Issue 26 CHAMPS Show Magazine July - August 2021 by CHAMPS Show Magazine

A Return to Normal In atlantic city pg. 12

Tal es Fro m THE Dan km an pg. 37 Sh o p Sh o ts : Pe ac e Av en ue , FL pg . 6 8

pg. 8

MPS Denver, CHA H ig h e s t D e s t in a t8io n

Next Shows...

(Aug 31st - Sept 2nd)

SEE PAGES 10-11

COVER SPONSORED BY

Las VegaS (JulY 27-30th) Atlantic city

Content A Return to Normal in Atlantic City By Amear Moretall

Tales from the Dankman By Kevin Dankman

Shop Shots: Jersey Janes By Kevin Dankman

Denver Colorado,

One of CHAMPS’ Highest Desitnations

ISSUE 26 JULY/AUGUST 2021

12 37 68 88

By Elev A Chun

CHAMPS SHOW MAGAZINE

Advertiser Index 6

1836 KRATOM ABR AFG ALTERNATIVE HEALTH ATMOS AQUA CLEAN BDD WHOLESALE BENTFISH TRADING BLAZER C4C CANDY PROS CANNA FLORA HEMP CAVIAR CHAMPS UPCOMING SHOWS CHOICE COLORADO CBD COMPANY EARTH KRATOM EMPIRE GLASSWORKS EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTORS FLKR GOURMET INNOVATIONS GREENLANE KARMA HEMP WRAPS KOI KRAKEN KRATOM KRATOM KAPS KRAVE LIFESTYLE MARKETING MAHA-K MT BRANDS MY BUD VASE OCB OMNI VAPES OPMS KRATOM PARTYNUTS PIECE WATER PILL WAREHOUSE POWERHITTER RARE ROKIN VAPES RYOT SEAN DIETRICH SMART CHOICE SMOKE HOUSE SMOKE ODOR SMOKEZILLA SMOKING PAPERS SOL TRADING SPRAY420 SPS WHOLESALE STONED STR8 BRAND SUNSHINE JOY SUNSHINE NUTRITIONAL SUNSTATE HEMP SWAG THENDRO TOP EXTRACTS TORO IMPORTS VANDYKES VAPOR TECH VOODOO WHOLESALE ODYSSEY ZIG ZAG ZION HERBAL

31 38 16-17, 53 72-73 66 14 32 29 59 78 39 82 75 90, 93, 110-111 INSIDE FRONT COVER SPREAD 47 60 90 97 27 96 15, 41, 46, 64, 74, 76, 84 19 105 55 102 71 108-109 103 13 40 10-11 22-23, 61 62-63 48-49 25 30 51 100-101 26 INSIDE BACK COVER SPREAD, BACK COVER 36 92 2-3 92 98 56-57 77, 79, 81, 83, 85, 87 104 106 89 5 99 34-35 67 44-45 42 86 50 91 28, 58 94 69 18 8-9

CHAMPS SHOW MAGAZINE

Contacts

ISSUE 26 JULY/AUGUST 2021

Publisher

CHAMPS Trade Shows

Editorial Director

Kevin Dankman

Ad Sales:

Kevin Dankman Office 818-616-7424

Credits Writing:

Elev A Chun Kevin Dankman Amear Moretall

Photography:

CHAMPS Staff Photographer

Cover Art: Sean Dietrich

Design & Layout: Sixxx

CHAMPS SHOW MAGAZINE

A RETURN TO NORMAL IN ATLANTIC CITY By Amear Moretall

CHAMPS Trade Shows has always led the pack in the B2B experience for the Smoke Shop Industry. This last year was no exception. CHAMPS has come through for our buyers time and time again. Were they locked down? CHAMPS gave you a Virtual show!

