Growmed 2013 a Great Success!

Here at Soft Secrets we are very proud of having organised a fair as successful as Growmed 2013. The fair was a complete success, both in terms of the high level of attendance by visitors, as well as the large number of exhibitors and excellent organisation.

Here at Soft Secrets we are very proud of having organised a fair as successful as Growmed 2013. The fair was a complete success, both in terms of the high level of attendance by visitors, as well as the large number of exhibitors and excellent organisation.

Good fun, helpful information, great companies, a large number of visitors: Growmed 2013 was all that and more. From the moment the fair opened its doors to the public, it offered no shortage of activities, proving to be an excellent way to spend a day with friends in a special place. For starters, we must highlight the fantastic fairgrounds, as only a world-class venue such as Feria de Valencia could allow us to have exactly the fair we wanted to have, balancing Growmed’s playful and informative side with the professional one. All this in a place with abundant space, quality services and amazing views of the city of Valencia.

Leading up to Growmed there was a very strong effort to promote the fair. This certainly paid off, because from the very first day we had a great crowd, with both Saturday and Sunday being completely sold off. This massive public support has made Growmed an important addition to the panorama of trade fairs.

Media

The inaugural Growmed press conference was held on April 19 at 11 am. We started with a superb speaker, Miky Perez, of Soft Secrets Spain. Dr. Javier Pedraza, coordinator of Growmed’s medical area, presented the BESFES project, while Dr. Fernando Caudevilla talked about the Use Responsibly project. Hector Brotons, attorney for Soft Secrets and the Growmed fair, was also amongst the speakers.

We then welcomed the cyclists of the Medical Cannabis Bike Tour, who entered the Growmed fairgrounds to wide acclaim from visitors and the press. This team has raised 50,000 euros for medical cannabis research and the legal defence of patients using medical cannabis. Before the media, Dr. Guillermo Velasco was awarded a check that will go towards supporting cannabis and cancer research.

This press conference was the culmination of a great effort to promote medical cannabis and Growmed within Spanish society. Many patients came to thank us for the information on medical cannabis we provided. Being able to help these people is an accomplishment we are extremely proud of, and we are looking forward to follow it up with more successes during the next editions.

Entertainment

Above all, Growmed is an experience to be shared and enjoyed with friends. On the outdoor terrace, with great views of Valencia, we enjoyed the catering area and musical events sponsored by Resin Seeds. Apart from feasting on the delicious food, we also danced to the rhythms of the Rototom Festival, the largest Reggae festival in Europe, which is also held in August in Valencia, a city that has become a landmark in the world of cannabis. Rototom fully expresses the ‘cannabic’ spirit of the city and that they would show this much confidence in Growmed is a great honour.

Another event we should mention is the live show with the finalist bands of the Urban o Rama festival, during which 50 bands competed against each other to get to play at Growmed on Friday. After the semi-finals, held on April 6 at Ghandara beach, three groups qualified to play on Friday, April 19, on the outdoor stage; these were Grandma R, T.H.M. and La Caravana, new bands from Valencia who all put on a great show. They had so much fun playing together that they decided to stop competing against each other and share the prize between the three bands. We loved having these promising new faces in the Valencian music scene play at Growmed.

We also had an area for indoor activities: dance performances, fixed-gear bikes, long boards and urban sports, as well as a fantastic mural by artist Mike Castelló.

Information

Providing accurate information on the cultivation of cannabis and medical cannabis is a very important part of Growmed, which is why we had an area exclusively dedicated to informative lectures on the topic. An inaugural talk to mark the opening of the Medical Area was given by Fernando Caudevilla, who talked about the Use Responsibly campaign, which aims to promote the responsible use of cannabis. Following Caudevilla, Josep Pamiés gave an iconoclastic and revolutionary talk on the use of Stevia and other medicinal plants.

Jorge Cervantes, the renowned cannabis guru and Soft Secrets collaborator, shared his wisdom on cultivation for medicinal cannabis users and connoisseurs. The day concluded with a presentation of the BESFES project by Dr. Javier Pedraza. The project aims to give patients honest information about which medicinal plants to use for various symptoms. The BESFES project is just a modest first step towards raising public awareness on medical cannabis, in an area where there is still much research that needs to be done. This year, the symptom studied was pain. The following were declared to be excellent pain relievers: Black Valley by Ripper Seeds, Black Domina and Jack Herer by Spanish Seeds, Somango and Juanita by Philosopher Seeds, and Blue Rhino by Positronics. The following were declared to be good pain relievers: Houchie Kouchie Kush by Makka Seeds, Dance World by Royal Queen Seeds, Jack Flash by Sensi Seeds, Dieseltonic by Resin Seeds, TNT Kush by Eva Seeds, CBD Shark by CBD Crew, Widow by Seedmakers,  Mr Bubba by Green Devil Genetics,  Superskunk by White label and Deimos by Buddha Seeds.

Saturday was a busy day in the Medical Area. Dr. Guillermo Velasco started the day by presenting his interesting research on cannabinoids as anti-tumoral agents. He was followed by Dr. Ester Aso, who talked about the ways in which cannabinoids can help Alzheimer’s patients and sufferers of other neurodegenerative disorders. David Ripper gave a class on medical plant extraction and Dr. Gaspar Gonzales talked about the cultivation of cannabis. Hector Brotons and Joan Bertomeu brought us up to date on the latest developments in the legislation concerning cannabis users and growers. Saturday concluded with a historic round table, with Dr. Ester Aso, Dr. Javier Pedraza, Dr. Guillermo Velasco and Dr Jose Marrollo.

