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Vaping Diaries #123: ECC 2013 Wrap Up

All my ECC 2013 videos (please watch them!) have been edited and all but one has been posted. Now that all the work is done, it’s time to reflect on the first annual Electronic Cigarette Convention. Before I get to that, I wanted to thank Dulce and Steve from ECC for making the show extremely media-friendly. Big-time thanks to RPadholic N8R for filming my interviews. Now onto the ECC 2013 wrap up.

In a nutshell, ECC 2013 greatly exceeded my expectations. From my perspective, the show was well organized and several exhibitors had impressive booth setups. I was expecting a basic room with simple vendor tables from local companies. Instead, some exhibitors had really elaborate booths and there were companies from all over the world (China, Finland, the Philippines). Of course the show wasn’t as elaborate or flashy as E3 or PAX, but for a relatively young business, ECC 2013 was vibrant and well attended. The show organizers and exhibitors did way more than I expected them to.

That’s not to say that everything was perfect. While the ECC web site was much better looking than the one for the competing Vapefest show, it didn’t have a lot of useful information. My coverage plans would have been a lot easier with an exhibitor list and a map of the show floor. Hell, I had to go to the ECC Facebook page to find out what time the convention started each day. There were a lot of products that debuted at ECC 2013 and some attendees had no idea that they were there. It would have been nice if the conference stage was used to unveil products and have the creators talk about them. (Dulce, I’m available for hosting duties if you want me to moderate panels or announcements. Use me!)

From the people I spoke with online and IRL, ECC 2013 reactions were largely positive. Most of them enjoyed the show and were happy to attend. Some complained about nothing new being at the show, which wasn’t true, but as I mentioned earlier, the show could have done a better job highlighting new products. Some people complained that there wasn’t enough free stuff. That complaint seemed whiny to me. If you pre-registered for ECC 2013 then you paid a grand total of $0. How much “free stuff” do you expect from a free show? Besides, lots of people posted photos of fairly hefty hauls of free juices and drip tips. I didn’t get too many freebies because I was busy working, but I got some and it looked like you could get a lot if you were aggressive about it.

For people that aren’t familiar with my work in tech and gaming, keep in mind that I’ve attended a lot of trade shows, expos, and conventions. E3, CES, Comdex, Comic-Con, NAMM, CEDIA, Anime Expo, Toy Fair, and BlizzCon are just some of shows that I’ve attended for work. I’ve attended impeccably organized shows and ones that were run horribly. Aside from an overzealous security staff (totally the Anaheim Convention Center’s fault), I was quite pleased with my ECC 2013 experience.

For a first effort, ECC 2013 was a great show and I’m sure it will be even better next year. There were lots of hardware and juice companies displaying goods for attendees to try. New items debuted at the show, as well as a few ECC exclusives. The vibe was fun and the work was productive. Congratulations to everyone that worked on ECC 2013. If any of you plan on going next year, I hope to see you!

RPad.TV ECC 2013 Videos

Vaping Diaries #122: Grand Vapor Gab Villapana Interview

As a Filipino-American, I was thrilled that Grand Vapor owner Gabriel “Gab” Villapana came all the way from the Philippines to attend ECC 2013. I’m a big fan of Grand Vapor mods and atomizers (currently rocking a red Sentinel 3.5 and a gold-plated Trident). Gab had several goods on display at the show — the Prometheus Genesis-style atomizer, the Trident 2 dripping atomizer (ECC debut!), the limited edition gold-plated Sentinel, the limited edition sand-blasted Sentinel, the Sentinel v4, and more. Gab talks about the products he had on display, upcoming products, and the hot-button topic of Chinese clones in this ECC 2013 video interview.

Vaping Diaries #121: Five Pawns Rodney Jerabek Interview

Out of all the booths at ECC 2013, Five Pawns had the most impressive setup. The company’s booth was made from reclaimed prune crates and the employees were decked out in black vests. It made the booth feel like a saloon from Old West. Five Pawns had several things going on at ECC 2013. The successful Castle Long Reserve e-liquid got a second release and the upcoming Mixology line was teased. Five Pawns president and founder Rodney Jerabek talks about all the booth, the second release of Castle Long Reserve, what to expect from the Mixology line, and more in the video interview above.