Need Holiday buying? 1st back in action with CHAMPS Orlando with full mask and social distance rules. After holiday shopping needs? CHAMPS Orlando a Vegas replacement show, "The largest Florida show ever." By the time you read this, we will be preparing for our first return to Las Vegas. No masks! Not only have the CHAMPS Crew been busy preparing for Vegas but Atlantic City as well. 12

Continues On Page 20

Photo by Jade Masri on Unsplash CHAMPS SHOW MAGAZINE

This show will be a spectacular return to the northeast. It's been over a year, and everyone is excited about this regional show. The stores up there have had it bad. Severe lockdowns and travel restrictions were particularly harsh.

...the Glass Games are back on the East Coast!

When the show opens at 11 am on August 31, CHAMPS will usher in the post-pandemic Atlantic City Show. Buyers will be streaming through the doors, greeted by hundreds of amazing vendors. It will be the first show back in the northeast in too long. Just CBD, Exclusive Distributors, Choice Nutrition, and many more big names will be there right up front, waiting for your smiling faces and hefty orders. With a booming industry and a hungry vendor pool, it is sure to be a head-turning experience. Not only that, but the Glass Games are back on the East Coast! Live glassblowing will roll out again for another installment. Matty and his crew are getting into the City's spirit and even planning one of the events around an Atlantic City Icon, Ripley's Believe it or Not! The Glassblowers will be competing for a chance at cash and prizes as well as a trip to the Master's tournament, where CHAMPS will crown one of them, the Glass Games Masters Champion. Here is a list of the games that they will be playing. 20

Multi Pipe: The Swiss Army Knife of Pipes. This piece is to be several pipes, same style or different, Believe It or Not: Atlantic City is home to the first all connected to create one Ripley's Believe It or Not!!, a finished piece. place filled with oddities and unbelievable realities. Think of Transparent: something strange that Having the property of transbelongs in the "Boro Believe It mitting light without appreciaor Not" to entertain and/or ble scattering so that bodies mystify us. lying beyond are seen clearly, fine or sheer enough to be seen through. We want to see Ride It: Behind the wheel or between through this piece, nothing your legs, what comes to your opaque. mind when you hear "Ride It"? We want your interpretation for something that is considered rideable.

Shots!!! Returning by demand, we had so many artists and not enough space, so we are bringing Shots to the East Coast also. This will be a 1.5-hour game. For the purposes of this contest, the ideal shot glass form should be no more than 4" high and not more than 44mm around. The shot glass should be functional, and it should have a thick bottom. You will be given an hour and a half to complete your shot glass. You may bring your own tube - the tube may be prepped, but you will need to make the puck during the contest. Good luck to all those who compete or come to buy the artist's pieces.

CHAMPS SHOW MAGAZINE

When it comes to Accommodations, CHAMPS has arranged deals at 2 of the best places to stay in town. The Sheraton Convention Center Hotel, right across from the convention center and only a 100-yard walk from your room to the show floor. This Hotel is the spot for those that aren't here to gamble away what they make on the floor. It's a place for the serious buyers and vendors there to make guaranteed money. There are plenty of beautiful views, great food, and shopping options within a short walk. The Tun Tavern is a nightly meeting spot for many that stay here. Craft beer and a fine food selection on the menu make it an excellent choice for easy and fast dining. You can often find a great chance to network with fellow attendees in the tasteful garden out front. Which during the afternoon lunchtime also plays home to the SABRETT'S Hotdog guy. "Two, red and yellow with cheese please," that's my order. The second lodging choice is HARRAH'S Resort and Casino. This Resort is where the party happens! Gambling and a vast indoor pool complex. Then there are the food options, so many and all so good. From Fancy to just a slice or a submarine sandwich, they have options for you. The multiple bars fill up at night with vendors and buyers alike to network and spend time with friends. Continues On Page 24 CHAMPS SHOW MAGAZINE

and Casino HARRAH'S Resort

If you feel adventurous, there are a few great options to choose from in and around Atlantic City. First and one of the essential food stops I need to tell you about, located in the convention center; Esquires II. This train stop cafe is a perfect spot. Don't let the look and size of it scare you away. Breakfast is my favorite meal here. Fresh Bagel sandwiches made to order are my choice. They even have a delicious pork roll on the menu! The lunch menu doesn't disappoint either, wraps, cold and hot subs, everything you want from a local deli. Continues On Page 33

