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Joint Venture Co. Founder and CEO Ann Brum talks about brand activation and interactive experiences at the TeeHC Open.

Cannabis trade shows are dead. 

The days of traditional cannabis networking are over – and we’re here to change the game. The TeeHC Open is an exclusive, day-long golf tournament and networking event for the cannabis industry.

The core mission of this event is for attendees to create meaningful experiences and connections with one another, which is really just a fancy way of us saying we’re disrupting traditional cannabis networking with intention.

With highly sophisticated cannabis brands in the industry and tastemakers who are looking for the next big thing, the TeeHC Open is using interactive activities to spark brand activation in a reimagined way. 

To do this, the hosts, Cannabis Creative Group, are partnering with Joint Venture Co. (JVC), a strategic growth agency serving the cannabis, hemp, and wellness space, for their expertise in “creating sustainable, memorable experiences.” 

The two agencies have worked together in the past with huge success on the Cannabis Advancement Series (CAS), a project centered around a veteran’s cannabis study. The goal was mission activation: to create a public-facing arm to incentivize participation in the study and craft a series of six educational events to share findings.

Cannabis Creative and JVC were ultimately able to fundraise, build out the project with participants in the study, and design a beautiful brand and website for the CAS. So, when the hosts of the TeeHC Open approached JVC about partnering up for a first-of-its-kind cannabis networking event, the answer was obvious.

We spoke with Joint Venture Co. Founder and CEO Ann Brum about the importance of brand activation and how the TeeHC Open is a powerful opportunity for anyone in the cannabis industry.

The Importance of Brand Activation in the Cannabis Industry

Brand activation is any campaign, event, or interaction that your brand designs to build a direct relationship with your target audience.

As the cannabis industry continues to advance with creative marketing tactics and brand strategies that closely resemble brands in the high-end wellness sector, the idea of connecting deeply with prospects, customers, and employees is becoming increasingly brought to the forefront of cannabis brand and marketing strategy.

We’ve got great brands, great marketing agencies, and a strong community of people willing to help each other out. So, what’s the issue?

According to Joint Venture Co.’s Ann Brum, “We’re currently lacking any genuine connection.” 

Trade shows are sales-focused events that are very successful – and expensive. There are rarely any moments of true sincerity at these events. You have to speak with others across heavily-branded tables and every conversation feels like a sales pitch, one way or another.

For many people, those unplanned, in-between moments are the best ones, the ones that lead to amazing relationships and a genuine, emotional connection. And that’s where brand activation comes in.

As Ann puts it, “These activations and experiences are a hop, skip, and jump for you to get real-time, relevant feedback and data from your target audience.” You get to cut out all the noise (and the costs) of customer acquisition and market research by going straight to the source.

Ann grew up as the daughter of immigrants from the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal. As with many immigrant families, Ann and her family struggled to replicate the same sense of community from back home without a formal place to gather and honor their culture.

Rarely does that ever stop them. 

Ann’s family became the pioneers of their local Portuguese American Club, lending her a rich background of experience – and more importantly, a passion – for community activation. 

For that reason, organizing events like the TeeHC Open is a piece of cake. Ann says, “People come to us with things that have never been done before all the time, and it doesn’t scare me. If we can create an environment that feels safe, comfortable, and fun, and you’re amongst friends, but you’re also talking about how to bring relief and value to a consumer and patient – we’re in.”

Creating Memorable Experiences at the TeeHC Open

Moving away from the traditional elements of trade shows requires creating intentional, memorable moments. Chances are when you network around interactive experiences, you’re going to have a much better time, and actually form a genuine connection with the people you meet.

Think about it: who are you more likely to remember – the person you were sweating next to during hot yoga or the 12th person you shook hands with while wondering when you could go back to your hotel room?

In partnership with Cannabis Creative, “JVC gets to drive the bus to curate the experience and the space so the organic action can happen without being forced.”

TeeHC Open will take place outside with fun activities and flexible consumption policies. The hosts and Joint Venture Co. will act as a cupid of cannabis networking: making warm leads and introductions amongst the attendees. 

This invite-only event is a powerful opportunity to create long-lasting relationships in the industry and collaborate with other brands for upcoming campaigns or projects,

From integrating sponsor brands into the golf tournament to creating vendor brand activations through merchandise, experiences, and more, the TeeHC Open is completely changing the game.

Activate Your Brand at the TeeHC Open

Our sponsorship packages allow the opportunity to create awareness for each sponsor and give you a stage to elevate your brand. 

If you’re ready to build genuine connections, activate your brand, and be a part of our exclusive event, learn more about our sponsorship opportunities.