Learning opportunities at the Cannabis Pavilion

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Learning opportunities at the Cannabis Pavilion

15 Aug 2022

Maggie Glisan

Maggie Glisan covers consumer trends and emerging markets for the Commercial Baking media group. She spent the bulk of her 15-year career as the senior food editor at Better Homes and Gardens, where she was responsible for producing, writing and editing stories and developing recipes for the monthly magazine and special interest publications. Prior to that she worked as graphic designer and assistant art director in the Food Group at Better Homes and Gardens, where she took on an increasing role in content creation and editorial development.

LAS VEGAS — At this year’s International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE), cannabis experts will flex their knowledge of the budding industry through an array of education sessions.

On Sunday, Sept. 18, Tara Froemming, marketing specialist for Healthy Food Ingredients, will present “The Future of Hemp Cannabinoid Innovation: How Brands Can Meet Safety, Quality and Efficacy Standards.” And at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 20, Hilary Brown, director of technical and analytical services for SōRSE Technology, will zero in on safety, quality, and usage of cannabis ingredients for baked goods.

For many attendees, this will be their first foray into cannabis as an ingredient, and one session, led by president and CEO of The Vivid Team, Jessica Cristadoro, at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 18, will focus on just that. “There are many different formats to consider,” she said. “There’s oil, there’s butter, there’s isolate, distillate, crude. What does it all mean? And why should you care?”

There’s also the psychoactive aspect to consider. Cristadoro said that while there will be a big focus on psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the pavilion will also highlight trends and branding of non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD) that can be used in mainstream foods and beverages.

To distinguish those differences and why they’re important to consumers, Jeff Chen, CEO of Radicle Science, will present “The Effects of THC, CBD, Rare Cannabinoids and How to Harness Them,” at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18.

On the culinary side, Keegan Gerhard, chef and owner of Denver’s D Bar Restaurant and head judge of the Food Network’s Food Network Challenge will be baking on the main stage with a focus on flavor. He’ll explore how to mask the cannabis flavor in baked goods as well as how to pair it with different ingredients to make the taste more appealing.

“When it comes to cannabis, your consumer and your customer are totally different from traditional baking. Your consumer ranges the entire gamut of age groups, but then your customer is the dispensary owner and the budtender. So, you have to think strategically about speaking to both of those audiences.” — Jessica Cristadoro | president and CEO| The Vivid Team

For those beginning to think about a cannabis F&B business, several speakers will provide insights on early-stage development. At 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18, Peggy Moore, CEO of Love’s Oven, will share her knowledge in “How to Start a Cannabis Business.”

Love’s Oven was an early cannabis baking player and has been producing small-batch cannabis-infused bars, brownies and cookies since 2009. Steffen Weck, owner of Food Business Consulting, will also present at 2 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19 with “Cannabis 101 Development: What I Wish I Had Known About Working with Cannabis.”

Marketing is yet another piece to the cannabis puzzle that comes with its own challenges.

“When it comes to cannabis, your consumer and your customer are totally different from traditional baking,” Cristadoro said. “Your consumer ranges the entire gamut of age groups, but then your customer is the dispensary owner and the budtender. So, you have to think strategically about speaking to both of those audiences.”

At IBIE —which will take place Sept. 17 through 21— there will be a booth dedicated to helping attendees navigate their own strategic messaging, branding and promotions, including experts from Blazen Promos, That’s Graffiti and DJ Shadoe.

Whether IBIE attendees are looking to grow an already established cannabis bakery business or get a brand-new business off the ground, the Cannabis Central Pavilion will provide a plethora of diverse resources.

This story has been adapted from the July | IBIE ShowGuide 2022 issue of Commercial Baking. Read the full story in the digital edition here.

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