As time progresses it seems like the growth in the cannabis industry is becoming ever more accelerated. Millions of cannabis consumers are emerging from the shadows to take their place as a force to be reckoned with when it comes to having their demands catered to. Millions of people are just waiting for legal markets to open so they no longer have to hide their love for the cannabis plant.
This growth has translated into tremendous opportunities, both for companies new to the industry as well as players who have been in the game for a while. In the latter category is where legendary cannabis press outlet High Times resides.
For years High Times magazine was the only source of news and info for a community mired on the fringes of society thanks to the decades of lies that built up a stigma around cannabis. Now that legalization is taking hold across North America and beyond, HT is ready to grow with the industry it had a big part in bringing about.
In that spirit, High Times has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Buyers Industry Guide, the publication and production company responsible for the highly successful cannabis conference series ‘the BIG Show’. This B2B tradeshow – which services the ancillary cannabis community – gathers twice annually in Miami and Los Angeles, attracting over 10,000 industry guests a year.
“The Big Show has a great reputation throughout the industry, so to bring their brand in-house is really exciting. They’ve developed an impressive roster of attendees, and a loyal audience – we’re looking forward to continuing to add more resources and additional programming in future years” said Adam Levin, Chairman and CEO of High Times Holdings.
As marijuana law reform takes hold in more places – especially in the U.S. – trade shows and industry conferences will become even more prevalent than they currently are, and HT is setting themselves up as a major player in that sector.
“Working with High Times is a dream come true,” said Gustavo Gonzalez, the sole proprietor of Buyers Industry Guide. “I grew up reading their publication, and after meeting Adam and learning about his plans, I couldn’t imagine a more perfect marriage. High Times is rapidly evolving, pivoting away from solely focusing on media, into a true technology and services business. Receiving this kind of approval from these kingmakers reaffirms my belief that we’re on the right path, and doubles down on our belief that these types of events are not only beneficial, but necessary for the growth of this industry!”
In a world where so much communication happens online, conferences and expos are increasingly the place where real-world contacts are made and info is shared – the exact contacts and info-sharing that are vital for the continued growth of the industry as a whole.
