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.
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