CHAMPS SHOW MAGAZINE

Not far from the Hotel and the Glass Games crew's favorite spot is a local soul food place. Kelseys. Authentic soul food from real soulful people. I have had almost everything they offer and can't complain about one meal. Wednesday and Thursday nights are a big hit with our crowd, with good food, live music, and entertainment. Check-in with the Glass Games crew about their yearly meet-up there. If it's traditional NY pizza you're looking for, visit Tony Boloney's. They have one extensive menu offering more than you can order in a lifetime. The pizza is as authentic as it gets, and the experimental flavors and combinations test the limits. It's a must-have for those that haven't been. Atlantic City is a town rich in outlaw history, with Al Capone even calling it home. So for a fun little excursion, you might want to check out the boardwalk, not only part of Monopoly fame but recently made famous once again by the show Boardwalk Empire, not only an excellent place for a stroll but the world's longest and the US's oldest wooden boardwalk. Atlantic City and the Jersey Shore is a great place to visit and get some vital work done. CHAMPS Invites you to come workation with us in exciting Atlantic City!

LITTLENY/SHUTTER

STOCK.COM

CHAMPS SHOW MAGAZINE

August 31- September 2, 2021. 33

This is an excerpt from an in-process working collaboration between Sean Dietrich and Kevin Dankman

Mars Comes to Earth… This explores a world and time years into an alternate future where things are much different, but life and commerce must still continue. Mars has been sent on a course to become a sister planet to Earth, The DOGE Dodgers escaped by rocket, and mutated beings roam the earth. The next stop…One of many since the crew had left the safety of the west coast offshore cities. The Atlantic City Convention Center. Home to the northeast chapter of the CHAMPS Trade Federation. CHAMPS had stayed out of the fray of politics by bringing together the trade groups. Continues On Page 38 CHAMPS SHOW MAGAZINE

The world may have fallen apart, but everyone still needed something from someone else to run their business and make profits. From The offshore cities of Calishores to Atlantic City, they had outposts in every Big City we stopped. Denver, Chicago both had bustling CHAMPS Trade Posts going on. Traders from all over meeting to exchange wares and stories. We would leave at night and do our best to sneak through without being noticed. We took a couple of the e-scooters we had picked up along the way to move fast and silently when we could. It was definitely unsafe using the waterways. The Merz Mutation happened when the old Exelon Oyster Creek containment facility failed, resulting in toxic nuclear waste downstream down through the southern bays and inlets. Mutant fisheries and eating contaminated fish led to the Merz. Not really like a mermaid, but they can't live outside the salty brackish waters. Continues On Page 43

CHAMPS SHOW MAGAZINE

We did well to stay out of sight on our travels through the wetlands. Our destination? Hackney's, an old boatyard and the only safe place to contact the people we needed to talk to to get safe passage to AC and the offshore cities. We had our first encounter with Merz just a stone's throw outside Hackney's. We had been staying in the highlands just off the old streets. Slogging through the mud where we had to. The muck caused our near demise at the hands of MudMerz We never heard or saw them coming. Submerged in the dark muck, they prayed on things walking through the shallows, kinda like an amphibious alligator man thing. Then, they grabbed you by the leg and tried to drag you into the bottomless muck. There you would suffocate and die so they could slowly feast on the rotting remains. We had been being careful and tied a guy wire between us just in case something happened. It happened, and it happened fast! Good thing for hip waders and steel-toed knee-high boots under 'em. That thing latched on like a suckling calf eating for its first time. It made a decent hole through the waders before I could get a shaft into its brain. It was hard to find the head under the muck, but after a few swift plunges of the staff, a few bubbles and a purple-tinged liquid came up. A sure sign it had been struck deep in the brain. Freakin' airheads. Continues On Page 52 CHAMPS SHOW MAGAZINE

