This past week the RMR squad attended the Superbowl of California cannabis, the coveted Hall of Flowers 2023 trade show in Santa Rosa. Despite the challenges faced by the cannabis industry so far this year, Hall of Flowers (HoF) delivered another solid showcase.
Respect My Region Co-Owners, Mitch Pfeifer and Joey Brabo at Hall of Flowers 2023.
This year was condensed down to a single show in Santa Rosa, California, opposed to the SoCal and NorCal dual settings of the past few years. The market is in a different position today and the industry is clearly feeling a pinch. HoF wanted to continue to provide the space to network and connect buyers with brands, but within a single show as to not stretch company’s budgets. This year the show also had a whole section of smaller booths dedicated to small farms and brands. These booths were provided at a lower cost but were still incredibly valuable. That legacy and small business area was one of our favorite areas to spend our time connecting in; the open floor layout provided an easy way to connect with folks.
The show was noticeably smaller than the previous year. Again, the industry is in a difficult place which makes booth activations and even simply attending the show a burden on budgets. Cannabis has always been intertwined with the hustle. This year, that mentality was more evident than in years past as we witnessed plenty of brands and individuals putting in a solid grind throughout the entire show. People were cutting to the chase, on the move, and even rocking shirts with straight forward call-to-actions. At the end of the day, Hall of Flowers provides a platform and we saw the Cali industry make a way.
Hall of Flowers 2023 attendee with a shirt that says, “I Got Bulk Text Me.”
Feedback
In our conversations with attendees and buyers, the feedback was simple; the show remains a must. There are few other chances for farms to connect with the number of buyers from around the state that HoF brings out. Let alone in a single location where the atmosphere is severely more casual than normal. The proper strategy and effort can always yield a return on investment (ROI). Regardless of having a booth or not, get out, walk around, attend after parties, and make a point to introduce yourself to new people.
The Fire Flower
Hall of Flowers is all about brands showing off the latest products and strains. We took a look around the conference to see what were the hottest things smoking right now. There was quite a bit of fire from the usual suspects and some fresh terps that we sniffed out too.
I always like to start with flower, our first two booth visits were Oakfruitland and Laughing Gas. Both of these brands have been putting out some heat the last few years. The Zashimi strain from Laughing Gas is a staple, and their new Dogface strain was a treat. The Fortune Cookie from Oakfruitland is a whole vibe with an actual fortune inside the mylar bag.
First image: Oakfruitland’s vending machine display at Hall of Flowers. Second image: Wood Wide Farms booth display.
The Standout Booths
Wood Wide Farms was our favorite new discovery of the show. They are a craft grow that runs indoor in Mendocino which obviously stands out due to being an area globally known for outdoor cannabis. Wood Wide stands out beyond the grow method in that terroir with their flower. The Biscotti was straight gas and the Dutch Treat? Get out of here, it was crushing!
One of the clear stand-out booths was Grove Bags who gave their entire space to showcase the Grove x Cannabiscapes x 40 Tons Brand x Strong Mountain Farms collab. The bag of premium sun-grown cannabis showcases Cannabiscape’s artwork with the description of “No One Should Be in Prison for Weed” made out of cannabis flower. This message is much needed in the space. Look out for this 4-way collab dropping this month!
While there was plenty more fire than what was noted above, we also took to the floor to catch up with industry professionals, legacy operators, and owner-operators to discuss their brands, the state of the industry, and more. Check out the YouTube playlist below for all of our Hall of Flowers 2023 interviews.
Hall of Flowers 2023 Interviews
Follow the Hall of Flowers website for upcoming show dates!
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