Women-Led Cannabis Brands to Address Cannabis Drinks Expo

Illinois Women in Cannabis (IWC) will host a session on developing female-led cannabis beverage brands on Aug. 2 in Northlake, Illinois, as part of the 2022 Cannabis Drinks Expo, hosted by the Beverage Trade Network.

The 2022 expo is taking place across two days in two cities: San Francisco on July 28 and in greater Chicago on Aug. 2. IWC's event will take place Aug. 2 at the Midwest Conference Center, 401 W Lake St., Northlake.

Cannabis Drinks Expo said the IWC panel will be moderated by Amor Montes De Oca, executive director of Illinois Women in Cannabis, and will feature the following panelists: Meagen Anderson, director of wholesale, Highway Horticulture, a Midwest vertically integrated cannabis production facility and wholesaler; Lisa Hurwitz, president of Happi, Michigan's first THC-infused beverage; and Wendy Berger, Illinois Women in Cannabis co-founder and board member/founder of WBS Equities.

IWC, event organizers said, has assembled an all-women panel of cannabis industry executives to discuss women consumers of cannabis-infused beverages and drinks and the “implication of portability, palatability and sociability on product development, branding and marketing.”

"Expo themes include increasing the overall category by showcasing successful exhibitors, creating networking opportunities and exploring current multistate bottlenecks," Cannabis Drinks Expo said in a statement. "The show will have an international and national focus that offers multistate operators synergistic opportunities to do business with each other while helping the category grow."

Established in 2014, IWC aims to serve as the leading cannabis industry networking organization in Illinois. The Cannabis Drinks Expo, now in its third year, seeks to provide the cannabis and drinks industry a platform to do business, learn about the category and source brands.