DesignWell’s parent company, Emerald Holding, Inc. has recently announced that it has finalized the acquisition of MJBiz, the leading event producer and content platform serving the cannabis industry. The addition further expands Emerald’s portfolio to now include a preeminent content platform on one of the fastest expanding businesses sectors in North America.
Founded in 2011, MJBiz is one of the oldest and most distinguished cannabis tradeshows in America, with related media brands MJBizDaily, Hemp Industry Daily and MJBiz Magazine servicing the greater content needs to its members and participants.
In October of 2021, MJBizCon featured more than 1,200 exhibiting companies and 27,000 attendees, including over 18,000 paid registrations, rivaling pre-pandemic levels, with revenues valued at approximately $27 million.
Cassandra Farrington, MJBiz Cofounder and Chair of its Board, commented, “Our organization has experienced massive growth since its inception, initially as a how-to resource to help dispensary owners run their businesses better, into our position today as the leading commercial resource for the cannabis sector.
“Integrating with a larger organization provides the additional resources and channels to unlock the next phase of MJBiz’s growth and is the right next step in our evolution as a business. We chose Emerald because they clearly value the unique aspects of our brand and are committed to serving the industry’s expansion.”
MJBiz Leadership Will Continue to Provide Expertise Moving Forward
As part of the acquisition, MJBiz management, including CEO Chris Walsh, Senior Vice President of Events and Sales, Jess Tyler, and Senior Vice President of Content and Audience Development, Pam Moore will continue to lead day-to-day operations of the business moving forward.
MJBiz co-founders and Board members, Cassandra Farrington and Anne Holland, will also continue to consult with the business.
Hervé Sedky, Emerald’s President and CEO, said, “This is a transformational acquisition for Emerald as it represents an important next step in the implementation of our strategic initiatives and underscores our commitment to evolve and grow our customers’ businesses 365 days a year.
“We have long admired MJBiz’s sterling reputation for being the most trusted event and content producer serving the business side of the cannabis and hemp industries and their respective participants.
“MJBiz’s leading event and content portfolio coupled with their 365-day engagement platform, which connects the entire cannabis supply chain, will diversify our collective product offerings, enhance our growth profile and enable us to deliver even greater value to our customers over the long term.”