panel of cannabis retail purchasing managers to discuss the process of determining new products and vendor selection. The panel will include Rebecca Gonzales, GM of Mission Dispensaries in Illinois, and Chris Young, director of retail operations for Michigan’s SkyMint chain.
Jennifer Dooley, chief strategy officer of Green Thumb Industries, and Mitch Meyers, CEO of the BeLeaf Company in Missouri (and recognized as the creator of the Spuds MacKenzie campaign for Anheuser-Busch) will be among the panelists discussing launching new brands and new markets.
Additional sessions will include “Insights from Mature Markets,” featuring Native Roots CEO Ryan Brown and Wana Brands CEO Nancy Whiteman, and “How to Increase Basket Size,” led by former VP of Global Retail for Tilray, Charlie Cain.
MJ Unpacked Midwest follows successful virtual events for the Colorado and California markets. The highly interactive and engaging virtual platform includes attendee-to-attendee networking and live chat, an auditorium with live Q&A sessions and on-demand viewing, exhibit halls with highly customized booths and live video chat, a new products spotlight, in-event show specials, gamification, both sponsor-led and state-focused round tables, and curated 1:1 meetings for buyers and sellers.
Additional information and future event dates can be found at www.mjunpacked.com
About Jage Media
Founded by George Jage, former president of MJBizDaily/MJBizCon and CEO of Dope Media, and Kim Jage, former EVP & CMO of World Tea Media, Jage Media launched in early 2020 with a veteran team of cannabis investors, including: BDSA; CanopyBoulder; Keneh Ventures; Panther Opportunity Fund; and cannabis industry veterans Jay and Diane Czarkowski, co-founders of Canna Advisors, through their fund. The company is poised to fill the critical gap where brands and retailers convene to drive the future of the industry, capture the next stage of market growth and deliver a true return on investment and objectives. Jage Media is headquartered in the greater Seattle area.
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