The annual Industrial Hemp Summit hosted by IALR was held virtually on February 22-23. The two-day event offered attendees access to live sessions, the opportunity to participate in Q&A chats with expert speakers, and the chance to engage in potential virtual networking opportunities. Participants from 28 states across the country attended the event.

The 2021 agenda featured a multitude of experts, including over 45 panelists who work or serve in the hemp industry, such as IALR Analytical Chemist Yimeng Jack He. The topics discussed ranged from financing, state regulations, legal policy, genetics and testing to market opportunities and general industry outlooks and analyses.

This year’s summit specifically focused on building the supply chain and market for industrial hemp food, fiber and flower. The event highlighted current innovation throughout the industry and explored what resources and infrastructure are needed to move the industry forward. The theme was ‘One Industry United,’ indicating the importance of collaboration in a professional and transparent manner to create a sustainable hemp industry.

“As agriculture remains a large private industry for the region and nation, we continue to support producers and processors with relevant economic opportunities,” said Mark Gignac, Executive Director of IALR. “The reemerging industry of industrial hemp provides diversification and growth opportunities, and the summit is one critical strategy to facilitate its growth through collaborative networking.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the summit was transitioned to a virtual event and it did not come without challenges. However, the IALR staff met those challenges and enhanced their knowledge and skills along the way. The team now feels confident that it can host large virtual meetings going forward. “Congrats on an informative, well organized event – it was the best virtual conference I’ve participated in,” said one attendee.

The Industrial Hemp Summit is a multi-stakeholder collaboration focused on building the industrial hemp industry in the United States. The summit is the only business-to-business event organized by a research facility actively involved in the hemp industry. In addition to the summit, IALR’s work includes hemp testing services, research, programming and events, and instructional videos.

IALR’s overall mission is to serve as a catalyst for economic transformation. Since the first hemp summit, Golden Piedmont Labs, a large-scale industrial hemp processing facility, announced the opening of its facility in South Boston, Va. Moving forward, the region is well-poised to attract other companies in the emerging hemp industry.
The fifth annual Industrial Hemp Summit is already scheduled for next year and will be held February 28 – March 1, 2022.

Thanks to IALR’s expert IT staff and their work behind the scenes, the virtual summit was successfully streamed live from IALR’s Conference Center.

IALR Executive Director Mark Gignac and the Southeast Hemp Association’s Board Chairman Marty Clemons and Executive Director Blake Butler partnered to host the summit.