It’s an ethos that carries over to his
own business. At the BH Vape shop
in Bournemouth, Johnnie combines a
professional, informed service with a
leisurely atmosphere, offering vapers free
donuts and coffee every Sunday.
Despite his approachable demeanour, and
the ease with which he finds his merriment,
Johnnie takes his duties very seriously and
gives it his all at every Expo. It’s no easy
task, fielding such a massive, lively crowd
at the biggest show of its kind in Europe.
“I feed off the atmosphere,” Johnnie says.
“I’m motivated by having seen first-hand
how far the Expo and Vaporound have
come. I came to the very first Expo at the
NEC, and have kept track of Vaporound’s
progress since it was a pull-out supplement.
They started as seeds and I’ve seen them
evolve and grow with the industry itself into
powerhouses.”
Switching from smoking to vaping brings
renewed hope for the people who do it.
Along with the plentiful perks to their
physical wellbeing comes the knowledge
that they are massively reducing any harm
to themselves, and helping others along
the way. It’s a great boost to their mental
wellbeing and lifts many burdens. Johnnie,
a former smoker turned avid vaper (like
countless vape business owners and VIPs)
keeps this in mind, never forgetting the good
that making the switch brings. Johnnie’s
role as co-host of the Expo began at the
inaugural Vapouround Awards in May 2016.
“I was called up to help with the raffle
during the ceremony,” he says. “There I
met Ashley and we hit it off. Now we’re the
ultimate duo. We don’t use scripts, we don’t
plan, we just go with the flow. But hosting
something like this is all about the people,
we’d be nothing without them.”
Nowadays, it’s difficult to imagine the
weekend without him. When we asked
about what his personal highlights were
for the October show, Johnnie had plenty
to share.
“For me, it’s been innovation; watching
how we’ve met the challenges throughout
the year and it all came to a head in
October. The use of shortfills and nic shots,
the rise of mech mods, seeing how much
certain companies have grown since the last
time they were on the show floor, coming
through the TPD. And the public are taking
notice and appreciating what vaping can
do. We’ve earned it. And I think the British
vape industry has been a shining example,
when you consider how the activity has
been treated and regulated elsewhere. You
don’t just see the boost at shows either, but
in local communities. Everywhere you go,
in places where butchers or convenience
stores close, you’re seeing vape shops
appear. It’s improving the lives of smokers
and revitalising small business.”
With five shows under his belt, Johnnie
is showing no signs o