Tag Archives: trade show
Have You Booked a Cannabis Trade Show Yet?
https://www.proexhibits.com/blog/cannabis-trade-shows/
Marijuana is currently legal for adults over 21 in 11 U.S. states, plus D.C., and the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes is legal in 33 states. As a result, the cannabis industry has expanded rapidly. Along with this has come the introduction of cannabis trade shows and other events dedicated to the production, extraction, and use of marijuana and its derivatives. If you’re operating a business in this industry, it pays to attend these events. You only get one chance to make your name in a new industry. As it grows—and the major players are identified—it only becomes harder to compete. Now’s the time to make your mark! Attending industry events is a great way to get noticed and perhaps even attract investors.
- CannaCon®
CannaCon is one of the country’s leading B2B cannabis trade shows, held in multiple locations every year. Collectively, this marijuana trade show has more than 25,000 attendees and 800-plus exhibitors. The schedule for 2020 includes:
- Tacoma, WA – January 10-11, 2020 at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center
- Detroit, MI – April 2-3, 2020 at The COBO Center
- Rosemont, IL – July 17-18, 2020 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
- Boston, MA – August 29-30, 2020, at the Hymes Convention Center
Each event hosts vendors from a wide range of industry sectors, including:
- Farmers and cultivators
- Growing and processing equipment specialists
- Soil and nutrient experts
- Extraction specialists
- Investors
- And more
In every location, CannaCon is a chance for businesses of all sizes to network, learn, and grow. Many of these locations represent emerging cannabis markets. These shows are opportunities to get in on the ground floor.
- INDO EXPO
This marijuana trade show travels, typically showing up in two locations throughout the year. In 2020, stops include The Denver Mart in Denver, Colorado over January 25 and 26 and The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois over September 26 and 27. And there are plans in the works to add more locations in the future!
The INDO EXPO show focuses on the B2B side of the marijuana industry. It boasted around 16,000 attendees and 400-plus exhibitors in 2019. Exhibitors and attendees come from a wide range of industry sectors, including small businesses, R&D, and larger companies.
- The Emerald Cup
Held every year in December, the Emerald Cup is all about cannabis culture and always draws a big local crowd of enthusiasts. The show is located in northern California, in a part of the state known as the Emerald Triangle for its strong connection to cannabis farming and culture. It’s typically held over a single weekend in December. In 2019 this was the weekend of December 14 and 15 at the Sonoma County Event Center at the Fairgrounds. Attendance has skyrocketed in recent years due to changes in California’s cannabis laws, with about 28,000 attendees in 2018.
This is more of a B2C event, so it’s a great option for growers and retailers in the industry. There’s also room for B2B exhibitors and retailers, as the attendee line-up does include people in the industry, like farmers, retailers, and others. There are also competitions and awards given for cannabis products in various categories, and due to the festival’s strong connection with cannabis culture, these awards are considered prestigious within the industry.
- International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC)
The International Cannabis Business Conference is a worldwide event, held in several locations each year, including the U.S. In 2020 this marijuana trade show runs from February 6 to 7 at the Hilton® San Francisco Union Square. The event includes a conference and exhibition, giving attendees the chance to both learn and network.
For exhibitors, it’s all about exposure, with the focus mainly on the B2B side of the cannabis industry. In previous years, cannabis conference topics have included:
- Federal cannabis law reform
- Investment and capital markets
- International investing
- CBD mainstreaming
- Distribution
- Tech
Several thousand attendees are expected from a range of industry sectors, including cultivating and farming, tech and R&D, sales, and executive and management representatives from larger businesses.
5 Trade Show Raffle Prize Ideas for 2020
https://tradeshowinfotainer.com/blog/5-trade-show-raffle-prize-ideas-for-2020/
Participating in trade shows is a great way to maximize your brand’s exposure, meet with potential clients, and network with colleagues in your industry. As you know if you’ve participated in a trade show, the process beforehand is full of excitement about the potential of the show and preparing how best to utilize your booth to generate leads and potential prospects. Coming up with trade show goals, planning out your booth, and generating ideas for how to attract attendees is all part of the fun!
Although raffles have been around for decades, they are still a fun and important part of today’s trade show booths; however, coming up with great prizes that your attendees are actually interested in might be difficult if you do a raffle at every show. Here are some fun and unique trade show raffle ideas to use in 2020.
Free products or services
Consider offering a free product or service trial from your company as a trade show raffle prize. This one is a win-win: not only is the prize relevant and valuable to your audience, but it will get people to actually try out your product, which can help you generate client leads through the people who participate in your raffle. Hats, t-shirts, water bottles, note pads and binders that feature your company branding can be given away as prizes to raffle winners.
If you offer a service, consider giving away a free trial; it’s a great way to get someone introduced to your business who may not have tried it out otherwise.
Gift cards or cash
Gift cards and cash are ideal trade show raffle giveaways because they are widely used by a variety of people. Offer gift cards to a popular restaurant, store, or spa or for services that may be relevant to the people in attendance at the trade show (Amazon is almost always a big hit at trade shows!).
More than anything, trade show attendees are interested in participating in raffles that offer products and services that they actually use in their everyday lives.
As a bonus, gift cards are very portable which makes it easier for logistics and storing at the show as well as being more convenient for the winner.
Electronics
Electronics are costly trade show raffle prizes. Usually, only companies with large budgets are able to afford them; however, you don’t have to go with the biggest and most expensive electronics out there. Popular electronics giveaways include items like:
• Raspberry Pi’s
• Alexa Echos and Google Homes
• Small TVs
• AirPods/headphones
• Cameras
• Video game consoles
• Wireless chargers
• Tablets
Whichever electronics you decide to go with, make sure they’re within your budget and something appealing enough to really make it stand out among your competition.
Prize or “swag” pack
Some exhibitors go the extra mile to make their prize sound bigger and better by offering anonymous prizes collected together in a “prize pack,” “swag pack,” or something similarly named. This is a good strategy if you have to promote your booth before you’ve actually decided on your prize or game giveaways!
It’s an easy way to lump together multiple items that all have your logo imprinted on them, which is another good branding strategy that helps to build awareness around your brand.
T-shirts
Shirts can be a great giveaway because when attendees wear them, they become walking billboards for your brand. However, remember that your shirt has to be nice enough to avoid getting buried in a drawer! Chances are, more than 4% of exhibitors are offering a shirt as a prize giveaway, but these exhibitors who did tend to offer something more than the average t-shirt. To get your attendees’ attention, try offering performance tees, super-soft tees, or shirts made from recycled materials. Adding a little extra ‘oomph’ to an otherwise typical giveaway goes a long way!
