The Emerald Cup Is Expanding to Europe

The world’s premier outdoor cannabis event is going international. This August, the Emerald Cup will partner with a cannabis education festival in Britain for a cannabis cultivation event on the other side of the Atlantic.

When you think of collaborations in the Emerald Triangle, you tend to think of growers sharing their genetics in hopes of making something awesome — and not Warwickshire, United Kingdom. Nevertheless, times are a changing and the constantly expanding Emerald Cup will now bring the U.K.’s premier hemp and cannabis education event Product Earth Expo-Fest into the fold.

Product Earth Expo-Fest and The Emerald Cup announced their new partnership this week, saying that one of the goals for connecting the two festivals is to introduce some of the finest brands from the Emerald Triangle to the U.K.

The first big event for the new partnership will go down August 23-25 at the National Agricultural & Exhibition Centre with the 2019 edition of Product Earth Expo-Fest taking place over Britain’s August Bank Holiday Weekend.

“It’s interesting because it was one of those situations where we were looking to expand into Europe, then this kind of came right in front of us,” Emerald Cup co-producer Taylor Blake told Cannabis Now. Blake said a member of the team had met Product Earth Expo-Fest founder James Walton and he seemed up their alley. After a conference call with the whole squad, it was pretty evident Walton was their European counterpart.

Walton said in a statement that the partnership with the Emerald Cup was born out of a shared goal to “showcase the future of farming both in Britain and around the world.”

Walton said in a statement that the partnership with the Emerald Cup was born out of a shared goal to “showcase the future of farming both in Britain and around the world.”

Walton has worked in the U.K. cannabis and hemp sectors for over 20 years.

“I felt compelled to organize an exhibition to support this emerging market with a unique concept that combines my deep love of music with knowledge and passion for this amazing plant,” said Walton. “Turns out, Tim [Blake, Taylor’s father and co-founder] and the Emerald Cup are doing the same in the U.S., so why not join forces?”

Blake says one the things that surprised her was just how much name recognition California brands already had in Europe. “I was really surprised that California and the brands from there are kind of global,” she told Cannabis Now. “They set a global precedent and trend. I obviously kind of felt that in my soul, but I didn’t really know it until I got over there.”

A lot of the brands Blake referenced as being big in Europe built their names on The Emerald Cup awards show stage. She said she was excited to give cannabis cultivators new opportunities to get their brand out there.

“I think that’s the best part of the experience I’ve had along the way with The Emerald Cup — just seeing the community that kind of has surrounded itself, whether it’s past cup winners, past vendors, past employee,” said Blake. “ I think it’s really cool to see where we’ve grown together. That’s kind of what we were talking about with Product Earth, we’re really excited to bring a touch of the Emerald Cup.”

Product Earth Expo-Fest takes place annually and doubles as a trade show that’s also an educational experience for the general public. It’s held in partnership with the British Hemp Association.

Some the highlights of the August festival are slated to include genetics panels and Q&As with California’s finest, production and harvest workshops, and a ton of other stuff getting deep into all the particulars about hemp, CBD and full-spectrum cannabis.

In December of this year, the Emerald Cup will still be held in Santa Rosa, California.

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