It was the loud splashing and yelling that alerted a nearby Hackney's Employee. He arrived just in time to see us dragging the Merz to high ground. We had to take a look at this thing. It was one genuinely gross mutated being. It oozed swamp muck from every poor. When you put ultraviolet light on, it lit up in swirls of colored bioluminescence. Craziest shit we'd seen yet! 2Hack was the guard that showed up, he was the son of Hack, who was the son of the original Hackney, or so it was told. You could tell he may have had a slight covid infection as a child, but he was pretty much normal from what we could tell other than the small deformations. He helped us out to the dock and on the medical boat to check my leg and make sure it hadn't gotten through my boot. You can get an awful infection from the muck. The waders were trashed, and the leather boots had taken a couple of teeth marks and a souvenir tooth embedded in them. Outside that happy and healthy, just another day. From the med boat, they took me to the bridge. I met my old friend Kim Hollywood. She greeted me with some freshly brewed tea and a couple of pounds of packaged tea I had stashed at her place Continues On Page 54 52

CHAMPS SHOW MAGAZINE

years ago. It brought back fond memories of a time before covid. Carefree, riding ski-doos through the channels with no fear. Walking the soft sandy beaches, man, the reminiscing was good, I tell ya. Kim knew the area and had people. She would arrange an escort crew to go retrieve our vehicles and gear. They ruled this area. It would be no sweat for them. We took the road all the way to Pork Island. That's where we loaded onto a ferry to make it to the next safe port— the ACCC or Atlantic City Convention Center. We came ashore right behind the convention center on the new CHAMPS Trade Federation Pier. Walking up to registration, It felt like old times... It was new though, new faces new stations to sign in without ever talking to someone. Self-Serve Kiosks had arrived. It was no longer just smokeshops. It was everyone. Anyone that wanted to come to do business professionally was welcome. From the small traveling shop owners to the brick and mortar stores still recovering and popping up all over the country. Our nation's entrepreneurial spirit had survived. There were still lines to get in and security checkpoints to pass through. But it made you feel comfortable and cozy. The union, 54

yeah, it's still here too. But just like any show, there was plenty of currency to be exchanged. From oxygen generators to weapons and even old-school pipes, you could find it here. If they could make it, it was here old tech, new tech, and even antiques. Even Jersey Legend MCZ was still kicking it. He was head Hancho at this location. He had a great thing, easy access to the offshore water plants and luxury living on one side, and the rest of the mainland on the other side. They all met here to exchange goods and services. Continues On Page 65

CHAMPS SHOW MAGAZINE

No one wanted to piss off the CHAMPS Crew, so it was 99% peaceful and safe. Companies like RYOT, OCB, Party Nuts were right upfront. We stopped and chatted with the ZION team to learn that they had set up a trading post in Virginia and were doing really well down there. After that, we started planning our trip south, beginning with a trip to Richmond. Things were already coming together for the next leg of the journey. CZ showed Kim and our crew around and made sure we had some fresh supplies. He arranged a ferry out to the central city to see how the other side lived. You could see the giant water harvesting barges from shore. Churning day and night with an occasional emergency horn and some lights. It's a new system built on old decaying ships, like the early days of oil mining. Lots of lives were lost in the quest. strains. Four tiny 4-inch plants grow and flower in 16 It would be a couple of days before hours. 4 hours to dry, and four hours to cure. Their we departed, so we took a chance to Moto, "Fresh flower in 24 hours". walk the tradeshow floor and visit some vendors; it felt like the old It was great to see so many companies had survived days, no masks, no long waits for Covid and the ensuing catastrophes and seemed to be instant result tests. The businesses thriving in this new world. Exclusive Distribution, of America were the ones saving it, Smoke Odor, Gourmet Innovations, and Rokin were still not the governments. around. The most exciting thing we found here at CHAMPS Trade Shows for our journey was the micro cannabis growth and processing pods. Perfect for us as we travel and have little time or space to grow. They took up 1square foot of space and grew four ultra-high THC or CBD CHAMPS SHOW MAGAZINE

