N
F
E
R
F E AT U R E S
H
LONDON’S
Vaping
…or it soon will be, at least. The Vaper Expo
UK is getting ready to hit the Big Smoke.
Words: Phoebe Fuller
I
t has been fi ve glorious years since the Vaper Expo UK fi rst graced
our Second City, bringing with it clouds and crowds the likes of
which Birmingham’s NEC has never seen before.
Such a roaring success means that two sell-out shows a year just
don’t cut it anymore, with vapers far and wide wanting more and
more of their Expo fi x.
“Following feedback we’ve had from our visitors, B2B customers and
exhibitors, we wanted to bring them a great experience in London,”
says Sheridan Garbett, one of the Expo’s organisers. “We’ve found
there’s a need to bring our show and our brand to London, to cater
for that different market.”
These are plans that have been in the pipeline for well over a year
and, after careful consideration, Sheridan says that bringing the
Expo to London was the right thing to do – for the Expo itself and for
all its many visitors.
Sheridan says: “We want to further the reach for our exhibitors
and customers within this industry; in order to do that we felt that
136 VM26
bringing the show to London, as well as keeping it in Birmingham,
was the best choice.”
Sheridan and the team are conscious that many would-be Expo
attendees may not have yet had the chance to attend because of
travel constraints, so they’re pleased that they can now give vapers
in the south a more local option.
Yet, for those who are travelling, London Olympia is the perfect
venue – as it’s close to many of London’s travel links.
Sheridan says: “The venue is smaller than the NEC, but we don’t
think that will impact on us because how we’ve laid it out is suitable
for that venue and it’ll look great.
“We’ve still got our feature areas within the venue, as well. There are
things that will stay the same but there are also brand-new things
that we’re going to include at this show.”
So, what can seasoned Expo fans expect of the new show? “We
always aim for a community feel at our vaping shows, so they can
expect that same atmosphere,” says Sheridan.
But new additions will include different exhibitors and brands, with