The 5th edition of CanEx Jamaica Business Conference and Expo has been postponed. This unfortunate news was officially disclosed yesterday on the event website www.canexjamaica.com. The news comes just two weeks after founder Douglas K. Gordon announced the event will take place on its originally scheduled dates of September 24-26.
The announcement is in keeping with all multi-person events globally. The 2020 Olympic Games were pushed to 2021. Sporting events have been cancelled, postponed or are being held without a live audience. Dealing a further blow to bars and other social gather spaces, as they remain closed in some instances or with limited internal or no seating capacity, in keeping with social distancing orders issued by all governmental health authorities on the planet.
The Event Planning and Management industry has taken an obvious hit with some trying out a virtual format. MJBizCon and The Benzinga Capital Conference both canceled live editions and opted for a virtual format to continue to engage the hungry cannabis community. The MjBizCon Next conference and the Hemp Industry Daily event took place over three days between June 29 and July 1, with discussions and Q&A sessions with industry leaders. The event boasted Dia Simms as Keynote Speaker. Her bio reads:
“Dia’s rise began in 2005, when musician/entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs hired her as his executive assistant at Bad Boy Entertainment, which she helped transform into the Combs Enterprises brand.
One of her most notable achievements was growing the previously unprofitable Ciroc vodka brand into a $2 billion global product.”
Panelists included Charlie Batchel co-founder of Cresco Labs, Steve Allen, president of Caliva and Arnaud Dumas de Rauly Co-founder & CEO, The Blinc Group. The virtual edition is a precursor to their live signature event, MJBiz Con Las Vegas still scheduled for December 2-4, 2020.
The postponement of CanEx Jamaica 2020 was difficult for the organisers. “Recent updates to the COVID-19 health and safety protocols in Jamaica and the very recent spikes in cases across a number of key markets, have forced us to re-evaluate the feasibility of delivering the sort of high-value experience, for which CanEx has come to be known.
In the face of all the considerations, the simple reality is that we are unwilling to compromise the health and safety of our team, clients, or stakeholders. We are also unwilling to deliver what we feel is likely to be a compromised CanEx experience. These two factors made the decision to postpone as straightforward as it was disappointing,” Gordon released in a statement.
The coronavirus pandemic has put a halt on many operations around the globe. Notwithstanding peoples’ questionable readiness to travel. We will have to pay attention to what hakes place in coming months. The United States remains a major hotspot for the virus and Jamaica’s primary source of tourism either directly or in transit. All considerations must be made. Arguably a virtual conference will not replace a live event. Maybe we’ll see a CanEx Jamaica 2021 in the spring or maybe even two events for the year. The organisers to still have the September slot in their hearts. “It’s always been the same dates,” says Gordon. Yes, CanEx Jamaica has traditionally taken place over the last weekend of September. While the future looks unclear for events of all shapes and sizes, the cannabis industry continues to move forward apace and the driving force behind the industry is about people making connections. Personal or otherwise, it;’s how the industry was started and will flourish in the future. We will keep you posted on developments with CanEx Jamaica and other ganja related events through the year and beyond.