Cannabis industry events are back and better than ever. We’ve started to shift back from online video calls to real-world in-person conferences, parties, education sessions, and more. Taking the learnings from this year’s Bud Bash, here are a few things to consider for hosting your own cannabis event.
Who’s Your Audience?
Plenty of cannabis events walk the line of being B2B, retail-focused, and consumer-facing. While capturing three different audiences seems like the obvious choice, in reality, this works to a disadvantage; giving your event an unsure identity and potentially deterring all three audiences. When planning your next event, first ask yourself the following questions:
- Who is this event for?
- How am I uniquely engaging this audience?
- What benefit does the target audience receive from attending this event?
Once these questions have been answered, not only will you have a better understanding of your audience, but you will easier be able to plan the finer details of your event.
Procuring Partners
Events such as the Lift&Co Expo, O’Cannabiz, and Bud Bash have demonstrated that the partners you have can make or break your cannabis event. Be it cannabis celebrities, entertainers, speakers, or brands, attendees are looking to see and meet those who’ve distinguished themselves within the industry. If aiming to capture the budtender audience, look towards bringing in the brands and people behind them who have made a name for themselves in cannabis retail or entertainers with prestige in weed. If your event is more aimed at B2B, those who are masters of what they do are a must-have, as other businesses are attending to learn from the mistakes and triumphs of those who’ve paved their own paths. Always keeping in mind your audience, choose partners who will offer something tangible to all those who attend while attracting the attention of those still on the fence about getting their ticket.
Where There’s Smoke
When there’s an industry event, one of the first questions a potential attendee will ask is “Will there be consumption”? Even if you’re aiming to host a B2B event, this question will still be relevant, but even more, if the event is aimed at consumers or those in retail. While having consumption at your event will severely limit potential venues, the value it provides is worth the effort. For instance, if aiming to host an event for those in cannabis retail, having an area to consume conveniently provides the opportunities for sampling, providing direct feedback to brands you potentially have partnered with. We recommend choosing an event space that includes an outdoor area that is compliant with local regulations and then clarifying with the venue’s management the rules behind consumption at the venue.
Collect Data
Gathering data is the most important way to improve your event while potentially creating a new revenue stream. First, collecting feedback from attendees is the easiest way to improve your events moving forward. For example, at Bud Bash’s first iteration, data was collected and then subsequently applied, resulting in doubling participation in the next event. Data also provides benefits to potential brand partners, as they always have questions about their brand and the offerings they’re seeking answers for. Through collecting data, you’re able to offer more to your partners than “exposure”.
Want to Learn More About how Cannabis Brands can run Better Events?
We’ve got more information about running events for cannabis brands in the Cannabis Brand Marketing Guide we’re releasing at the end of the summer. We’ll be sharing some types of events and best practices for cannabis brands to throw the best events in the city. The guide will be full of useful tips and tricks for navigating this highly-regulated and difficult-to-navigate industry.
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Last Updated on July 12, 2022 by ADCANN
