In an industry saturated with conferences and expos, the cultivation sector will have two grow-specific shows during the same week next month. For those wanting to focus on cultivating cannabis, the decision to attend one or the other or both shows might be tough.
Cannabis 2017 Cultivation Conference will be held March 20-22 at the Oakland Marriott City Center in Oakland, Calif. A few days later (March 25-26), the CannaGrow Expo will be held at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nev. The venues are only 216 miles apart—if you don’t mind paying tolls–or 254 miles without tolls.
Here’s a brief look at each one to help you decide where to spend your show attendance budget.
The first of the two grow shows is produced by Cannabis Business Times. This is the first cultivation show from the publication, which has been covering the industry since 2014. (The show is supported by Cannabis Industry Institute, Cannabis Cultivation Today’s parent company.)
“Cannabis 2017 is a unique opportunity for cannabis cultivators to learn, network and connect with the industry’s top vendors, experts and successful growers,” said CBT Group Publisher Jim Gilbride. “Our educational program was developed in close collaboration with our Cannabis 2017 advisory board, which is evident in the quality of the event’s panelists and speakers.” The speaker line-up includes professionals like Étienne Fontán, Ken Morrow, Brooke Gehring, Keith Stephenson, Scott Reach and many more.
Registration for the full conference costs $450 until March 5, and $550 after that. Discounted registration for groups of more than three people is available for $400 per person until March 5, and $500 after that. If you’re interested in attending the trade show only, registration is available for $275 until March 5, and $300 after that.
In addition, registered attendees can receive a group rate at the Oakland Marriott City Center of $215 per night (plus tax), but they must make reservations by Feb. 19. San Francisco International Airport and Oakland International Airport both have easy access to the show venue.
“Cannabis 2017 is all about increasing your business knowledge, your chances for cultivation success, and your bottom line,” said Gilbride.
The latest CannaGrow Expo is produced by CannaConnections Events, which is part of Canna.Partners LLC. The expo has previously been held in Denver twice, as well as once in San Diego and Portland, Ore. (Cannabis Cultivation Today is a media sponsor of the expo.)
“CannaGrow is uniquely focused on the growers looking to improve their craft. It’s about quality education and quality networking among like-minded individual,” said Joseph DePalma, Canna.Partners founder. “[They’ll] find the products, services and strategy to be a better cannabis cultivator. Now in its fifth edition, the show is improving from attendee suggestions every time, and we’ve got robust testimonials from past attendees to support that continuous improvement.”
Keeping in line with previous CannaGrow Expos, the Reno show will feature a speaker lineup focused heavily on high-level growers and processors, plus scientists with expertise in many cannabis-related disciplines. Presenters include master growers Jay Kitchen and Ellen Taylor Brown, master extractor Elton Prince, and C4 Laboratories’ Chief Scientific Officer Hope Jones, PhD.
“If you want to be in an ecosystem of passionate cultivators, you go to CannaGrow,” DePalma said.
Registration for both days starts at $349 until March 1, increases to $399 after that, and is available at the door for $499. Saturday-only registration costs $249, and Sunday-only costs $199.
Rooms at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino are available for $125 per night with no resort fees. There’s no deadline to register for this discounted rate, but attendees are encouraged to book early, since hotel space has sold out for past events. The Grand Sierra is a short drive from Reno-Tahoe International Airport.
Deciding how to spend your limited budget to help grow your business can be difficult. But with two conferences focused on cultivating cannabis, there should be something for everyone to gain.
© 2019 CAN Performance Group, LLC. All rights reserved.