Cali Kulture, Lit, Windship, and many others had also managed to survive in one way or another. But, so many companies and so little time to see them all. Like any other year, pre-Covid or Post-apocalyptic, It was a great time and a great place to do business. Still strictly B2B sales since '99 That's a long-term commitment to customers. 65

SHOP SHOTS

I have known some of the guys from Jersey Janes for a few years and when I reached out to them it was jokes, nonsense and a bit of hijinx. Nick a.k.a. Homegrown is what we call a corporate refugee. After spending 24 years in global insurance, change was in order. Cannabis has always been a part of Nick’s life and, anticipating widespread social acceptance on the horizon, Jersey Jane’s was born in February 2019. Continues On Page 70

CHAMPS SHOW MAGAZINE

The shop started off as a smoke & vape shop, with emphasis on the ‘smoke’, The onset of the pandemic and New Jersey’s vape flavor ban provided plenty of uncertainty in the last 2 years. Jersey Jane’s shifted gears reduced vape products and started working to develop the Jersey Jane’s brand locally. Like the smart businessmen, they are they set out to trademark the store’s logo. Once it was done, they went to work developing their own CBD products in collaboration with Dr. Church – from full-spectrum tinctures to small-batch Continues On Page 80 70

SHOP SHOTS CHAMPS SHOW MAGAZINE

rosin gummies. Soon after, a line of Jersey Jane’s branded glass. When legal Delta-8 showed up on the scene, Jersey Jane’s branded D-8 items like 510 carts, gummies and tincture joined the line-up.

New Jersey as the recreational market opens up. With conservative areas like there’s opting-out, it might take a little time but they will definitely be breaking into NJ’s legal cannabis market.

The Jersey Jane’s team is now looking at Keep on the lookout for Jersey Janes fun opportunities to grow and/or dispense in guys with their eye on the prize.

SHOP SHOTS 80

CHAMPS SHOW MAGAZINE

DENVER, COLORADO, ONE OF CHAMPS’ HIGHEST DESTINATIONS By Elev A Chun

It will have been two years since CHAMPS Trade Show last ascended high into the mountains to Denver.

I surveyed the locals, and the Colorado area is chomping at the bit for us to return. The Colorado market is a fantastic thing in itself. A forerunner to the recreational weed market and a constant presence in the pot-tourism world. Once known for its lush summer hiking and spectacular skiing in the winter, now known as a pot mecca of the world. More Companies have moved to and built themselves out of colorado in recent years than any state in the union. From growing to accessories, they are all there, and they all come to CHAMPS Denver. Continues On Page 95

Photo by Jade Masri on Unsplash

CHAMPS SHOW MAGAZINE

Although far into the future, we can count on the fact that the best vendors and locals will be there. You can also count on the Glass games team to get the glass artists to attend and sell their wares. One event that is a mainstay in Colorado, the Goblet Grab, will be back! I can’t wait to get my tickets! If you have never been to Colorado in September, it is a beautiful time of year. The weather ranges from the 80s during the day to the 50s at night. You can also expect clear blue skies and very little rain. September also brings the beginning of the fall foliage season. You can expect to see aspens turning gold at higher elevations from afar. Continues On Page 107

Photo by Mike Scheid on Unsplash

CHAMPS SHOW MAGAZINE

CMY

Fall is always a beautiful time in the mountains, so join the CHAMPS Crew on a fun workation in Denver, Colorado. Stock your store for fall and party with your friends and clients. If your store or company is anywhere near Colorado, you should make the yearly trip to the show. Keep Reading CHAMPS Magazine for more details and exciting CHAMPS Trade Show Developments for the Denver Show on September 28th and 29th, 2021. Come, join us and live the experience.

Photo by Mike Scheid on Unsplash

CMY

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with special guest TBA

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