Consumption Park in Phoenix Was Just the Start of a New Type of Leisure Experience

A picture of the Consumption Park dinosaur logo.

Consumption Park, held Feb 10-11, 2023, during the Big Game week in Phoenix, Arizona, was the first pop-up cannabis festival to provide an experiential marketing experience, combining cannabis, entertainment and the metaverse.

Photo of Arturo and Rebecca Viramontes at The Mint Mall

Arturo and Rebecca Viramontes proudly represented the cannabis industry with their Mint Mall collaboration of Arizona dispensaries at Consumption Park in Phoenix, Arizona, on February 10-11, 2023.

Photo of the Eureka exhibit at Consumption Park on Feb. 10, 2023

Eureka was a vendor featured at Consumption Park in 2023. Others included The Mint, Redman, UEP, Red Coral, City of Phoenix, Canna House, Zig Zags, Clippers, Caviar Gold, Soulshine, Inspired Cannabis, Artizen, Black Nailz, ET Apothecary, and the NFLPA.

While 113 million watched the Big Game, new concepts, like Consumption Park, provided unique, entertaining live experiences for both sports and non-sports fans.

I would like to thank our entire team, along with all the brands, vendors, and The Mint Dispensary, for trusting and believing in the Consumption Park concept in Phoenix...Now onto Vegas!”
— Lawrence McIntosh
PHOENIX, ARIZONA, UNITED STATES , February 20, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- On Monday, February 13, 2023, somewhere in the expansive Phoenix metropolitan area, one could imagine a ball of sagebrush rolling down an empty street, like in the old western movies. But more likely one would see a huge street sweeper trying to clean up after one of the many parties and events that preceded Super Bowl LVII. The fifth largest city in the US grew even larger from February 4-12, as, for example, sixty-eight thousand fans crammed into State Farm Stadium, which was designed with these special events in mind. Meanwhile, a record 250,000 broke all the rules of how to quietly watch golf tournaments while boisterously enjoying the Waste Management Phoenix Open in Scottsdale. But there were some events, that while they received less press attention, will be responsible for attracting new audiences to these types of sporting events in the future. For example, Consumption Park was the first pop-up cannabis experiential marketing event, which was held at the Phoenix Event Complex in western Phoenix on February 10-11, 2023. It is essentially a renaissance fair for weed. Consumption Park brought together music (in this case hip hop as 2023 is the 50th anniversary of that genre); an opportunity for visitors to try out all types and uses of cannabis; the technology, gaming and metaverse industries; and a variety of food offered to “quench the munchies.”

Redman, a popular American rapper, DJ, record producer, and actor, was a great representative for hip hop throughout the event. He hosted Doc’s Day at the site on February 11. He was also one of the judges, who with Barz and Red Coral Universe, selected the winning producer and MC of the 4:20 Beats and BARZ Competition, who will progress to the national championship competition. His non-profit UEP was one of the partner charities for the Consumption Park event.

Consumption Park is the creation of Lawrence “Red” McIntosh, the CEO of Grade AZ LLC. “It is brands, like Red Coral Universe, that will help advance the cannabis culture from the branding and advertising standpoint. Consumption Park gives the brands and consumers a voice to write and control our own narrative.”

Exhibitors throughout the Park provided free samples and special offers. The Mint Cannabis was one of the major sponsors for Consumption Park. Arturo and Rebecca Viramontes cheerfully greeted visitors to the Mint Mall on February 10 and 11th. This was an exciting new concept, where many Arizona distributors collaborated to introduce and usher curious new users, as well as frequent customers, through a large tent full of diverse products. For instance, Viramontes was handing out “Free Weed” coupons for people who go to their new location at 1211 N 75th Ave in Phoenix. Eureka, another sponsor, which has been “Loyal to the Oil” since 2011, was distributing flavored disposable vape samples.

There were local food trucks and exhibitors, who had a unique opportunity to promote their products. A surprisingly popular exhibit was PE Candy Company. People were lining up to taste, then buy, Alishia Richardson’s salted caramel, red velvet, and other-flavored pecans, which are usually only available online. There was also a line-up for Sauced & Loaded Wings, which is normally accessible via Grubhub.

It took more than a village to implement this first-of-its-kind pop-up event in Phoenix. Some of the partners and sponsors, who, in addition to Redman/UEP, The Mint, and Eureka, recognized the potential for this type of experience to energize future events, included the City of Phoenix, Canna House, Zig Zags, Clippers, Caviar Gold, Soulshine, Inspired Cannabis, Artizen, Black Nailz, ET Apothecary, and the NFLPA.

“I would like to thank our entire team,” said McIntosh, “Along with all the brands, vendors, and the Mint Dispensary for trusting and believing in the Consumption Park concept.”

It is estimated that the Big Game and the Waste Management Phoenix Open Golf tournament will have generated $719 million in revenue for Arizona. Unfortunately, usually little of the profits trickle down to small, local businesses. But Phoenix entrepreneurs are coming up with new concepts that can and will grow in the future and in other locations. There have been inquiries about Consumption Park from other cities in states that have passed recreational cannabis legislation.

McIntosh sums up his assessment of what occurred on February 10th & 11th, 2023. “Consumption Park was a success. Brands and customers got a chance to connect, create and cultivate memorable moments. Now it’s onto Vegas. This is where the full concept of merging cannabis, entertainment, and the metaverse will play out.”

Lawrence "Red" McIntosh
Grade AZ LLC
+1 480-577-9934
red@consumptionpark.com
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Consumption Park in Phoenix, Arizona, Feb 10-11, 2023.