Vapouround magazine Issue 25 | Page 146

N F E R EVENTS H ECC ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA AUGUST 30-SEPTEMBER 1, ONTARIO CONVENTION CENTER Words: Pom Kaila Over the past three years I have attended many vape conventions within the UK but I had never been to one abroad. So when I found out I was attending the ECC I was very excited as this was to be uncharted territory for me. I was intrigued to see the approach taken by vape expos on the other side of the Atlantic and especially whether they followed a similar format to home shows or whether I could expect to see something completely different. The fi rst major difference was the travel time as this was no 45-minute car journey up the A38 to the NEC in Birmingham. For home shows a trip to London would see me at the destination but this time round it was the starting point for a three hour flight to Pisa, followed by a short transit at the airport and a long and tiring 11-hour flight to Los Angeles. The convention itself was, in many ways, very similar to the UK ones I was used to and I immediately felt at home within the ‘vape expo’ environment as soon as I walked through the doors. There was one massive difference though and I found something which I really did not expect to see at a vape event. 142 VM25 The expo boasted a 20ft bar which was offering vodka, whisky and even Champagne. For a moment I felt it was a great shame that I am not a daytime drinker but I had a job to do and hitting the bar at 11am was certainly not on my to-do list. It was great to see the usual faces at this show doing what they do best as the likes of Nasty Juice, Charlie’s and Jwei were all instantly recognisable, as well as many other regulars from the vape show circuit. While it is always great to meet old friends, for me, it is making new contacts and seeing new brands which is always really exciting and I was surprisingly impressed to see how many new companies were showcasing their brands out here. A few companies that really caught my eye were Pod Juice, Hitt, Take Off E-liquid and Hybrid. Take Off, in particular, stood out to me the most. I love the name, love the stand and most of all, I love their Apple Strudel vape juice, it was a defi nitely a winner for me. Overall the show was well laid out, well organised and I’m glad I managed to get the chance to visit. Thank you ECC, thank you to the kind people of Ontario. I hope to see you all again soon.