Vapouround magazine ISSUE 20 | Page 107

Highlight Reel JUUL’S FIRST VAPER EXPO The US favourite developed quite the stand at the October show, at what was the brand’s Vaper Expo UK debut. Devices like the JUUL pod mod have been hit hard in the US in recent weeks, with the FDA clamping down on devices and flavours which it feels appeal to minors. However, those restrictions and challenges are exclusive to the US vape market and are not expected to affect JUUL’s position in the UK or other markets. CROSSING THE FINISH LINE James Benzie, Terry Tomlinson and Sam Maddox successfully rode from Ellesmere Port in Cheshire, to the NEC in time to open Saturday’s show with Johnnie and Ashley. James, who started vaping a year ago, works at Alectrofag in Ellesmere Port. He has been impressed by the sense of community vaping offers smokers trying to quit. The trio raised more than £1,000 for charity by cycling the 100-mile journey via the canal network. Read more about their self-less mission on page 113. THE MAINSTAGE BH Vape’s Johnnie Lovell and the Strawberry Queen herself, Ashley Hansen, took care of hosting duties once more to the delight of regular Vaper Expo roadies hungry for freebies. The duo always does a great job of opening the show. From Johnnie’s wit to Ashley’s glamour, they’ve become a mainstay of the Vaper Expo. BLACK OPS Leave it to the Front Line Liquids squad to pull out all the stops with an interactive experience. Famed for their maze and Halloween tactics, the Front Line stand is always what everyone wants to know about. This time around, it was Black Ops taking over with a virtual reality element. There may even be a video doing the rounds of our editor attempting (but failing) to kill zombies. Note to self, screaming sheepishly doesn’t accomplish anything. BOOST IT! The Premier E-cigs crew welcomed rapper turned vape entrepreneur Professor Green as he took over their stand. Once again, the hit maker drew big crowds with his UNRULY E-liquids. VAPE DINNER LADY LAUNCHES CBD RANGE What do desserts and CBD have in common? The class act that is Vape Dinner Lady. The official sponsors of the fourth annual Vapouround Awards surprised fellow exhibitors at October’s show by popping up on the CBD trail. They even had a separate CBD stand on the main strip. Talk about making a statement. How they managed to keep this development a secret we’ll never know! Read more about Dinner Lady’s new move on page 112. READY FOR TAKE OFF There’s always one stand that piques great interest on opening day. This time around it was Vape Airways who brought a little first class to the show floor. This royal purple stand exuded sophistication, maturity and exclusivity. In a time when there’s a growing volume of criticism mounting against vape brands for what some believe is marketing targeted at minors, hearing about Vape Airways was a breath of fresh air. Read more about why Vape Airways is our editor’s pick on pages 118-119. VM20 | 107