CannaGrow Expo Heads to Palm Springs
We’ve covered the CannaGrow Expo previously, but this time around we catch up with Joseph De Palma, founder of CannaGrow, to talk about the genesis of his conference and what makes the event so special. This year’s CannaGrow Expo heads to Palm Springs, California, a new location for the event, on May 19thand 20th.
We’ve watched De Palma’s conference grow over the years, moving around the country and becoming the tight-knit community we know it as today. The meat and potatoes of the show are definitely the educational sessions, panel discussions, roundtables and the expo hall. But covering it year after year we’ve noticed a real sense of community develop, one where genuine idea sharing, collaboration and inclusivity are preached. There are no dumb questions at the CannaGrow Expo.
According to Joseph De Palma, CannaGrow started in 2014, when the original event was held in Denver. “From the beginning, we wanted to create an event specifically for growers, where the focus was always on education and ‘becoming a better grower’,” says De Palma. “We had experienced the existing events in the marketplace, and almost all fit into two categories at the time, festival, or generic tradeshow. Those were fine for their purpose, but they didn’t foster an environment of education, and that’s what we believed was most important to the emerging cannabis industry.” Back in 2014, their show only had 10 sessions and 30 exhibitors. “Passionate growers from around the country had 2 days of grow-focused sharing and learning, and you could see the energy and excitement,” De Palma says. “Discussions would dive deep, people made new friends, and it really elevated the conversation around cultivation.”
Since the show’s debut, it’s grown substantially. The 7th CannaGrow Expo is fast approaching, and this upcoming conference has four separate tracks and roughly 100 exhibitors. But it still keeps its sense of community, one where you don’t feel crowded, where everyone has time to chat and network, without the overwhelming feeling that can come with larger trade shows. “That inclusivity and open dialog is built in,” says De Palma. “If you go to an event that’s tradeshow dominant, most people are there to walk, shop, and leave. At CannaGrow, growers and extractors come together with a plan for the weekend, remaining in a constant state of engagement with others at the show.”
This year’s show has some exciting additions to look out for. The agenda covers a wide range of topics, including everything from an introduction to growing with living soil to a discussion of cyber security. The Extraction Summit, new to this year’s event and held on Day 2, is their response to the massive rise in popularity and demand of extracts.
Eric Schlissel, cybersecurity specialist, president and chief executive officer of GeekTek, is giving a talk focused on IT infrastructure. “My presentation will center around the actions cannabis businesses need to take right now to repel cybercrime and potential federal seizure,” says Schlissel. “As cannabis operators build their businesses and develop their security strategies, they often focus exclusively on the physical portion of their business – the merchandise and the cash in particular – and overlook the importance of designing and fortifying a secure IT infrastructure. I will discuss the importance of a holistic security strategy that embraces both and how you can both create one and prepare it for expansion into other states or even globally from the very start.” Schlissel’s discussion is one example of just how all-encompassing CannaGrow intends to be.
De Palma and his team leave few stones unturned as the show truly delivers vital information for cannabis cultivators in every area. Some things we are looking forward to? Seeing old friends and learning everything under the sun about cannabis science, growing and extraction. “People get to know each other, and with everyone sharing a core passion for cultivation and extraction, lifelong friendships are made,” says De Palma.
To check out the agenda, speakers and exhibitors, click here.