Vapouround magazine Issue 03 | Page 136

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 .(