Event Planning Considerations for the Cannabis and Wellness Industries
By GailG | 26 August, 2024
Photo credit: Ben Wight, Dubside Photography. Event: Seeing Through Smoke by Dr. Peter Grinspoon – Book Launch Campaign
There are proven event planning and marketing strategies that support the health and wellness industry. There can be distinctly different approaches when supporting the cannabis industry. When you get to blend the two approaches, you get a winning combination PLUS an opportunity to create nuanced, cohesive, and impactful experiences that benefit brands and consumers.
Here is a guide outlining the integrated strategies that encompass all aspects of event planning and marketing for these sectors.
1. Knowing and Understanding Your Audience
- Demographics and Psychographics: Research the age, gender, lifestyle, and preferences of your target audience. For cannabis, this might include understanding the varying needs of recreational vs. medicinal users. For wellness, focus on those interested in holistic health, fitness, and mental well-being.
- Tailored Messaging: Craft messages that resonate with these demographics. Use insights to create targeted content that speaks directly to their interests and concerns.
- For the TeeHC Open, we bring in vendors that enhance the cannabis experience. Once an attendee has sampled sponsor products, they’re encouraged to participate in a variety of wellness-related activities like yoga, a sound bath, mini massages, and more.
2. Commitment to Regulatory Compliance
- Cannabis Laws: Whether you are planning your own event or working with a partner like JVCo, the key to a successful campaign is ensuring all aspects of your event comply with local, state, and federal regulations regarding cannabis use, distribution, and marketing.
- Wellness Standards: Follow industry best practices and guidelines related to health and wellness, especially when promoting products or services.
- In February 2023 JVCo was brought on to create a brand awareness campaign and assist with an event to celebrate the end of cannabis prohibition in the state of Missouri AND to commemorate the launch of Wondergrove Cannabis’ premium brands: Field Trip Flower & Professor Cron X. To put on an event like this – knowledge of cannabis consumption laws and regulations was key! Read more about the exclusive launch party celebrating the end of cannabis prohibition in Missouri: WonderGrove x Weedmaps (It was a pleasure to deliver a world-class, quick execution from concept to final product and beyond – and we are honored to be a part of Missouri’s history & culture!)
3. Holistic Theme and Branding
- Unified Visual Identity: Is your event a one-off? Is it an extension of your existing brand? Or do you need to develop a consistent visual identity for your event that reflects both cannabis and wellness themes? Depending on your route – we recommend using cohesive colors, fonts, and logos across your marketing assets and on-site.
- Brand Storytelling: Create a compelling narrative that ties together the cannabis and wellness aspects. This could be a story of how the two sectors intersect and complement each other.
- Using the TeeHC Open as an example here, we came up with the TeeHC Open brand, utilized a mascot, and consistently tied back to our mission of creating a unique space for business professionals in the cannabis industry to feel welcome and engage in an entirely new way. From the venue selection (aptly named Blissful Meadows) and on-site activation providers – we’re committed to creating an experience that benefits the mind, body, and soul.
4. Strategic Partnerships
- Industry Collaborations: Partner with influential brands, influencers, and organizations within both the cannabis and wellness industries. This can include product sponsors, wellness experts, and cannabis advocates.
- Cross-Promotions: Engage in cross-promotional activities to reach a wider audience, such as co-hosting webinars, social media campaigns, content marketing with links, or email campaigns. Consider using affiliate links to measure success of link clicks from those partnerships and to determine which online efforts get the most traction.
- JVCo has supported brand launches, experiential events, and content marketing through Canna-friendly wellness retreats. The examples shared below are obviously large-scale efforts that bridged yoga and wellness lifestyle with plant-friendly communities.
Beyond selling out multi-day retreats with a yoga brand – incredible partnerships truly help build success. Shoutout to CannaBLISS and Tara Morris/TheLoveOffensive who aligned with the mission and broadened the reach to help drive the success!
This retreat was centered on yoga, wellness, and cannabis – offering a highly curated, holistic four-day experience in Vermont with Tara Morris & CannaBLISS. Planning a retreat of this nature takes incredible partnerships that provide an unmatched experience. Guests enjoyed a variety of activities like yoga, guided meditation, hiking, meaningful conversations, healing massages, infused cooking classes, tea ceremonies, ice cream socials, and so much more! – each planned with brand infusion and subject matter leadership.
