Hemp & CBD Expo 2019

OVERVIEW
Client: Hemp and CBD Media Limited
Event: Hemp & CBD Expo 2019
Date: 2-3 March 2019
Attendance: 6,000 visitors, 100 exhibitors

ABOUT THE CLIENT
Hemp & CBD Media Limited organise the Hemp & CBD Expo, which is the UK’s largest cannabis products trade show, primarily focused on connecting leading British and International brands with retail, wholesale and distribution networks.

EVENT OBJECTIVE
In its mission to educate and unify on what is often a misunderstood industry, the Hemp & CBD Expo aims to spread knowledge and information, bringing people together under one roof. From raw material providers, manufacturers, wholesalers and shop owners, right through to the everyday consumer; there is something for everybody at the expo. As the first Hemp & CBD Expo in the UK, the main objective of this event was to work towards the desensitisation of Hemp and CBD in everyday life.

WHY THE NEC?
Organisers decided to bring the Expo to the NEC due to the venue’s outstanding reputation, size and easy access. Tommy Prendergast of the Hemp & CBD Expo said: “The hemp industry is a large and professional industry, and we felt this should be reflected appropriately; we decided to demonstrate this by selecting the most prestigious venue for an industry in need of stabilisation and a positive change in public perception.”

The NEC’s reputation of being the UK’s largest exhibition venue really benefited the awareness of the event as it was the first of its kind in the UK. This gave both visitors and exhibitors a sense of confidence when choosing to participate at the event.

FORMAT
Hemp & CBD Expo 19 took place over a two-day period within Hall 18. There were 100 exhibitors, along with a range of on fantastic guest speakers and seminars. Tickets were sold to the general public and 6,000 ticket purchasers attended.

CHALLENGES
Being a new show, featuring a very modern and rising subject, there was an initial challenge to build up awareness of the show to both exhibitors and visitors. This said, 6,000 visitors for a first ever showcase is impressive, and provided a great deal of confidence that year-on-year the show will continue to grow, along with the knowledge of the products and reasoning behind the expo. This has aided in tackling some of the nervousness and aversiveness that the general market poses against what could be considered as a ‘taboo’ industry.

SUCCESS
The seminar stage was a huge success and received a real explosion of interest, with crowds filling the hall and spilling outside of the stage area due to the intrigue and thirst for knowledge of the industry. There were a huge variety of speakers including medical professionals, discussing all topics under the Hemp & CBD umbrella. This sent out an informative and medical message to the audience which received a good level of interest, so much so that the expo resulted in talks of a second expo, with an added seminar stage to meet the hungry demand of the audience.

With increasing demand and the industry on the rise in the UK, Hemp & CBD Expo hope to continually grow in line with the hemp market in the UK, whilst raising awareness of their industry.