Robert Celt
New Member
Recreational use of marijuana is already legal in several U.S. states, including Washington, Colorado, Oregon and Alaska. And according to industry watchers, event meccas including California, Nevada and New York could be next.
And so ready or not, event planners in some areas are seeing clients demand weed at their events.
WIN SOME WEED Shelly Tolo, head of Gala Award-winning Tolo Events, with operations in Seattle and Pittsburgh, was a bit surprised when one of her nonprofit clients included a "cannabis frenzy" as a live auction item last year. The audience was largely corporate, "So it as interesting to watch," Tolo tells Special Events.
"Basically they had five $100 gift certificates that would be sold to the first five bidders who raised their paddles to pay $100 each," she recounts. "There were actually more than five bidders, so the auctioneer eventually sold each certificate for $125 each." The donor was a cannabis company with seven locations in Seattle, offering flowers, concentrates, cartridges, edibles and more.
She adds, "When the bidding started, I saw many people looking around the room but as soon as the first paddle went up, all of the other bidders quickly jumped in."
Tolo says that initially, she was concerned that the marijuana auction item brought risks and might offend some guests. And, "Professionally I didn't think the package was valuable enough of an item to even be considered to be in the live auction and should have been a silent auction item."
In the end, however, she supported her client's decision. "The client thought it would be fun, and had no concern about 'what people would think,' so we went for it," she explains. "It did provide a lot of laughs, and I'm sure many people shared the story of what happened at the event."
SOIREES FOR SNOOP The team at Seattle-based Blue Danube Productions doesn't just find marijuana at its events it arranges events to promote it. "Most of the events we have done are promotional parties for cannabis stores," notes company founder Niki McKay, noting that rapper Snoop Dogg has his own line of pot "and likes to come up here and do events."
Handling these promotional events brings its own unique challenges, McKay says. For one, "Payment from a cannabis store is still considered 'drug money' on a federal level," she says. "As a result--at least the ones we have dealt with--most stores have a parent company that the money runs through. So technically, we are not being paid by a cannabis store, but the parent."
Another big conundrum: Smoking pot is legal in private spaces and outside of the view of the public, but some of the store openings are advertised to the public, making it tough for the planner to set the proper boundaries.
NEWBIES WANT TO TRY IT McKay says she finds that "people are interested in trying it if they haven't before," she says. "It's being an 'experience' to try an edible," such as the infamous marijuana-laced brownie.
True planner that she is, McKay sees pitfalls in the use of marijuana at events.
Attendees need to know the local laws and their own consumption limits, she cautions. Guests don't bring their own alcohol to events, but marijuana laws mean they might well bring their own stash to an event.
As a result, "Event staff needs to be trained to handle individuals that are high just like they would if they are drunk--know the signs of 'too much' and 'are they in trouble,'" McKay says.
WHAT'S IN THAT STUFF? And a joint doesn't equal a cocktail. "Most guests don't bring their own booze, and if they did, it's more than likely actually just booze, and not booze mixed with something else. Marijuana, on the other hand, can be laced with some nasty stuff--if not purchased legally--so knowing overdose emergency procedures is also a good idea," she explains.
Another headache: Venue rules about smoking vs. vaping. "Where do you draw the line?" McKay asks. "I don't see this becoming a huge corporate event trend any time soon; it's mostly an issue at festivals, concerts, and private parties."
Indeed, the vast majority of event planners in "legal use" states tell Special Events that marijuana most often shows up and discreetly at social events, not corporate.
Says Nicole Marsh, CMP, DPMC, partner in Denver's AXS Group, "All of the meeting planners we work with have avoided any inclusion of it in events and say that attendees are on their own if they would like to partake while in Colorado." She adds, "We have had attendees request bus drivers to take them to outlets, and our bus company's policy does not allow for it again, for liability reasons."
To fill the demand at social events, entrepreneurs such as Bec Koop of Colorado's Cannabis Concierge Events serve as a middleman, putting bridal couples and marijuana vendors together. The company's services include sourcing hemp invitations and clothing, setting up dispensary tours, arranging for "smoke ride" limos, and turning client-purchased weed into party favors.
ISES DENVER TO OFFER STREAMING OF MARIJUANA MEETING
The Denver Chapter of the International Special Events Society is not only looking at the issue of cannabis at events at its April meeting it will offer live streaming of the meeting for those who cannot attend in person. The panel will include cannabis entrepreneurs Bec Koop of Cannabis Concierge Events and Buds and Blossoms, and Goldie Solodar from City Sessions, which offers private cannabis tours to locations including dispensaries, cannabis cooking classes, and grow-house tours.
Date: Tuesday, April 19
Time: 5:45pm-7pm MST (The link will be available afterwards for those who can't join the live stream)
Cost: $20, discounted $15 for ISES members. People can register at any time now and will be sent an email reminder when the link becomes live.
