Month: February 2022

TradeshowGuy Exhibits: Planning Notes for Cannabis Collaborative Conference

http://www.tradeshowguyblog.com/2018/06/legal-cannabis-industry-evolves-with-tradeshows/

Lori Ajax, Chief of the California Bureau of Cannabis Control gives the opening remarks during the California Cannabis Business Conference in Anaheim, CA on Tuesday, October 23, 2018. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

As a wanna-be 70s hippie I follow the evolution of the legal cannabis industry with great interest. Not because I don’t use it so much anymore, but I’ve always felt that the use of marijuana – or as its getting to be known – cannabis – should be a personal choice, and government shouldn’t be locking people up for simply using it. I figure if the state allows alcohol as a social drug, it has no valid argument to disallow cannabis. But politics aside, it’s a fascinating industry.

Now that cannabis is legal across much of the country, with more states (and countries – Hello, Canada!) to follow, the first thing you’ll be seeing is much more data coming out. For instance, I ran across an article which shows that the method of cannabis consumption is changing. In the old days, you’d roll a joint. Maybe you’d bake some bud into a batch of brownies, and hope you ate the right amount. But now there is data showing that people are smoking it less and eating it more or finding other ways to consume cannabis without smoking.

So why is this topic showing up on a blog dedicated to tradeshows and the event industry? Because there happen to be a BUNCH of tradeshows dedicated solely to cannabis. For instance, there’s a big show in San Jose this summer, the Cannabis Business Summit, put on by the National Cannabis Industry Association, that will attract hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of attendees. And a listing at the Cannabis Business Times shows quite a few cannabis related events.

I’ve attended at least a half-dozen cannabis events in Oregon over the past few years and chatted with dozens of exhibitors about the industry and how they’re finding their way through an industry that, until just a few years ago, didn’t legally exist. Now that it’s out in the open, it wants to shine. Hence, the explosion of tradeshows and conferences dedicated to the industry.

Another twist: in the old days, it was never called cannabis. It was called marijuana, and the scourge of the devil weed, or reefer, spawned panicky movies (Reefer Madness), conspiracy theories and so on. Here’s a quick take on the reason it’s called cannabis these days and is rarely referred to as marijuana.

And what about the exhibitors? How are they faring in a new legal industry? I’ve spoken to many of them over the past couple of years, and as you might imagine, it’s a mixed bag. Some exhibitors are well-prepared with sharp-looking, functional exhibits. Others have barely managed to put up a cheesy vinyl banner hanging from the back of the drape behind an organizer-supplied table. In other words, it’s like a lot of industries.

I heard talk from some exhibitors that when legal cannabis happened here in Oregon, a lot of money rushed into the industry. Businesses were snapping up storefronts, staking out their ground and doing what they could to promote their new businesses. But since that beginning rush (no pun intended), reality is a bit of a come down. Some businesses have closed, others are trying to sell.  It’s a marketplace where a glut of product is keeping prices down. And this comes all with an industry that is heavily taxed by the state so that it can be regulated properly. I recently saw that Oregon suspended applications for new cannabis outlets due to the backlog. For a deeper dive into the Oregon Economic Forecast that looks closer at recreational and medical marijuana, check this out (direct PDF link).

All of which brings me back to the statewide event industry and how its working with cannabis producers, retailers and supporting businesses. Coming in January, TradeshowGuy Exhibits will take part in its first cannabis-related event as an exhibitor. We’ll be at the Cannabis Collaborative Conference in Portland on January 23-24, 2019.

How Marijuana Is Transforming the Event Industry

https://www.thetradeshownetwork.com/trade-show-blog/how-marijuana-is-transforming-the-event-industry2

Editorial use only Marijuana trade show cultivation samples. Trader distributing samples of marijuana plants (Cannabis sativa) that have been grown using LED (light-emitting diode) grow lights. This trader is participating in Indo Expo, a trade show in Denver, Colorado, USA, for companies selling goods and services to the marijuana industry. The commercial cultivation, manufacture, and sale of cannabis was legalised in the US state of Colorado in 2012, with the first trading taking place from 2014. Photographed on 12 July 2015.

Four states legalized recreational use of marijuana in November—California, Massachusetts, Maine, and Nevada—bringing the total number to eight plus Washington, D.C. and the number is growing!!   As these laws go into effect, and attitudes toward the drug begin to soften, expect to see everything from cannabis-infused food and beverages to rolled marijuana cigarettes at events such as festivals, weddings,  trade show events, and more.

Merry Jane is a digital media outlet launched by Snoop Dogg in 2015 that provides news and opinions regarding cannabis products, policies, and lifestyle. As associate director of marketing for Merry Jane, Maya Cooper leads events and partnerships for the brand. “The cannabis industry has thousands of events each year around the country. Most in legalized states, but they’re popping up everywhere,” Cooper says. The brand’s experiential marketing takes many forms, from exhibits at industry trade shows and conferences to producing “the Merry Jane experience” at private parties and creating cannabis-theme experiences in states where the drug is not legal.

“We’re planning something at South by Southwest, to do something immersive that embodies the traits of a cannabis event but still adhering to all laws,” she says. “We partner with some edible companies where they will feature non-infused products. The goal is brand awareness when there can’t be sampling involved.”

At Art Basel in Miami in December, Merry Jane partnered with Viceland television network to offer guests hand, foot, and neck massages with lotions and oils made from cannabidiol (CBD) oil, which is legal and non-psychoactive. The activation also included a CBD oil vape lounge and weed-theme portraits from pop culture cartoonist Napkin Killa.

In states where marijuana is legal, Cooper says they have created “bud bars” that combine product education with sampling. “We’ll partner with a dispensary to bring the product, and they’ll have a ‘bud-tender’ that knows everything about the product to explain to partygoers,” she says. “We might have large martini glasses with nuggets of weed for people to touch and smell. There will be pre-rolled joints and the bud next to it. And then there’s a gifting component with sample-size goodies.” The rules regarding recreational use and possession vary among states that have approved it. Cooper says the dispensaries can be a valuable resource to ensure laws are being followed, and she also suggests planners seek legal counsel.

When her clients want to offer edibles, Gordon says she evaluates products and dispensaries like she does any other vendor. “First you go with reputation. Then you meet with them, you ask for references,” she says. At her events where marijuana products are offered, Gordon says she has emergency medical technicians on standby and also educates the event staff on how to recognize guests that may be having a negative reaction.

Chris Yang is a scientist-turned-chef who hosts monthly cannabis-infused fine-dining events at the Container Yard in Los Angeles under his brand PopCultivate. Each event includes a seven-course meal, with about three of those courses offered with cannabis infusion for guests that carry a medical marijuana card or uninfused for those that do not. Yang also brings in musicians, artists, video designers, and performers to make each one a unique, curated experience.

“I’ve been cooking with cannabis for a little bit. The scientist in me was very unsatisfied in using food as a mechanism for dosing because it’s not very precise. I prefer to infuse a nonalcoholic cocktail we make,” he says. “For food, you have to consider how to put it in, what kind of food it is, and the portion size. I will infuse it usually in a salad or soup and in the main course with olive oil.”

Yang also does catering and he is now working to create PopLiving, a lifestyle brand that will encompass a test kitchen, smaller dinners, a social club, and additional cannabis-based experiences.