Vapouround magazine ISSUE 20 | Page 200

VOOPOO Tech 2.0 FYI The second part to our exclusive session with VOOPOO Tech, covering their opinion of the trade show circuit, 2018 in review and their future plans By Leo Forfar “VOOPOO believes the European market won’t let us down, and we won’t let European vapers down.” In our last issue, we talked with the innovative VOOPOO Tech, a Chinese hardware manufacturer which has made great strides since transitioning from the industrial and medical sectors. With a unique origin story told and their head-turning presence established in the UK, all eyes and minds are on VOOPOO as we head into their fifth year. Looking back on the company’s accomplishments, what is VOOPOO proudest of? In 2018, VOOPOO made huge progress as a startup company. There’s no factor behind our amazing products more important than the great team we developed this year. Out of everything, we’re definitely proudest of the new generation of DRAG, DRAG 2 and Mini products. They were eagerly anticipated around the globe even before being released. You can see the evidence from our social media reach; we’ve built an Instagram following of over 200,000. What does VOOPOO have planned for 2019? As we’ve made clear before, innovation defines VOOPOO. Therefore, whatever stages we’re in, our key mission is to transform the whole industry through our continuous efforts in advancing technology. In 2019, we will keep working together with GENE to develop a more intelligent and safer chipset. We are also expanding our business in Europe, especially in the UK. VOOPOO believes the European market won’t let us down, and we won’t let European vapers down. We visited your booth at the Vaper Expo UK in October. What has been your company’s experience of the trade show circuit, especially here in the UK? Trade shows are centres of great opportunity for the whole industry. It’s the best stage for VOOPOO and the most efficient way to communicate directly with our clients. We also get valuable, personal feedback from vapers all over the world. 200 | VM20 What are some of the larger obstacles your business has run into when trading in the UK? Right now, the biggest obstacle is price regulation, not only for VOOPOO, but also for other companies. Even though our products are highly recognised in the UK, we find it hard to keep the prices as stable here as in other areas. We are working more closely with our big distributors to help build a stable presence there. Given the choice, how would VOOPOO Tech address the current regulatory environment at home? Fortunately for us, e-cigarettes are growing rapidly in China compared to most countries. Despite this, we have to admit it’s still strictly regulated in many aspects, such as vapour product importing. This is neither helpful to foreign firms nor local ones. In the long term, it will stop the whole industry growing, despite being based in the world’s biggest market.