Link with details and registration: ISES Denver
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Weed At The Wedding? Marijuana Comes To Special Events
Author: Lisa Hurley
Contact: Special Events
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: Special Events
And so ready or not, event planners in some areas are seeing clients demand weed at their events.
WIN SOME WEED Shelly Tolo, head of Gala Award-winning Tolo Events, with operations in Seattle and Pittsburgh, was a bit surprised when one of her nonprofit clients included a "cannabis frenzy" as a live auction item last year. The audience was largely corporate, "So it as interesting to watch," Tolo tells Special Events.
"Basically they had five $100 gift certificates that would be sold to the first five bidders who raised their paddles to pay $100 each," she recounts. "There were actually more than five bidders, so the auctioneer eventually sold each certificate for $125 each." The donor was a cannabis company with seven locations in Seattle, offering flowers, concentrates, cartridges, edibles and more.
She adds, "When the bidding started, I saw many people looking around the room but as soon as the first paddle went up, all of the other bidders quickly jumped in."
Tolo says that initially, she was concerned that the marijuana auction item brought risks and might offend some guests. And, "Professionally I didn't think the package was valuable enough of an item to even be considered to be in the live auction and should have been a silent auction item."
In the end, however, she supported her client's decision. "The client thought it would be fun, and had no concern about 'what people would think,' so we went for it," she explains. "It did provide a lot of laughs, and I'm sure many people shared the story of what happened at the event."
SOIREES FOR SNOOP The team at Seattle-based Blue Danube Productions doesn't just find marijuana at its events it arranges events to promote it. "Most of the events we have done are promotional parties for cannabis stores," notes company founder Niki McKay, noting that rapper Snoop Dogg has his own line of pot "and likes to come up here and do events."
Handling these promotional events brings its own unique challenges, McKay says. For one, "Payment from a cannabis store is still considered 'drug money' on a federal level," she says. "As a result--at least the ones we have dealt with--most stores have a parent company that the money runs through. So technically, we are not being paid by a cannabis store, but the parent."
Another big conundrum: Smoking pot is legal in private spaces and outside of the view of the public, but some of the store openings are advertised to the public, making it tough for the planner to set the proper boundaries.
NEWBIES WANT TO TRY IT McKay says she finds that "people are interested in trying it if they haven't before," she says. "It's being an 'experience' to try an edible," such as the infamous marijuana-laced brownie.
True planner that she is, McKay sees pitfalls in the use of marijuana at events.
Attendees need to know the local laws and their own consumption limits, she cautions. Guests don't bring their own alcohol to events, but marijuana laws mean they might well bring their own stash to an event.
As a result, "Event staff needs to be trained to handle individuals that are high just like they would if they are drunk--know the signs of 'too much' and 'are they in trouble,'" McKay says.
WHAT'S IN THAT STUFF? And a joint doesn't equal a cocktail. "Most guests don't bring their own booze, and if they did, it's more than likely actually just booze, and not booze mixed with something else. Marijuana, on the other hand, can be laced with some nasty stuff--if not purchased legally--so knowing overdose emergency procedures is also a good idea," she explains.
Another headache: Venue rules about smoking vs. vaping. "Where do you draw the line?" McKay asks. "I don't see this becoming a huge corporate event trend any time soon; it's mostly an issue at festivals, concerts, and private parties."
Indeed, the vast majority of event planners in "legal use" states tell Special Events that marijuana most often shows up and discreetly at social events, not corporate.
Says Nicole Marsh, CMP, DPMC, partner in Denver's AXS Group, "All of the meeting planners we work with have avoided any inclusion of it in events and say that attendees are on their own if they would like to partake while in Colorado." She adds, "We have had attendees request bus drivers to take them to outlets, and our bus company's policy does not allow for it again, for liability reasons."
To fill the demand at social events, entrepreneurs such as Bec Koop of Colorado's Cannabis Concierge Events serve as a middleman, putting bridal couples and marijuana vendors together. The company's services include sourcing hemp invitations and clothing, setting up dispensary tours, arranging for "smoke ride" limos, and turning client-purchased weed into party favors.
ISES DENVER TO OFFER STREAMING OF MARIJUANA MEETING
The Denver Chapter of the International Special Events Society is not only looking at the issue of cannabis at events at its April meeting it will offer live streaming of the meeting for those who cannot attend in person. The panel will include cannabis entrepreneurs Bec Koop of Cannabis Concierge Events and Buds and Blossoms, and Goldie Solodar from City Sessions, which offers private cannabis tours to locations including dispensaries, cannabis cooking classes, and grow-house tours.
Date: Tuesday, April 19
Time: 5:45pm-7pm MST (The link will be available afterwards for those who can't join the live stream)
Cost: $20, discounted $15 for ISES members. People can register at any time now and will be sent an email reminder when the link becomes live.
Link with details and registration: ISES Denver
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Weed At The Wedding? Marijuana Comes To Special Events
Author: Lisa Hurley
Contact: Special Events
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: Special Events
