BY PAUL CAPLIN
ECC, CALIFORNIA. AUGUST 3-5
Back to where it all began
three years ago.
In the three-years of Vapouround Magazine, we have attended at
least six ECC expos, and the August expo in California is always
very important to us as it holds a lot of Vapouround history. It was
in fact our very first show that we attended on our birthday three
years ago.
Vapouround Magazine was launched at Vapefest in England in early
August 2015 and we then flew straight out to California that same
week to experience this phenomenon
for the first time. We had no idea what
we were about to come across and
we were totally unprepared. We had
only been to two shows in the UK at
that point, the very first Vaper Expo UK
which had 83 stands and Vapefest UK
which had 50 vendors at most.
So to turn to this massive American
show was somewhat of an eye opener
for me. Five aircraft hangers full of
vendors – there was something like 1,500 vendors at this show. I
had never seen anything like it, and the four of us had no chance of
getting around to see everyone. We did however make lots of new
friends and connections and we were amazed how well received
the magazine was, as well as how welcome we were. Fast forward
to August 2018 and the ECC is a very different animal compared
to what it was. Now it’s a much smaller affair, partly due to the
overcrowded expo roster in the US calendar, and partly because
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popular US brands are all trying to conquer different countries and
different markets.
The show itself has about 150-200 exhibitors nowadays, ranging
from some classic big brands to a lot of new kids on the block
trying to make a name in the vape scene. As always, the ECC is
very well organized, although a little strict on certain things like
keeping wristbands on and security is ridiculous. You can’t take
a backpack to the show unless you’re
an exhibitor. Apart from this, there was
a great turnout all three days. The
general feeling was that the B2B day
was the best day, which is a massive
positive for anyone wanting to do great
business at the show.
My pros were this B2B day, it was so
good and well represented. The layout
was easy to navigate and everyone
seemed to be having a good time. Cons
would be the over-the-top security rules plus the stage mic and
music were ridiculously loud.
The ECC will always remain a very special show to Vapouround
and we believe that we owe some of the success that we have had
internationally to this prestigious show. We come back year after
year and look forward to the next one. Make sure you save their
dates. This is one show well worth checking out, plus the weather
in Cali is great this time of year too.