UKVIA Celebrates 3 Days of Success
The UK Vaping Industry Association is celebrating three days of success for UKVIA members during the Vaper Expo weekend
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by Dave Cross
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UKVIA stated: “It was amazing to look out at the sea of red UKVIA placards displayed on our members’ stands and the fantastic reception we received over the three days was fantastic.
“Our Director General John Dunne was constantly in demand as so many people came over to chat with him and invited him to their stands as he walked around the NEC expo hall.
“It was also great to catch up with existing members and to receive so many inquiries from potential new members as the UKVIA continues to grow and represent the industry, both at home and abroad.
“Highlights for us included the 2023 Vapouround Awards evening which was held at the end of the expo’s business-to-business day at the nearby National Conference Centre and it proved to be an exceptionally good night for the UKVIA. Not only were there a record number of awards given out but almost one third of the winners came from within the ranks of the UKVIA membership.”
Many stands proudly displayed their Vapouround glassware at the Vaper Expo. Of the 36 different categories, the UKVIA membership winners included:
- Outstanding Contribution to the Vape Industry – FEELM
- Industry Leader – GEEKVAPE
- Vapouround Hall of Fame – Dr. Vapes
- Best Innovation – VAPORESSO
- Best Tank MTL – GEEKVAPE
- Best Mod – VOOPOO
- Best Disposable – KIWI GO （powered by FEELM)
- Best Newcomer – WAKA
- Best Online Vape Retailer – Royal Flush Vape
- Best Exhibition Stand – POP Vapor
- Best UK Vape Retailer – Cloud City Vapes
- Advocate of the Year – John Dunne, UKVIA Director General
“By any standards, such a winning line up is impressive, but it is even more so that many of the most high-profile awards including Outstanding Contribution to the Vape Industry (FEELM), Industry Leader (GEEKVAPE) and Vapouround Hall of Fame (Dr. Vapes) were all won by our members,” continued UKVIA.
“FEELM were obviously on a high at the end of the first night but they also had reason for more celebrations 24 hours later as they chose this weekend to launch their new FEELM Max with ceramic coil and announced they had already won orders from big names including RELX and KIWI.
“The launch was just down the corridor from the Vaper Expo within the NEC complex and there were loud cheers from the audience as they ran through the technological advances of this new ceramic heating powerhouse.
“FEELM say their ceramic coil is so efficient at vaporising e-liquid that virtually every drop is used resulting in 800 puffs (up from 600 puffs from mainstream devices) from a TRPR-compliant 2ml tank.
“When we look at the range of businesses represented by the UKVIA we see a common theme in that they all lead by example to show the industry in the best possible light as we work to fulfil vaping’s potential to help bring in a smokefree Britain.”
UKVIA lamented that not every vendor sets such a good example.
“Sadly, there were examples of non-compliant products on display at the Vaper Expo, including devices offering 5,000 puffs and 5% nicotine,” the trade body stated.
Arcus Compliance, a leading member of the UKVIA, challenged the non-compliant brands at the show and put stickers on the offending products warning visitors that they were not to be sold in the UK.
With the political atmosphere turning increasingly hostile towards disposable vapes, it is incredible that companies would be stupid enough to display non-compliant products at the UK’s largest vape expo. Hopefully organisers will take the difficult decision to ban them from attending Vape Expo 2024.
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous vape companies to develop content for their websites.
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