Lift & Co. Ushers in Cannabis 2020 with Canada’s Premier Cannabis Business Conference in Vancouver on January 9

Talks will focus on new consumer data, Cannabis 2.0, brand reputation, and a future outlook on the next frontier with a special panel on psychedelics


VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lift & Co. Corp. ("Lift & Co." or the "Company") (TSXV: LIFT) (OTCQB: LFCOF) returns to Vancouver this week with the annual Lift & Co. Cannabis Business Conference (“LCBC”) on Thursday, January 9 at the Vancouver Convention Centre (“VCC”). Canadian and international industry and business leaders will be taking the stage for a day of dedicated talks on the topmost topics affecting cannabis going into 2020.

The Lift & Co. Cannabis Expo (the “Expo”) then takes over the VCC for a massive two-day trade show on Friday, January 10 and Saturday, January 11. More info on LCBC and the Expo can be found here.

Tapping into this trend, this year’s 2020 LCBC keynote will be Data: The New Soil For Cannabis Growth, for which Lift & Co. will be joined on stage by two of North America’s leading data and consulting firms, Nielsen and EY Canada. This trio of presentations, moderated by Ipsos, will address the future of data insights and how analytics will propel cannabis into the next major CPG category.

Lift & Co. will also be on the Fire & Flower Stage at the Expo on Friday for a deeper dive into cannabis consumer insights with a second data talk alongside Ipsos and BDS analytics.

“We’re so excited to welcome CPG insights heavyweights like Nielsen, Ipsos, and EY Canada to elevate the cannabis conversation this year,” said Matei Olaru, CEO of Lift & Co. “Their presence signals an important shift for cannabis in year two, and will set the tone for a three-day event that will offer attendees the earliest view into cannabis in 2020. Lift & Co. has always strived to drive important topics forward at our events, and we’re looking forward to what is shaping up to be our most important Vancouver conference to date.”

These data sessions come on the heels of the launch of Lift & Co.’s consumer insights platform Cohesion in 2019, and recently announced strategic partnership with Nielsen to create an industry-first consumer segmentation tool for early 2020.

Additional LCBC talk highlights include:

  • The Power and Potential of Psychedelics: Leading researchers and entrepreneurs provide insights into this uncharted industry
  • Lessons from California: Building a Brand and an Industry: California-based cannabis leaders will share their insights and some lessons Canada can take away
  • Trust after CannTrust: Rebuilding Confidence in the Industry: three presentations each touch on how brands can reframe the conversation to establish and maintain customer confidence

The Lift & Co. Cannabis Expo Vancouver 2020 takes place following LCBC, on January 10 and 11. The Expo features over 280 exhibitors and two full days of talks on the Fire & Flower Stage. Together, LCBC and Expo are Canada’s largest cannabis consumer and industry convention, with last year’s Vancouver event drawing in more than 18,000 visitors.

All access passes for the LCBC, which include entry to the full Lift & Co. Expo, sell out every year and are still available in limited quantities for $550 (CAD). The Lift & Co. Expo Industry day is $75 (CAD), and consumers can attend Expo Consumer Day for just $10 (CAD).

For media accreditation for the Vancouver Lift & Co. Expo, please click here.

LCBC STAGE SCHEDULE

Data: The New Soil For Cannabis Growth
9:15 a.m. - 10 a.m. 
The world’s leading consulting and data experts present three talks on the role that data will play in the near future as cannabis becomes a global, multi-billion-dollar CPG. From market research, to supply chain management, to consumer insights, cannabis organizations will have to use never-before-available data to achieve unprecedented growth expectations.
Moderator: Michael Rodenburgh, Executive Vice President, Western Canada, Ipsos
Panelists:

  • Jon Kamin, Chief Revenue Officer, Lift & Co.
  • Cynthia Pachovski, Vice President, Media & Marketing Cloud, Canada, Nielsen
  • Holly Palmer, Vice President, Transaction Advisory Service Team, EY Canada

Legalization 2.0 – State of the Nation
10 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. 
Regulatory industry leaders will reflect on the cannabis market today and how to overcome tough regulatory challenges to best serve the growing base of customers, and where they see the industry going next.
Moderator: Fern Glowinsky, President and CEO, Merrco Payments
Panelists:

  • Dan Demers, Vice President, Government Relations and Regulatory Affairs – Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA)
  • Peter Guo, B.C. Leader - Cannabis Industry Services and Enterprise Risk Services, MNP
  • Annaliese Kibler, Director of Regulatory Affairs, Aurora Cannabis
  • Allan Rewak, Vice President, Institutional Relations, Emerald Health Therapeutics

