A brand new year and a new face for the popular Cannabis event Hall of Flowers.
Like the mysterious Wonka Factory, this year the gates of the Santa Rosa Fairgrounds were flung open to let the public come inside and taste the experience for themselves. Normally, it’s a closed event for brands and shops to meet and discuss what products they’re able to offer in the coming weeks. It’s a place where business deals and product unveilings happen side-by-side in the crowded halls.
For 2024, the organization decided to flip the script on day two and allow ticket sales so that anyone could come and meet with the brands face-to-face and brands could sell directly to consumers who came from all over the country.
One major difference this year was the change in layout, particularly in the outside activation spaces. Often reserved for the biggest and most recognizable brands, these spots were instead filled with many equitable and small-batch brands that truly deserve to be put front and center. Ramon Garcia of Sanctuary Farms and the Equity Trade Network told us that it’s been a long fight to get to this point, but he’s already seen people’s positive responses to their presence and the excitement about the products offered.
Connected and Alien Labs made their triumphant return to HoF, and crowds were rabid to try and secure one of their coveted buyer’s boxes.
“This is a critically important event for the industry,” said Caleb Counts, CEO of Connected. “We’re here to support the re-emergence of what I’ve seen so far, which is the best Hall of Flowers yet.” Connected had many of the jars out from their Project Sativa Revival program, including Silver Spoon and Jack of Diamonds.
Ted Lidie, founder of Alien Labs, told us how it felt to come back this time as not just a brand but also as a presenter. He described how each of the one-on-one sessions he was hosting would outline a different aspect of the industry, giving people insight into everything from taking a brand legal to what it means to expand into other states. When asked if more events were already requesting their own TED Talk-style presentations, he said there’s been a lot of interest coming in nationwide.
Comedian and actor Tiffany Haddish was also on hand to help promote Cookie’s newest partnership with the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. “There’s a product named after each character,” she told Leaf Magazines while pulling out a jar of mini joints. “But I think the Kittywalkers are my favorite.”
Named for her feline animated character, it’s a pack of Legendary OG that even features a filter with the signature cat striping (move over, dog walkers). Haddish also spoke about her own brand Kloudz, which she launched in the spring of this year and was part of a healing journey she’s been on with Cannabis.
Many longtime attendees were nervous going into day two. Would things feel packed in the halls, and would the feelings of industry camaraderie be lessened by the crowd of customers? Would the carnival rides, live painting and dirt bike daredevils take away from the purpose of the plant? I think most will agree that what day two became is its own kind of party, one where HOF was able to include budtenders as well as community staples that, for various reasons, were never able to gain access to before. We kept running into friendly faces on day two, surprised to discover this was their first Hall of Flowers.
Day two also brought a whole culinary experience from Sonoma Hills Farms, an entire hall of games for people to play, and Jimi Devine’s Transbay Challenge competition. Over 20 flower entries and some incredible rosins were served up to a table full of industry heavy hitters including Terphogz’s Tony Mendo and guest judges from the Canary Islands. When the dust settled, MOCA Humboldt took home the gold for flower, and Feeling Frosty scored first in rosin.
There are still some adjustments and fine-tuning to be made in this new setup, but I think Hall of Flowers is off to a great start in pivoting toward becoming an event that serves both the past and the future. Though with Governor Newsom seemingly against direct access to consumers, next year does seem a little up in the air.
This article was originally published in the October 2024 issue of California Leaf.
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