Vapouround magazine VAPOUROUND 3RD ANNIVERSARY PULLOUT | Page 2

Q&A with the editor He’s not usually one for interviews, but on the third anniversary of Vapouround, founder Paul Caplin talks cultivating the most recognised international name in vape media and where we go to next. What was the initial goal for Vapouround? I suppose in the beginning, vaping was relatively new to consumers, the public and the industry was starting to show promise here. It was new to me as well – I was a newbie vaper at the time but it was something which worked for me and got me off nicotine in a way no other form of cessation could. After attending the first Vaper Expo UK and seeing the level of interest there, and the beginnings of what we know is now a colossal yet tightly-wound community, the possibilities were endless. Everything we have since put our name to FHUWDLQO\ ZDVQ·W SODQQHG IURP WKH JHWJR ² LW all sort of happened with a lot of hard work and persistence. When opportunities presented themselves, we ran with it and amazing things happened such as the Vapouround Awards, the bus and the exclusivity to produce showguides. One of the biggest factors which played an essential role in Vapouround becoming the globally recognised brand it is today is the relationships we have forged with all sorts of companies. The small, medium, large, experienced and the innovative… There are incredible companies close to home but also further afield. Without those local friendships, ZH ZRXOGQ·W KDYH EHHQ DEOH WR JR IRUWK DQG travel the world in growing the reputation we now possess and in being advocates for the industry at the same time. What stands out most to you from the early days? ,W·VVWLOOHDUO\GD\V2QHPRPHQWZKLFKVWDQGV out was at the very beginning when we had a really small but ambitious team. We took the newspaper version to the Vaper Expo UK at the NEC and that went really well. That has led us to producing the showguide and being exclusive media partner to the show every year since. Shortly after that we took issue one to the ECC in California. We were shocked by the success of that show and on only the second