VaperFest 2011 - a great opportunity for cohesion

The interest in this year's VapeFest is really building momentum thanks to the early organisation by the committee headed up by Wayne. With three and a half months to go, the venue has been booked, there are over 30 vendors taking part, hotels/pubs are booked out with vapers and car sharing has been organised. This momentum could turn VapeFest 2011 into a uniquely powerful tool in establishing the electronic cigarette industry and its consumers as a coherent entity equipped to take on the bureaucrats in the UK and abroad.

Next year will be a crucial one for our 'smoking alternative'. The MHRA will be back - plus NICE, the EU and WHO will all have input into whether or not we are allowed to continue enjoying our pastime. This year's VapeFest is a chance for the disperate groups of manufacturers, vendors, campaigners and enthusiasts to come together and work to a common goal - protecting our right to buy and use electronic cigarettes and nicotine liquid here in the UK.

I am not suggesting that the FUN of VapeFest should be spoiled by seri@rsness BUT it is a great chance for networking and maybe signing up to an accord with the single aim stated above and swapping contact details so that interested parties can work together in the months that follow.

VapeFest is just not about vendors and consumers, it is a celebration of a 'harm reduction' alternative to smoking - something which could save thousands of lives in the next few years if it is not 'clubbed' to death in its infancy by the authorities. Many non-profiteering activists and consumers are willing to work together with the manufacturers and vendors to ensure they survive by promoting the electronic cigarette to its target audience - the smokers - these groups of people should be allowed to play a big part in the celebration is they wish.

Examples of people/groups who promote electronic cigarettes who are not vendors/manufacturers themselves include;

• ECITA
  
• ECCA
  
• Vapers Network
  
• CAM-VIP
  
• UKVapers Forum
  
• ECF
  
• Allaboute-cigarettes forum
  
• ecigusers
  
• Dick Puddlecote
  
• ECR site and forum
  
• VTTV
  
• many, many others

These should be given equal recognition at VapeFest, of the hard work they do in promoting electronic cigarettes to smokers.

In the next three months, I would hope to see these groups designing and producing promotional material to take to VapeFest - promoting themselves and our pastime. Why should VapeFest be nothing more than VendorFest when our 'addiction' is threatened? I would hope that the media is informed about the event and that we can garner some positive press/TV coverage. I would like to see medical 'experts' who are pro tobacco harm reduction being invited, even politicians.

Let the country know that we are here and that electronic cigarettes are the 'safer' alternative to smoking tobacco!!

Sorry for the rant

Russell VR Ord
CAM-VIP and part of ECCA