Founded in 1999, the expo has certainly grown and evolved over the years, along with the larger public positive perception of cannabis and increasing wave towards legalization.
“We’ve been growing everywhere,” said Jeff Hirschfeld, founder and owner of CHAMPS trade shows, which take place annually in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Denver, Orlando and Chicago.
As cannabis becomes almost mainstream and more companies enter the space, he says it’s increasingly about representing a wide range of products and businesses.
The market changes very quickly, so you can’t sit on stuff.
CHAMPS’ dedication to preserving cannabis culture and celebrating the community’s creativity is also evident.
Sean Dietrich, a painter/illustrator out of Washington state, has designed the covers of CHAMPS Show Magazine for three years now.
In addition to cannabis artists, a range of businesses flocked to CHAMPS, including cannabis, CBD, Kratom, Delta-8, nicotine and HHC brands.
In the background of BIC’s booth, a commercial for their EZ Reach lighter featuring Snoop Dog and Martha Stewart ran on a loop.
While Zippo and BIC are using CHAMPS as a way to break into the cannabis space, some others are more focused on connecting with existing clients and building brand recognition.
The Denver-based Blazy Susan team also seemed to be having a good time with their constantly packed booth, filled with both friends and clients.