As 2022 finds a maturing and transitioning hemp industry, Southern Hemp Expo producer and cofounder Morris Beegle offers a warm welcome to the industrial hemp community, along with information and tips on how to enjoy a productive, profitable and safe event, and how to best take advantage of the conference and trade show to help you navigate an evolving market.

In its return to Nashville in 2022, Southern Hemp Expo is pleased and honored to welcome Dr. Charlie Hatcher, DVM, Tennessee’s 38th Commissioner of Agriculture, who will brief the industry on initiatives to lead production, policy, education and advocacy for industrial hemp in Tennessee and throughout the country.

Securing reliable, commercial banking services has been a challenge for hemp-related businesses, despite the fact that hemp is legal throughout the U.S. as a result of passage of the 2018 federal Farm Bill. As such, few banks have wanted to take the risk. Now, Raleigh, NC-based First Citizens Bank is not only stepping up to serve hemp farmers and agribusinesses in 22 states, but it is one of the first major financial institutions to demonstrate its commitment to hemp producers by serving as the 2022 Presenting Sponsor of the 4^th Annual Southern Hemp Expo. Learn more about securing key banking services to serve and protect your business.

With a superstar lineup of regulatory and policy experts who have supported, advocated and lobbied on behalf of the hemp industry, stay up to date on key regulatory issues that impact your business as it relates to production, extraction, labeling, marketing, commerce, sales and more. Garner up to date information to help steer your business growth amidst the choppy waters of industrial hemp, CBD and more, stirred up by the FDA, DEA, USDA, Congress, states and more.

Author, lecturer and entrepreneur Paul Benhaim has been there and practically done it all with hemp. Starting out by marketing a hemp seed health food bar in Europe in the 1990s, Paul moved from London to Australia in 2000, where he founded Hemp Foods Australia. He also is co-founder of Elixinol, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of CBD extract. Author of nine books on hemp, Benhaim branched out early on into hemp composites, and he also is the founder and Chair of The Hemp Plastic Company, with a mission to create commercially viable 100% biodegradable bioplastics made from hemp. Learn more about Paul’s incredible hemp journey.

Get the latest economic indicators, market forecast data, and analysis you need to plan for success from Beau Whitney, Founder and Chief Economist at Whitney Economics. Beau is considered to be one of the world’s foremost economists tracking the hemp and cannabis markets. Prepare for the future and boost your bottom line by keeping tabs on key economic and market data, presented in an easy to understand style in this important update.

Long considered the heart of hemp production in North America, the Southern United States continues to innovate in agriculture, business, technology and research in the many uses of industrial hemp. From Bear Fiber, a U.S. startup seeking to commercialize cottonized hemp fiber to Eric Henry’s unique hemp T-shirts at TS Designs, and more, tune in to this roundtable discussion of hemp visionaries and entrepreneurs driving ideas and innovation in the South, with reverberations across the U.S and the world.

For hemp companies selling food, supplements or other consumer packaged goods, having a communications crisis management plan in advance of, for example, a product recall or other adverse news affecting your company or brand is not just a good idea – it’s an essential component of any consumer-facing business. Learn important steps to help manage communications and public perceptions and how to stay calm during any crisis situation. 

The United Nations has included hemp and cannabis in its expansive 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The initiative consists of collaborative research between civil society organizations, researchers and affected populations, says the UN, and it analyzes the interlinkages between sustainable development, human rights, environmental issues, and the various laws, policies, and practices related to the Cannabis sativa L. plant, with a focus on international law and the drug control system. From international hemp and cannabis experts Bob Hoban of Clark Hill, Geoff Trotter of Regennabis, Alexis Harris of Harris & Associates, and Janel Ralph, CEO of RE: Botanicals and Harmony CBD, learn about and get engaged in this critical international initiative for a sustainable future.