Every spring the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society hosts the annual Philadelphia Flower Show – the oldest and largest event of its kind in the nation and the second largest in the world. In 2020, Chronic accepted the challenge to create the show’s first ever medical cannabis exhibit in its 200+ year history. The goal: to introduce its quarter-of-a-million visitors to a new conversation about medical cannabis, one that moves beyond the outdated “reefer madness” angle and focuses on the cannabis plant’s immense potential when it comes to health and wellness.

We began by defining our vision. We wanted to create an immersive, bright, welcoming space rich in engaging activities with real experts on hand to answer the wide variety of questions that the cannabis-curious crowd would have, all supported by a full digital experience. Working to combine information about the origins and growing process for hemp and cannabis plants with factual information about their various chemical and medicinal properties along with practical guidance about the medical cannabis programs in various states throughout the country, we developed a newly branded experiential program for the Flower Show.

The end result was The Greenroom: The journey of cannabis from taboo to mainstream. 

Experiential Strategy | Booth Content, Design & Installation | Event Coordination

The space itself was designed to be simple and clear, visually textured and open, with a view to highlight the science and real medical benefits of the cannabis plant. Everything came down to facilitating a meaningful dialogue and engagement with show attendees that felt personal, credible, and mature.

Because Pennsylvania law prohibits the growing or owning of cannabis products unless you have a medical marijuana ID, we were bound to presenting cannabis exclusively within a medical context. Naturally, that meant featuring actual cannabis plants in the exhibit wasn’t an option. It did, however, guide us towards creating an experience that helped people identify how medical cannabis may help them. So, we built an app that took visitors through a personalized assessment with recommended medical strains, locating approved doctors and dispensaries in their area, and offering them the option to sign up for more information.

Expanding accessibility to the exhibit, we created “snackable” online content including an animated series about terpenes, and a graphic exploration of the facts vs fiction of medical cannabis, and launched a fully integrated website enabling people everywhere to engage with The Greenroom, including panel discussions and live speakers.

Cannabis absolutely has a place at the nation’s most famous flower show.

High Times