Trade Shows: Why the Best-Laid Plans Are Subject to Change
I have attended, worked, or spoken at 190 cannabis trade shows, expos, or events. While that may sound like a lot, it’s really not when you’ve spent nearly ten years in the industry. My most active year by far was 2018, when I attended 64 industry events. Amid all that traveling, I noticed something striking: A significant shift has taken place in the way marketers and brands reach their target audiences—specifically at trade shows. The domestic trade-show circuit has changed so much, it prompted me to do a mid-year revision of my entire marketing plan. Any media seller in this space will tell you that’s a rarity for me. Just like my media buys, I plan out the next year’s show calendar in the fourth quarter and stick to it. So what happened this year for me to break my own rule of thumb? To put the situation into perspective, there are two types of trade shows in this space: those that started within the community and became an industry event, and those that created a show for the i...