On Sunday, Dr. Mariano García de Palau described the endocannabinoid system. Jorge Cervantes informed us on cultivation practices in California. Dr. Jose Marrollo described the status of medical cannabis in various places around the world. Finally, the last talk was given by Paul Hornby, who joined us from the United States to describe the revolution that the return of medical cannabis could engender.

Companies and Sponsors

Growmed 2013 would not have been possible without the trust of all the exhibitors that attended the fair. We would like to particularly thank Plagron, our main sponsor, as well as the rest of our sponsors:  Atami, Greengo, Hesi, Hortitec, Canna, Dinafem, Agrobeta, Sweet Seeds, Future Care Worldwide, Advanced Nutrients, Grass O Matic, Ripper Seeds, Soilless, Kera California and Resin Seeds. They all had excellent stands, which were grouped together in a central aisle, a fantastic choice for Growmed in terms of appearance.

In fact, there were so many exhibitors that we’re not going to attempt to list them all, for fear of forgetting someone! It’s fair to conclude that visitors had at their disposal a large sample of companies related to the cultivation of cannabis, from the largest and most important seed companies, fertilizers or tools for indoor growing, to the smallest and most humble grow shops.

We are especially proud of the support we received from the Valencian industry, both from seed banks and major wholesalers, as well as the large group of Valencian grow shops that attended as exhibitors and visitors.

European Product Awards Area

In the middle of the fairgrounds, we held the European Products Awards (EPA)which are awarded to the best cannabis products in Europe. The public votes for the best cannabis product, first online and then through a live vote. The products were exhibited in the centre of the fair, where we set up a chill out area, where Victor Santana, the official DJ of the event, selected the music for the entire indoor area. Victor Santana is at an important juncture in his career, with the recent success of “Vector”, the LP he recorded with his band at the Red Bull studios.

On the last day of the fair, we announced the results of the EPA and ran a prize draw, giving voters a chance to win some of the products competing for the award. The award for the best Spanish product was given to a ladybug farm that used ladybugs for natural pest control. The award for the best Dutch product was given to the Filtip filter tips, made of high-quality plastic. The award for the best UK product was given to The Neutralizer, an essential oil vaporizer that eliminates odours. The award for the best German or Swiss product was given to an aeroponic system. The award for the best Italian product was given to Filter It, a range of ceramic filter tips. The award for the best French product was given to the soil substrate Sure to Grow. The award for the best Czech product was given to the vaporizer Discreetvape. Finally, the award for the best European product was given to The Neutralizer, a simple and effective product for odour removal that received the support of many voters.

Awards ceremony

In addition to the EPA awards ceremony, we also awarded honourable mentions to the marijuana products classified by the BESFES project as being “good” or “excellent” pain relievers.

Fair awards were also given; these were voted on by the exhibitors. The award for the best medicinal information went to Pure Seeds, for its excellent medicinal information post presided over by Dr. Marino García de Palau.

The award for most fun stand was shared between two companies: Advanced Nutrients, for the great show they put on throughout the show, and Yervagüena, which had a race car as part of their stand. The award for most responsible team went to Canna, for their great teamwork with the Canna foundation, which strives to gather as much information as possible on cannabis and its therapeutic applications.

The award for best promotional campaign went to Advanced Nutrients, who did a fantastic job at promoting their brand.

Next came the trophies given to the best stands of the fair. This was certainly a hard fight, as all our exhibitors set up very high-quality stands. In third place we had another tie: Canna with its impressive stand which included a large space devoted to the Canna foundation and, on the other hand, Soilless, a new Valencian distributor, with a two-level stand as well as an underwater light installation inside a fish tank, which they had no trouble switching on with absolute safety.

Second place for best stand went to Advanced Nutrients, with its impressive stand, the largest at the fair, with 120m2 first level and a second level with an exclusive VIP area, as well as all manner of attractions for the public, such as a roulette, dancers and merchandising gifts.

In first place, we had Yervagüena. The main attraction of their stand was, of course, the race car bearing a Soft Secrets sticker. The exhibitors clearly had fun taking the Yervagüena Formula1 race car for a spin.

Finally, the Soft Secrets magazine gave out two of its most important awards for the year. First, the Cannabis of the Year award for 2013 was given to Skunk #1 by Sensi Seeds. It was about time this veteran got this recognition. And secondly, Cannabis Man of the Year was awarded to Luc y Matej, as well as the rest of the Medical Cannabis Bike Tour team.

Finally, we can only say: a huge thanks to the exhibitors and visitors; thanks to the professionals who attended, to the bands and artists, the whole Growmed team and to all who helped promote the event. Of course, many thanks to the readers of Soft Secrets, who are always the most avid supporters of our events! Thanks, thanks, and more thanks! Together, we made it all happen. See you at Growmed 2014!

Best Growmed Stand 2013:	Yervagüena
2nd Best Growmed Stand 2013:	Advanced Nutrients
3rd Best Growmed Stand 2013:	Canna / Soiless
Best Promotional Campaign Growmed 2013:	Advanced Nutrients
Most Responsible Team Growmed 2013:	Canna
Most Fun Stand Growmed 2013:	Advanced Nutrients / Yervagüena
Best Medical Information:	Pure Seeds
Cannabis of the Year 2013:	Skunk #1 by Sensi Seeds
Cannabis Man of the Year:	Luc, Matej and the rest of the Medical Cannabis Bike Tour team