EVENTS
After finding out that the originallyplanned vape show in Amsterdam
had been cancelled due to the
implementation of the TPD I wondered
whether anything would take its place.
The organisers wasted no time in
scheduling a conference instead which
took place at the Sofitel Hotel on July
29 and it was to be an event crammed
full with very useful information about
the vaping industry.
I was a little apprehensive at first as
this was my first vaping conference as
such but we were immediately put at
ease once we arrived and were greeted
by friendly, polite and smiling staff who
explained what would be taking place.
It is to the credit of the organisers that
they put together something so well at
such short notice and once we were
told about the topics being covered
at the conference, after registration
we took our seats and things were soon
underway. We were firstly introduced
and welcomed to the conference by
Gregory J Conley the President of
the American Vaping Association.
The topics covered in the conference
included the current economy of the
cigarette market and its potential to
grow across the EU and, of course,
the Tobacco Products Directive which
is a topic where everybo dy has a view.
Speakers also covered business building
practices within the industry, the fact
versus the fiction of the science of
e-cigarettes, litigation in the US and
across Europe, e-cigarette and vapour
being categorised as a tobacco product.
There was specific mention of the TPD
in the UK, vaping legislation in general
and its impact on the global vaping
economy and lessons to be learned
from what has been called ‘the war
on vaping’ in the United States.
Daniel Irwin-Brown from ECigIntelligence
provided statistics on the e-cigarrette
market across the world and facts from
his presentation included that the most
developed region was North America with
a high percentage of 57% vapers. Europe
came in second with 33% vapers and the
Asian countries made up the last 7%.
Michael Young from Vape Emporium
made some very interesting and factual
points on the TPD and how it has
affected his company. He also touched
on the procedures Vape Emporium have
had to follow to be up to TPD standard.
We were also very lucky to see
10 minute clips of the forthcoming
documentary movie A Billion Lives
produced by Aaron Biebert. As of yet
there is still no set date for when it will
be premiering in the EU but when it
does I would definitely recommend
every vaper to watch it.
I found the conference to be very
educational and it answered all the
questions that I had regards to the
regulations imposed by the TPD in
Europe and the FDA in the US.
With the TPD and FDA being such a
grey clouded area it really shed light
on the issues surrounding regulation
of the vaping industry.
The conference brought home to me
how this legislation will impact on so
many businesses within the global
vaping industry and that only the
strongest will make it in our ever
more increasingly regulated world.
So please everyone, let’s see the
competition as potential partners and let's
stick together as the vaping community
we are already are and Vape On!
VAPOUROUND MAGAZINE USA 123