Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi chats with Geroge Jage on maximizing the benefits of trade shows for your unique goals and what makes a great CPG Brand.
[00:01 – 16:09] George’s Story, Getting Started in the Trade Show Space, and MJ Unpacked
[16:10 – 33:42] MJ Unpacked’s Role in Bringing Brands to Market and The Benefits of Trade Shows
[33:43 – 43:30] Elevating Consumer Packaged Goods Through Storytelling and Content
[43:31 – 52:34] MJ Unpacked Canvassing for a Star CPG Brand
[52:35 – 53:52] Food For Thought
George Jage is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Jage Media and Jage Media’s national, cannabis CPG Trade Show MJ Unpacked. Jage Media also operates MJ Brand Insights, providing sharp, substantive, and reliable industry intel for cannabis brands and retailers. George Jage is widely revered as a B2B growth specialist and business builder with a proven track record of identifying new markets and opportunities to scale national businesses. George excels in navigating complex landscapes and accelerating financial performance and asset growth for his clients and peers. Before founding Jage Media and its properties, George was Co-founder & Exec VP of the Off-Price Show (1993 - 2001), Co-founder & CEO of World Tea Media (2002 - 2012), and Group Director of the Beverage Group at F&W Media (2013 - 2014). During their substantive growth years, George served as President of Marijuana Business Daily (2014 - 2017), and Chief Executive Officer of Dope Media (2017 - 2019) leading the six-year-old startup to its acquisition by High Times.
George is recognized by Trade Show Executive as an Elite Leader and is the recipient of the Jerry Valen Award of Distinction for Hospitality & Convention Executive of the Year by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He’s been awarded the Nevada Entrepreneur Award by Business Magazine, named Top 20 Under 40 by Gourmet News, and the Next Generation of Leaders by Tradeshow Week Magazine. George holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh. He enjoys quality time with his family, camping, hiking, golf, and is continually awarded #1 DAD by his kids.
Connect with George and visit https://mjunpacked.com & https://www.jagemedia.com or follow on Instagram @mjunpacked
Shayda Torabi has been called one of the most influential Women in WordPress and now she’s one of the women leading the cannabis reformation conversation building one of Texas’ premier CBD brands. She's currently the CEO and Co-Founder of RESTART CBD, a female-run education first CBD wellness brand. And has formerly held marketing positions at WP Engine and WebDevStudios. Shayda is the host of a podcast for cannabis marketers called To Be Blunt, where she interviews top cannabis brands on their most successful marketing initiatives. When Shayda's not building her cannabiz in Texas, you can find her on the road exploring the best hikes and spots for vegan ice cream. Follow Shayda at @theshaydatorabi
Key Quotes:
“What really creates success in events and trade shows is having this feeling of an executive conference when you have a chance to sit down and have a conversation with somebody, and get to know them, their challenges, and their opportunities. And that is what ultimately leads to a transactional event because people don't do business with companies, they do business with people.” - George Jage
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061 Cannabis Trade Shows and Measuring the Return on Investment of Event Marketing with George Jage of MJ Unpacked