The Power and Potential of Psychedelics
11 a.m. - 11:40 a.m. 
Cannabis legalization has paved the way forward for some new and exciting ventures, with psychedelics being at the top of the list. Leading researchers and entrepreneurs provide some insights into this uncharted industry.
Moderator: Matei Olaru, CEO, Lift & Co.
Panelists:

  • Ronan Levy, Founder, Field Trip Ventures Inc.
  • Irie Selkirk, Founder, Rise Wellness Retreat
  • Mark Haden, Executive Director, Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)

Trust after CannTrust: Rebuilding Confidence in the Industry
11:40 a.m. - 12:10 p.m.
Did CannTrust’s unlicensed growing scandal lead many Canadians to lose faith in the industry? With trust top of mind for consumers and investors, these three presentations each touch on how brands can reframe the conversation to establish and maintain customer confidence.  
Panelists:

  • Chris Bolivar, Vice President, Strategic Growth, Fire & Flower
  • Sony Gokhale, General Counsel, The Supreme Cannabis Company Inc.
  • Paul Pedersen, Co-founder & CEO, Nextleaf Solutions

Capital Markets and Cannabis: An Inside Look
1:30 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Industry experts will provide an overview of the investment landscape and market sentiment, and discuss current challenges and opportunities for cannabis stocks in 2020.
Moderator: Tanya Rowntree, Global Head of Client Success, Equity Capital Markets, TMX Group
Panelists:

  • Michelle de Cordova, Principal, ESG Global Advisors Inc.
  • Ryan G. Smith, Co-founder & CEO, LeafLink
  • Roderick Stephan, Partner, Altitude Capital

Raising Capital: What Investors Are Looking For
2 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. 
In this session, finance experts share their predictions on the market and will provide meaningful tips on attracting investors and what investment criteria hedge funds and VCs are really looking at.
Moderator: Sherri Altshuler, Partner, Aird & Berlis LLP
Panelists:

  • Narbé Alexandrian, President and Chief Executive Officer, Canopy Rivers Inc.
  • Matthew Nordgren, CEO & Founder, Arcadian
  • Penny White, President & CEO, The Yield Growth Corp.

Cannabis Leadership – Managing People & Culture in the Cannabis Space
2:30 p.m. - 3 p.m. 
Human resources and leadership specialists will share their strategies around people, culture, and what effective leadership looks like in the cannabis space.
Panelists:

  • Charlotte Collett, Chief People Officer, Sundial Growers
  • Marcie Kiziak, CPHR, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Alcanna
  • Tina Shannon, Director of Human Resources, Organigram

Lessons from California: Building a Brand and an Industry
3:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.
California-based cannabis leaders will share their insights on what the state has done well, where they can improve, how brands have played a part in the success, and some lessons Canada can take away.
Panelists:

  • Michael Elkin, Co-founder, CannaBrokr
  • Rico Tarver, Co-founder & Market Leader, CannaGather
  • Ophelia Chong, Partner & Co-Founder, Green Sky Strategy

International Cannabis Markets: The Next 12 Months
4 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.
International LPs and cannabis leaders give insights into what markets we should keep an eye on and provide a look ahead to the coming year.
Moderator: Matt Lamers, International Editor, MJBizDaily
Panelists:

  • Deepak Anand, CEO & Co-founder, Materia Ventures
  • Andrew Miller, Head of Canadian Business Development-Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, Clever Leaves
  • Rosy Mondin, CEO & Director, World-Class Extractions

About Lift & Co.
Lift & Co. (TSXV: LIFT) (OTCQB: LFCOF) is a publicly traded technology company modernizing the cannabis industry.

Forward Looking Statements
This news release and each of the documents referred to herein contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “is expected”, “expects”, “scheduled”, “intends”, “contemplates”,  “anticipates”, “believes”, “proposes” or variations (including negative and grammatical variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved. Such statements are based on the current expectations of management and are based on assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties. Although management believes that the assumptions underlying these statements are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this press release may not occur by certain specified dates or at all and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting the Company.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, there can be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended.

There can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate or that management's expectations or estimates of future developments, circumstances or results will materialize. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release, and subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law, and the Company does not assume any liability for disclosure relating to any other company mentioned herein. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Lift & Co. Corp.

Contact Information:

Lift & Co.:

Kasia Malz
Chief Financial Officer, Lift & Co.
416-953-6657
kasia@lift.co

Nikki Laoutaris,
Communications Manager, Lift & Co.
1-647-464-0148
nlaoutaris@lift.co

Investor Relations:
Thesis Capital
Prit Singh,
905-510-7636,
psingh@thesiscapital.ca

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ea3d487a-c693-47a7-8234-e9a54499a89c

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