Elevate Cannabis Industry Expo: Launching a New B2B Conference
The Challenge
Elevate Cannabis Industry Expo was launching a new four-day Toronto conference designed by the industry, for the industry.
Marigold was engaged to build awareness and drive interest in the new event. What began as a social media mandate expanded into an integrated campaign spanning PR, media relations, influencer marketing, content and industry partnerships.
The Strategy
Marigold created a multi-channel campaign designed to quickly establish Elevate within Canada's cannabis industry.
The strategy combined earned media, press release distribution, media partnerships, social media, influencers and Marigold and Tether's industry networks to reach retailers, Budtenders, brands and industry professionals before and during the event.
Building Industry Awareness
Marigold developed and distributed Elevate's launch announcement, generating 136 full-text placements including Benzinga, Yahoo Finance, Toronto Sun, The Globe and Mail, National Post and MarketWatch.
The release delivered 7,293 views, 402 link clicks and a 5.82% CTR, supported by direct outreach to more than 30 media contacts.
Marigold also secured partnerships with ADCANN, Cannabis Prospect Magazine, StratCann and Cannabis MarketSpace, extending Elevate's visibility through editorial, newsletters, social media and digital promotion.
Activating the Cannabis Community
Marigold executed 40 Instagram posts and 44 LinkedIn posts, alongside ongoing community engagement and approximately 480+ partner and exhibitor story shares.
Social activity generated:
87,347 Instagram impressions
12,476 LinkedIn impressions
4,023 Instagram profile visits
13.7% LinkedIn engagement rate
Marigold also secured coverage from 27 cannabis influencers with a combined reach of 150,000+ and brought four cannabis podcasters onsite to create interviews and event content.
Extending the Campaign
Tether and Marigold's owned channels added another targeted layer of promotion. Elevate received eight newsletter mentions, including four dedicated features, along with Budtender outreach and after-party promotion.
The email campaign generated 16,928 sends, 6,831 opens and 964 clicks, with a 37.7% average open rate.
The Results
99,823 social impressions
150,000+ influencer reach
27 cannabis influencers activated
136 press release placements
7,293 press release views
402 press release link clicks
84 Instagram and LinkedIn posts
480+ partner and exhibitor story shares
16,928 marketing emails sent
37.7% average email open rate
4 cannabis podcasters secured onsite
The Takeaway
Launching a new industry event requires more than promotion—it requires industry buy-in.
Marigold helped Elevate quickly establish its presence by surrounding the cannabis industry with coordinated PR, social, influencer, media and community touchpoints.
The result was significant awareness for a first-time event and strong media reception for Elevate's “by the industry, for the industry” positioning.