5. Create Engaging Content
- SEO-Friendly Articles: As an opportunity to position the subject matter expert voice within the industry or your organization – various content pieces can be produced to help drive traffic to your website, paint a picture of your upcoming event or product launch, or guide a reader through various stages of their pursuit for information.
- Virtual Events: To support your cannabis or wellness initiative, consider hosting workshops or seminars, or maybe participate in podcasts on topics like cannabis benefits, wellness practices, and integration of the two. This adds value, broadens your reach, and educates potential attendees.
- Interactive Elements: Incorporate interactive elements such as product demos, live Q&A sessions, and experiential installations.
- In the November 2020 edition of Cannabis Patient Care, an online magazine from Cannabis Science and Technology, Joint Venture & Co CEO and Founder Ann Brum was featured as a cannabis advocate fighting for reform and veteran access to medical cannabis. While this might not have been tied to a specific event campaign, working with a highly connected agency will create new opportunities to share your voice and vision as a subject matter expert, increasing the visibility of your mission.
6. Effective Marketing Channels
- Social Media: Utilize platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to create buzz around the event. Use targeted ads, influencer partnerships, and engaging content.
- Email Campaigns: Send out segmented email campaigns with tailored content for different audience segments. Include educational content, event updates, and special offers.
7. Day-of Execution
- Seamless & Matched Experience: This is the day you and your attendees have been waiting for! All of your previous marketing efforts through influencers, strategic partnerships, social media campaigns, emails, and newsletters have been guiding a prospective and confirmed attendee what they will experience by attending your event. It’s key that the lived experience matches their expectation to the extent that you can control it.
- For the Puff X Polish event series, we took our day-of event execution to a new level with a hybrid event! Puff x Polish events are an opportunity for BIPOC women across all cultures and genuine humans to come together to celebrate their accomplishments in beauty, wellness, and cannabis while doing something good. Every ticket purchased bought a yoga mat for Guilford County Human Services located in North Carolina! The two-hour event featured conversations with industry experts followed by networking. The event was hosted at The Stone Age, which was an incredible and immersive, cannabis-inspired experience in New York City. When asked about this event, JVCo CEO and Founder Ann Brum said, “We wanted to do something informative and engaging as well as highlight different entrepreneurial women in the health, wellness and cannabis spaces. It was fun and educational, with money from those ticket sales going towards purchasing yoga towels for recipients in foster care programs.”
8. Feedback and Evaluation
- Surveys and Polls: Collect feedback from attendees through surveys and polls to gauge their satisfaction and identify areas for improvement.
- Data Analysis: Analyze event data to understand attendee behavior and preferences. Use these insights for future event planning and marketing strategies.
9. Post-Event Engagement
- Content Recap: Share event highlights, photos, videos, key takeaways, and/or recorded sessions on your website, on social media, and via emails.
- Continued Interaction: Maintain engagement with attendees through follow-up emails, newsletters, and invitations to future events.
- Bringing to life the both the strategic partnership and event recap – take a look at this instagram post from @bluntnessmedia. Here they offered a #FlashbackFriday post reliving the Media Mixtape Party Vol. 1 hosted in NYC. Mentioning the participating parties and partners, showcasing the event, and referencing a future event help connect the organizers with previous and future event attendees. They also encouraged outreach for those who wanted to get involved.
By integrating these strategies, you can create a seamless, impactful event experience that resonates with both cannabis enthusiasts and wellness advocates.
From Start to Finish – We’ve Got the Details Covered!
At JVCo, our extensive experience in behind-the-scenes production support, exemplified by our work on WonderGrove x Weedmaps, Puff X Polish, Sensi Night and The Harvest Cup After Party, highlights our commitment to delivering top-notch events. Planning a successful cannabis and wellness event involves meticulous attention to detail, a comprehensive understanding of regulatory requirements, and strategic coordination across various facets of the event. This is embedded in the mission of Joint Venture & Co. If you aren’t in the position to manage these event planning and marketing approaches internally, we’re ready to help you create a cohesive and impactful experience!
