EVENTS
BY STEPHEN CULF
TOBACCO PLUS EXPO 2018, LAS VEGAS. JANUARY 30 - FEB 1
Over the last year I’ve become somewhat of a veteran of vape expos both domestic and international. This however, was my first
time at the Tobacco Plus Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center and I have to say, this was like no expo I have ever attended.
I’m not going to lie, perhaps the bright lights and excitement of my
first visit to Las Vegas got the better of me, as I certainly didn’t
get the recommended eight hours sleep the night before. This
is something I believe the organisers of the TPE most likely
anticipated and I was thrilled to find that the tables in the food
area had some rather potent complimentary grape-flavoured
energy shots on them. I found this to be an absolute lifesaver
when faced with a day of walking and talking.
Th e TPE s howc as es c i g a rs , to b a c c o p ro d u c ts , s hi sha,
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) related
products and of course vaping, so there was a very diverse range
of companies and attendees at the show.
The different industries were separated into different zones, which
made finding my way around extremely easy. As I walked about
the event, my senses were jumping around between the scent
of cigars, shisha, cannabis and vape and this was something
I found quite unusual compared to the numerous events I have
previously attended.
Being an ex-smoker who happily vapes, I was a little unsure about
smelling the cigar and cigarette smoke, however, the organisers
clearly knew what they were doing as the ventilation was spot
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on. At no point did I feel like I was in
an oversized airport smoking lounge
but, thankfully, when I returned to
my hotel room I could barely notice
any smoke smell on my clothes.
It was nice to see a mixture of
companies from around the world
represented along with your staple
American brands such as Charlie’s and
Cuttwood. The ever-present Dinner Lady and
BO were of course showing off their new products
and it was good to see several new companies that I
hadn’t seen before.
The atmosphere and general vibe of the show was great.
The level of music wasn’t overbearing at all, which made doing
business that much better.
For my first TPE I have to say I was very impressed, so much so
that I have already started bugging my boss to book me in for the
2019 expo.
Las Vegas....I’ll be back!