N
F
E
R
Vapouround
Editor Patrick
Griffi n gives
his verdict on
the October
2019 iteration
of The Vaper
Expo UK
106 VM26
F E AT U R E S
H
As soon as I arrived at The Vaper Expo UK event in
October I knew there was something missing. The
only problem was that I couldn’t quite put my fi nger
on it.
I was about half way down the red carpet when it
struck me. It was the music. There was none. The
music had been turned off to allow exhibitors a
greater opportunity to do business without having
to compete against the PA system. Exhibitors were
also asked not to play music from their stands until
the consumer days.
Friday saw a steady stream of business visitors
throughout the day and there were people from all
sectors of the vape industry at the show.
The atmosphere was professional and increasingly
now, stand designers are being briefed to build for
functionality as companies no longer feel the need
to show off how big they are.
Seating areas and dedicated business zones within
stands are now common and this is a sign that the
industry is evolving and getting more professional.
Saturday saw the atmosphere change dramatically
as the focus shifted to the consumer side of things.
This was the opportunity for vaping enthusiasts to
get their hands on the latest hardware and juice
lines and for exhibitors to gain valuable insight from
the buying public about what they were looking for.
Once again I noticed a much more professional feel
to this expo for the two consumer days and this
was most welcome indeed.
Of course there were giveaways from the main
stage and from individual stands but Vaper Expo
has always been about much more than getting
free stuff.
This is an opportunity for consumers to see what
the new market trends are, to buy the equipment
which suits them best and to ask questions about
vaping. It is also the place for smokers to get their
fi rst introduction to the world of vaping and I can’t
think of a better way to do so.
This Expo also had a much enlarged media area
which, in turn, attracted more content creators - the
influencers, YouTubers and reviewers - and it will
be interesting to see their take on the Expo as they
play such a key part in raising awareness about the
vape scene.
The Modders and Builders Gallery was also very
much expanded and it was always very well-
attended throughout the three days.
The combined knowledge of the experts in this area
was off the scale and anyone who spent time there
and asked questions, walked away with a wealth of
information.
Vaper Expo has grown to be one of the key live
events in the international vaping calendar and it is
great to see that the enthusiasm and energy which
was present at the fi rst show has never diminished.