If you’ve been craving real conversations, real products, and real partners, this episode is your green light. We sat down with two builders of the in‑person hemp economy: Kayla Heard of the Southern Hemp Expo (SHE) and Chris Hudson of the West Michigan Cannabis & Hemp Expo. The takeaway is simple: hemp isn’t a novelty; it’s a supply chain. And 2025 is the year to plug in.

What SHE brings to the table

• A full‑spectrum program curated by Colorado Hemp Company/We Are For Better Alternatives (WAFBA): business conference, farm symposium, and a hands‑on “Experience Hemp” stage on the expo floor.
• Practical sourcing and solutions: hemp paper and packaging, short bast fiber and hurd for plastics, hempcrete and insulation, testing and analytics, equipment, banking, and more.
• Speakers who teach, not “pitch”: regulatory updates (U.S. Hemp Roundtable), market economics (Whitney Economics), formulation and quality, building science, and real‑world case studies.
• Bonus: Highway Vodka (hemp grain–distilled) tastings and a FAC networking social. SHE is designed for learning, dealmaking, and momentum.

A Michigan‑made complement in Grand Rapids

• West Michigan’s manufacturer mindset meets hemp. The Deltaplex event adds a dedicated hemp track to the region’s cannabis show, spotlighting packaging, building materials, fiber processing, and credible CBD.
• Education first. Short, practical sessions sit steps from the show floor so you can learn, then walk straight to vendors who can help you act.
• Community bridge. The audience is broader than “cannabis enthusiasts”: growers, converters, logistics pros, and ops leaders from across West Michigan’s industrial base.

Why these shows matter (beyond “getting out of the house”)

• Standards and trust are the currency now. Retailers want cGMP‑grade operations, ISO/IEC 17025 testing, clean labels, and third‑party validation. The right partners make that easier.
• Banking is real again. Community banks like West Town Bank & Trust are serving hemp businesses with full banking—not just high‑fee card processing.
• Lighter, cleaner, local supply chains win. One‑ply hemp carriers replacing three‑ply corrugate; hemp insulation replacing petro batts; hemp wood replacing exotic hardwoods. Michigan’s proximity to converters, auto, and logistics is an edge.

Attending tips

• Bring a list: packaging SKUs you want to convert, fiber specs you can supply, testing gaps to close.
• Book meetings. Use the show app (SHE) and on‑site meeting rooms to turn walkthroughs into work sessions.
• Sample the future. Touch hemp paper, insulation, hemp wood, molded parts—then ask for MOQs, lead times, and cost‑in‑use.

Member perk

• SHE ticket/booth discount code: SHE2021EK10 (10% off; not case‑sensitive).

iHemp Michigan will be on the floor at both shows. Come say hello, grab an introduction, and get listed in our Business Directory—thousands of searches a month from people ready to buy.

Join the movement at iHempMichigan.com. Let’s turn conversations into purchase orders.