VAPOUROUND MAGAZINE - ISSUE 39 | Page 92

VA 2022

Why

left me in seventh heaven

Vapouround editor and vocal harm reduction advocate Patrick Griffin takes a look back at our seventh annual awards show and shares his highlights of the evening .
“ Vapouround Awards winners represent the brands and personalities that drive our continued success on the world ’ s stage and push us ever closer to a smokefree future .”
Well , we did it ; after months of hard work and preparation , it was time to go live with our seventh annual Vapouround Awards extravaganza .
I thought it would be difficult to top last year ’ s phenomenal event – let ’ s be honest , cruising across the waters of Dubai in a luxury superyacht is hard to beat – but I ’ m happy to admit I was wrong .
As always , the dedicated Vapouround team pulled together to organise a truly brilliant show at the birth city of our prestigious awards , once again showing why people travel across the globe to attend our event .
Being back in Birmingham for the glamour and glitz of this event and seeing so many big names from the global industry brought back a real sense of nostalgia for me .
I was reminded of just how far we ’ ve come since 2016 – both as a magazine and an industry – and I felt an overwhelming sense of pride as I wandered amongst the buzzing crowds and hopeful nominees .
I was glad to see so many familiar faces lining the room , from the ever-excitable Johnnie Lovell to advocacy hero John Dunne , as well as leading brands like Dr . Vapes , Dinner Lady and Vaporesso .
It was also great to have some newer names in the crowd and on the podium , giving me confidence that the latest generation of brands and industry personalities are more than equipped to carry forward the harm reduction message .
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