The Business of Cannabis: New York Summit will return to Williamsburg this fall, gathering the industry leaders at the Wythe hotel on Nov. 6. This year’s summit is the organization’s fifth, and the exclusive event will bring together “300 of the most influential figures shaping the future of cannabis in New York and across the United States.”
Organizers describe the summit as “the most impactful room” in the state’s cannabis industry, with three-quarters of access stated as invitation-only. The one-day event is designed for senior executives, investors and other figures who are shaping the industry’s future.
This year’s summit will introduce a new format, designed to make the most of one day. Rather than “bloated agendas and endless panels,” guests will attend curated networking events, roundtables and one-on-one “Executive Exchanges.”
The summit’s speaker lineup represents many of the industry’s leading voices. Among them is Bronx-born Fab 5 Freddy (Fred Braithwaite), hip-hop artist and founder of cannabis equity brand B NOBLE, in partnership with Curaleaf.
Other speakers include L. Simone Washington, chief equity officer at the New York Office of Cannabis Management; Joanne Wilson, CEO of concept store Gotham; Seth Yakatan, co-founder of Katan Associates; David E. Vaultrin, CEO of Fluent and Amy Deneson, executive director and co-founder of the Cannabis Media Council. Vladimir Bautista, co-founder of Happy Munkey, which has locations in Downtown Brooklyn and Manhattan, will take part in a “fireside chat” about converting customers from the illegal weed market to legal dispensaries,
New York’s cannabis market, now nearly three years into legal adult-use sales, has already generated over $2 billion in revenue. In August, the state’s legal marijuana market hit a record-breaking $214 million in sales, a figure “driven by the ongoing opening of new dispensaries,” according to MJBizDaily.
Organizers aim to look at “major challenges” that continue to persist industry-wide, like “inconsistent regulation, inversion, a delayed track and trace, system, and licensing bottlenecks.”
Brooklyn, meanwhile, has become one of the state’s most dynamic markets. Several dispensaries have opened across the borough this year, including Erudito in the Columbia Street Waterfront District, Budega in Park Slope, an expansion of FlynnStoned in Bay Ridge and more. The growing number of storefronts reflect the promise of the industry’s expansion.
The Business of Cannabis: New York Summit will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 6, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Wythe Hotel, 80 Wythe Ave., at North 11th Street, in Williamsburg. For more information and registration details, visit newyorkcannabis.live.
