There are instances in life where one recognizes just how unique the moment they’re living in actually is. It’s these profound moments of clarity and realization that often lead to an overwhelming sense of euphoria and gratitude, acknowledging the beauty of life and of the world around us.
My experience at Hall of Flowers brought me several instances where I found myself at a good vantage point, surveying the scene and just grinning from ear to ear, stuck in one spot soaking in the high vibes and perfectly unrepeatable nature of the moment.
Hall of Flowers is a mashup of B2B trade show style vendor booths, set up almost exclusively by brands from the supply chain side of the industry, paired with a consumption-friendly outdoor lounge area complete with additional booths and a food court for when the munchies kick in.
Beyond the immense business opportunity that industry events like these offer, simply due to the sheer nature of bringing a large number of (usually insanely busy) operators to one place, shows like Hall of Flowers do a tremendous amount to bolster Cannabis culture – a much overlooked and underrated piece of the puzzle to overall industry success. And when people are allowed to come together over the plant, in an environment where everyone can be themselves and be surrounded by like-minded Cannabis consuming individuals, amazing things happen. The true beauty in Cannabis is that it breaks down barriers and allows people to come together – those who otherwise would have no reason to interact – creating a shared experience around the plant’s consumption. This is the cornerstone of, and to me, the very definition of Cannabis culture: the shared experience.
I witnessed this shared experience happening in droves over the course of the two-day event. The result was a buoyant and excited vibe, as if there was an electric current running throughout the crowd. People were lifted, comfortable and clearly enjoying the thrill of in-person connection, especially after an extended hiatus where we connected almost exclusively through phones and computers.
Almost every single vendor I spoke with told me they’d made new business connections and that the show was certain to have a positive impact on their brand as they head into the new year.
While the venue had a smaller footprint than the September event in Santa Rosa, the community turned out around 4,000 heads strong and kept the space packed out and busy for the entirety of the show, and several after parties kept the vibe going late into the night and into the next day.
As expected, there was a different mix of vendor representation when compared to the event in Northern California, with a ton more Los Angeles area and Coachella Valley-based brands – mostly indoor cultivators, and far less Emerald Triangle and sungrown representation. However, several sungrown mainstays like Flow Cannabis and Redwood Roots were present and repping strong with double wide booths to make sure that sustainably cultivated Cannabis was part of the conversation at Hall of Flowers.
At the end of the day, the team at Hall of Flowers is doing a fantastic job bringing well-organized, compliant B2B events to both halves of California. Increasingly, this is a must-attend event for any supply chain operator or retailer in the state, and with events in both Northern and Southern California, as well as more businesses coming online across the state as legalization increases, we’re likely to see the scale of their shows grow even larger in coming years.