Vaping Diaries #124: Space Jam ECC 2013 Interview

Space Jam is a Southern California e-liquid company that makes some creative juices and uses a fun sci-fi theme. At ECC 2013, I met up with Space Jam co-founders Aaron Pederson and Mike Crawford to learn more about the company. Being a nerd, I love the branding and names that Space Jam uses. Several of its juices feature the type of complexity that I love in e-liquids. For example, Omega is a mix of spiced peaches and cream that uses real California peaches. Aaron and Mike talk about how the company started in Aaron’s garage, how the “Flavor Bible” is used to make Space Jam juices, why a sci-fi theme was chosen for these products, and the timeless battles between Star Wars and Star Trek.

Vaping Diaries #120: Juice By Numbers Eric Silverman Interview

Juice By Numbers is a Southern California e-liquid company that eschews fancy names for numbered juices. The company’s first five products are #1, #2, #3, #4, and #5. Guess what the company’s next product will be called? If you said #6 then you’re a genius! In this ECC 2013 video, Juice By Numbers co-owner Eric Silverman talks about how a pair of friends started the company, his thoughts on crafting e-liquids, and his lineup of flavors.

Juice by numbers e-liquids are available at Vape Revolution, but I’ve noticed a handful of SoCal vape shops carrying the juices. Check out the video above to learn more about the company, its juices, and its upcoming flavors.

Vaping Diaries #119: Rehab Vapors William Spallino Interview

One of the more unique companies I met with at ECC 2013, Rehab Vapors has some cool flavors and an interesting business model. The company donates 10 percent of its profits to detox-and-recovery programs. It’s awesome seeing a vaping company with charitable donations built into its business model. As for the flavors, Rehab Vapors has several interesting combinations that appeal to a broad range of vapers. Watch Rehab Vapors COO William Spallino talk about the company’s start, its approach to crafting e-liquids, the current flavor lineup, and more. You’ll also see one of the largest vaping devices made by man in this video interview.

Rehab Vapors e-liquids are available exclusively at Vape Revolution.

Vaping Diaries #118: Vapor Bombz Omega Steve Nguyen Interview

The Vapor Bombz Omega is a made-in-the-USA rebuildable dripping atomizer with some powerful features. At ECC 2013, I chatted with Vapor Bombz Omega designer Steve Nguyen to learn more about this RDA. In the interview above, he talks about the product’s features and design. The Vapor Bombz Omega is a versatile RDA that’s suitable for flavor fiends and cloud chasers alike. Thanks to its easy-to-use airflow adjustment, vapers that like both styles of vaping can quickly change the Vapor Bombz Omega’s performance to provide the kind of vape they want at the time.

I enjoyed this interview on several levels. Steve was very honest about what the Vapor Bombz Omega is and isn’t. Thanks to this interview, I bumped into my buddy Marie Alvarez for this fun clip.

Vaping Diaries #117: How to Properly Pronounce Innokin

Like many vaping reviewers, I’ve been very impressed by Innokin products. Unlike many vaping reviewers, I actually pronounce the company’s name correctly. This is something that has always bugged me; some of the most popular reviewers on YouTube butcher the pronunciation of Innokin. At ECC 2013, I caught up with Innokin deputy manager/vice president Haoran “George” Xia to get the official word on how to properly pronounce Innokin.

To me, it always seemed obvious that the company name was a play on the word innovation. For some reason, some reviewers (*cough* Phil Busardo *cough*) pronounce it In-NO-kin. You don’t in-NO-vate anything. Cool products aren’t in-NO-vative.

So consider this a public service announcement to all the YouTube reviewers that have been mangling the pronunciation of Innokin. Please say the company’s name right in your videos.

Vaping Diaries #116: Mr. Good Vape Gary Riddle Interview

Here’s an ECC 2013 interview with Mr. Good Vape co-owner Gary Riddle. The company was part of the massive Vape Revolution booth at the show. Mr. Good Vape makes some interesting dessert-type flavors and uses playful branding. In the interview, Riddle talks about how the company got started, goes through lineup of flavors, and talks about the two new juices launched at the show. One unique feature of the new Mr. Good Vape e-liquids is that they’re tooled to taste great in cartomizers and rebuildable atomizers.

On a side note, RPadholic N8R had to stop me several times from saying Dr. Feelgood instead of Mr. Good Vape.

Vaping Diaries #115: NicQuid James Weaver Interview

Here’s an ECC 2013 interview with James Weaver, vice president of sales for NicQuid. Weaver talks about how the company got started, NicQuid’s approach to making e-liquids, some of the most popular favorites in the NicQuid lineup, and more. The video is also proof that I should get 10 percent of any wholesale referrals from sales made through RPad.TV. *joke*

Check out the clip to learn about NicQuid and Continue reading “Vaping Diaries #115: NicQuid James Weaver Interview”