CHAMPS Trade Show is celebrating twenty-five years of being the premier counterculture B2B expo exclusively for the cannabis, tobacco and adult industries. The show typically happens a few times a year in different regions like Denver, CO or Chicago, IL. In February 2024, Champs made its way to Las Vegas, Nevada where thousands of travelers and exhibitors descended on the desert to celebrate the industry. Here’s what we saw at the cutting edge of cannabis from this year’s CHAMPS:
Celebrity Sightings
As cannabis approaches the mainstream media, endorsements will evolve from cult classics to celebrated celebrities. Naturally, Afroman and Cookies CEO Berner were in attendance but more traditional celebrities who are cannabis-friendly also made appearances.
Seth Rogen, rapper Flava Flav, and Ric Flair graced the exhibitor floor for meet and greets and fan photos. Interestingly, Jaleel White (Steve Urkel from ‘Family Matters’) walked the floor with an extensive entourage checking out booths. Steve Urkel is not traditionally a cannabis-friendly face, but perhaps Stefan Urquelle is.
A few years ago, celebrities typically only made appearances for cannabis or counterculture brands if they were personally invested or affiliated- now they are making themselves available for meet and greets on behalf of the brand simply to drive interest.
Add Licensing to the Lineup
In the same vein as seeing celebrities popping up across the show floor, more and more licensed collaborations are appearing in the wild. Many of the aforementioned celebrities are lending their likeness to both medicated and unmedicated products.
One fantasy-inspired pipe brand boasted an officially licensed Lord of the Rings line of smokable devices. Canadian cult classic show ‘Trailer Park Boys’ had a heavy presence with their Delta-9 gummies. Finally of note, glass juggernaut Stündenglass showcased a Grateful Dead partnership piece with the band’s iconic logo and blue and white color scheme.
Traditional business development strategy is starting to seep into the cannabis world, and operators have the opportunities to look out for lucrative partnerships. Manufacturers and cultivators can target national brands to secure distribution rights in their state or region, and CHAMPS is showing that interest in big brands is at a high.
Good Glass Matters
Outside of the public influence on the scene, one major trend on the floor of CHAMPS is high interest in high quality glass. CHAMPS hosted the Glass Games, where glass blowers had the opportunity to take home their share of a $65,000 prize pot. This most recent CHAMPS outing also included live glassblowers firing up fresh pieces every day of the show. The glass artists were also a no-novice zone; some had even appeared on national competition shows or had a dedicated following prior to showing up at CHAMPS. These artists drew huge crowds and attention from buyers across the world.
On the contrast, booths lined with dime-a-dozen duds were largely overlooked. Retailers recognize that handcrafted, high-quality glass is a growing market, and shoppers crave unique creations. This trend of skipping the disposable dab rigs for investment pieces is a movement that’s here to stay. Purchasing managers only need to allocate a portion of unmedicated product budget to name brand bongs to start establishing their high-end reputation.
While exhibitors and active interest can speak to a portion of what we see in our industry, it is important to watch the winners of these events. While we can’t take every new turn or trend, knowing what commonalities emerging can support predictions for what’s to come.
For more industry news and trends, stay tuned to the MJ Freeway blog.
