AWARD-WINNING TRAVEL INNOVATOR
& VISITOR ECONOMY STRATEGIST
OFFERING CONSULTING, TRAINING,
& DESTINATION MARKETING
“Our team has worked with Brian since 2020…we launched the nation’s first destination cannabis program with Brian’s assistance. Our stakeholders were able to grasp the value of canna-tourism and had confidence in our approach because we had a well-spoken, fact-based pro involved…that was Brian.”
Todd Aaronson, Visit Modesto CEO
“I could not imagine developing a cannabis tourism program for our destination without Applegarth Consultative Services. As we lead this initiative in our community, Brian is there to answer our questions and address our concerns.”
Wendy Haase, Travel Santa Ana, CEO
“Brian is the preeminent voice on cannabis tourism. His reputation, deep knowledge of cannabis, and strategic approach to developing a strong business case, were all critical for our organization to move more meaningfully into cannabis tourism marketing.”
Todd O’Leary, Sonoma County Tourism, VP of Marketing
“I highly recommend Brian Applegarth as THE expert to go to for cannabis tourism matters. His knowledge, relationships, and insights are unparalleled, and he is a true professional who can always be counted on to do a great job.”
Barb Newton, California Travel Association
“MMGY Travel Intelligence has collaborated with Brian Applegarth for several years now to design the research gold standard for the cannabis travel audience in the United States. Brian’s expertise has been invaluable in guiding the prioritization of survey content, designing the questionnaire, and offering insights as part of our overall analysis.
His knowledge of rapidly-evolving policies and trends ensures that our annual research data are up-to-date and actionable for destinations who are attuned to the tremendous opportunities that exist in this growing segment of the travel industry.”
Chris Davidson EVP MMGY Travel Intelligence
“Brian’s unique expertise and strategic, data driven approach have been key to shaping the evolution of cannabis for Desert Hot springs. This is a crucial industry for our city and Brian’s unmatched insight and knowledge has provided us with an extremely well-thought plan moving forward.”
Sean Smith, City of Desert Hot Springs Economic Development Director
“Brian’s expertise in thought leadership and his profound understanding of the cannabis and hemp industries’ impact on the visitor economy have been invaluable. His guidance has empowered destination organizations worldwide to adeptly navigate the emergence of this new craft industry.”
Andreas Weissenborn, Destinations International, VP Research & Advocacy
“Brian’s is a passionate speaker. He delivers information with a clear point of view, backed by solid data. He makes the modern day cannabis travel trend easy to understand for our team and stakeholders”
Peter Gamez, Visit Oakland
“Brian is one of the most knowledgeable and articulate sources of insight on emerging trends in cannabis-related travel. Destinations interested in defining and navigating market development opportunities in this space will benefit significantly from his expertise.”
Peter Yesawich, Founder of MMGY Global
“Hello Burlington hired Brian and his team before recreational cannabis became legal in the state of Vermont. We knew it was coming, but we did not know what to expect. They helped our board understand the opportunities, the risks, the myths, and the realities in a way that allowed us to proactively develop a cannabis tourism strategy that worked for our destination.”
Jeff Lawson, Director of Hello Burlington
Resources
“His crossover hospitality and canna-tourism knowledge is an asset. His contacts are sharp and add value to our programs. His approach made it easy to work with him and really helped us gain community support in our work.”
Todd Aaronson, CEO, Visit Modesto
“Brian has his hand on the pulse of the cannabis industry.”
Jennifer Flohr
Sr. Vice President of California Hotel & Lodging Association
California Association of Boutique & Breakfast Inns
“We were fortunate to have Brian come speak at the recent Wine & Weed Symposium..We have asked him to join our advisory board!”
Samantha Stephey
Wine Industry Network
“Brian has shown his commitment to creating and maintaining a culturally accurate portrayal of cannabis in California. He is also a dynamic speaker.”
Amanda Reiman
Founder of Personal Plants
“For me, I wouldn’t launch a canna-‘anything’ program without having Brian at the table! ”
Todd Aaronson, CEO, Visit Modesto
“…recommend highly as a speaker!”
Barb Newton, President & CEO of CalTravel Association
“Brian Applegarth is a pleasure to work with! He has helped educate and facilitate new programs here at Farmhouse Inn with introducing Canna-tourism. He is highly knowledgeable and has a great community to build relationships and programs in the hospitality and cannabis fields.”
Farmhouse Inn and Restaurant