The third annual Cannabis Collaborative Conference (CCC) is coming to Portland, Oregon next week, February 15-16.
CCC PDX is really amping things up this year at the Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center (Portland Expo Center). Historically, the two-day cannabis conference and networking event has brought out the largest crowds you can find in Oregon for B2B cannabis events.
George Zimmer, the founder and former CEO of Men’s Warehouse, is slated to give this year’s keynote address.
Other keynote speakers include Cy Scott, founder and CEO of Headset; Steph Sherer, executive director of Americans for Safe Access; Aaron Smith, co-founder and executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association; Amy Margolis, founder of the Oregon Cannabis Association; and Megan Marchetti, co-owner of Oregon’s Finest, one of Portland’s leading dispensaries.
Beyond keynote speakers, there will be panel presentations featuring more than 80 different speakers, all experts in their respective cannabis business, cultivation, medicine, and/or cultural niches. Additionally, event organizers anticipate more than 130 different exhibitors — including leading brands from Oregon, the West coast, and around the country — to populate the trade show portion of the conference.
With Oregon’s adult-use and medical marijuana markets well into their youth, this year’s event puts a special focus on connecting the industry’s many entrepreneurs and investors.
“First and foremost, the CCC is a business-to-business conference geared to both cannabis entrepreneurs and investors,” said CCC producer Mary Lou Burton. “This year we’ve beefed up this aspect with an enhanced Investor Forum and an app that helps start-ups communicate with investors quickly and easily.”
This year’s Investor Summit, an add-on to compliment the conference’s robust speaker program, comes with two tracks for attendees to follow. One track is for investors hoping to find the next big idea or startup opportunity, and the other track is for entrepreneurs in search of funding and expert advice. According to Burton, the “Pitch Portal” for entrepreneurs is to be filled out online prior to the show, for the perusal of attending investors.
“We set up the ‘Pitch Portal’ for businesses to fill out a form with an elevator pitch overview of their business that will be sent to 15-20 investors who can make appointments to meet with the business in our ‘Match-making lounge’,” Burton said.
Registration for the conference is open and ongoing. Tickets cost $149 for a single day or $249 for both days. Tickets to the Investor Summit are sold separately and go for $89, while attending the event’s Career Readiness Workshop costs $50. All ticket purchases can be made through CCC-con.com.
Also, if you are planning to attend CCC 2017, keep an eye out for Ganjapreneur while you’re there — we are excited to be attending and providing event coverage, so give a wave or come say hello!