The Hemp Industries Association to host 27th annual conference
WASHINGTON - The Hemp Industries Association (HIA), the nation’s foremost trade association for hemp businesses and farms, today announced the program for its 27th annual conference to be held August 28-30, 2023 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Austin, Texas.
With the theme of Going Mainstream, the 3-day conference will feature two days of sessions encompassing some of the most pressing topics in the hemp industry, as well as a field day to include excursions to a local hemp processing facility, a “climate-smart” farm with fiber crops and a hempcrete building workshop.
“There are so many important conversations that need to take place as hemp begins to ‘go mainstream’,” said Jody McGinness, the association’s executive director. “The planning committee envisioned this year’s conference as a unique opportunity for folks to connect, collaborate, and share knowledge about the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead for hemp.”
The association will host its 2023 Annual General Meeting for members on the evening of August 27. This marks the first time in its 29-year history that the HIA’s annual meeting has been held in Texas, which has emerged as a top state for hemp production since cultivation of the plant was federally legalized in 2018.
“We’re a premier business member of the HIA because they are the only national hemp group with a proven track record of standing up for the whole hemp plant and successfully fighting federal overreach,” said Lukas Gilkey, co-founder and CEO of Hometown Hero CBD, an Austin-based cannabusiness and sponsor of HIA’s 27th annual conference. We’re thrilled to help bring their annual meeting to Austin because Texas has a real story to tell about advocating for reasonable regulations and opening markets to hemp products in a way that benefits farmers, consumers and businesses alike. While we’ve made great strides, more work needs to be done to keep hemp legal at the federal and state levels. The HIA conference provides the tools and information on how we can work together to sustain a bright future for the hemp industry.”
Along with the presentation of the Hemp Industries Association Awards, some of the topics covered at the 27th annual conference include Emerging Hemp Science; Hemp Foods & Nutrition; Successful State Hemp Advocacy; Opening New Markets for Hemp; a 2023 Farm Bill Progress Report; Manufacturing with Fiber and Hurd; and Uniquely Hemp Business Challenges and Opportunities.
