EVENTS
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
21 - 23 JANUARY
By Paul Caplin
F
ollowing the success of the VapeCon Expo, we flew
from the warm California winter sun and landed on a
snow covered runway in St. Louis.
The temperature was -7° and the cold hit us the
moment we disembarked the plane. We arrived at the show,
and unlike the VapeCon Expo, the check-in process was quick,
efficient and hassle free. In fact, it was one of the easiest checkins for any show that we have been to so far. The people on
the door were happy, friendly and polite, and genuinely seemed
excited to see media from the UK attending their show. We then
found out after speaking to the organiser that this was the first
show of its kind to be held in St. Louis, and wow what a first
show this was.
The turnout by vendors was fantastic, with the old faithful that we
see at most shows including Captain Obvious, Diamond Vapors,
Villain Vapes and so forth, and also a wonderful turnout from first
time and smaller companies.
The show was executed with perfection, well organised, and
for first time organisers, showed an absolute knack for running
a professional well marketed and well balanced expo. The
attendance was fantastic on all 3 days, with a great mix of B2B
and B2C and plenty of guests sampling the juices and trying out
the latest hardware.
Speakers were on the main stage educating vapers and
business owners on the upcoming FDA regulations and how to
deal with the changes. Again the usual free giveaways were on
offer as vendors cleared their stands of the juice and hardware
they wished to share with the visitors. All in all, this was a highly
successful show for all involved and everyone seemed more
than happy with the turnout. This is definitely one to watch, and
a must for next yea .(