Vapouround magazine ISSUE 12 | Page 62

FEATURE choose your own champion Major changes are coming to the 2018 Vapouround Awards, and you could be a deciding factor The Vapouround Awards have already seen their share of star- making moments, and are fully established as an essential event for the global vape industry. Our inaugural ceremony in May 2016 raised the bar across the board, rewarding the hardest working and most gifted of us and infusing all runners-up and newcomers with a new aspiration. Magician Nick Einhorn – famed for fooling Penn and Teller – wowed us with a unique display of vape magic, and hosts Ashley Hansen of Strawberry Queen and Chris Tucker of Villain Vapors handled their duties with humour, charm and professionalism. Charity and generosity were an essential component from the start, with over £6,400 raised for the good causes Nora’s Dream and Help for Heroes with an auction. Emboldened and uplifted by such a promising launch, the Vapouround Awards for 2017 perfected what had begun a year previously. Joining a returning Ashley Hansen in his new role of co-host was Johnnie Lovell, who proved a show-stealing master of ceremonies, adept at keeping the energy and enthusiasm raised high through the night. Nick Einhorn thrilled once again with a vape-themed magic act, Riot Squad’s acceptance speech for Best Drink/Cocktail condensed everything people love about the vape community in a single crazed 62 ISSUE 12 VAPOUROUND MAGAZINE storm of Scottish accents, garish costumes and a post-watershed tribute to the most infamous segment from Braveheart’s Battle of Sterling Bridge. The May 2018 Vaper Expo will be upon us before we know it, and as expected, the next Vapouround Awards will come with higher expectations than ever. Every vape business worth its salt will be putting their best liquids and other achievements forward for consideration, looking to grab the highest honours in the game. And we’re happy to unveil a new category: The Industry Awards. We’ll be stepping back and allowing the business community to choose the winners for this one. All companies, manufacturers, shops and distributors – big or small, chain or independent, can submit their nominees and votes. If you’re in the vape industry, you’re eligible. The Industry Awards will collate several existing awards with two new additions: Industry Leader and Best Up and Coming Brand. You can see a full list of all the categories for the Vapouround Awards 2018 in this section of the magazine and we are hard at work already to ensure that this will be yet another night to remember for the global vaping industry.