So, I may get flamed on this post, but I thought I would just share my thoughts and feelings from this past weekend in Chicago. For those that don't know, one of the US' biggest vape gatherings takes place each year in Chicago, Illinois and it is called VapeBash.
I was hoping to find lots of ejuice vendors (I already know what kind of hardware I want -> GG), but there really wasn't that many vendors there. The displays were kinda lame, except for a few notables. Hanna Mods had a nice display of their devices, and Mister-e-liquid went all out with video displays and a very professional looking area. Wyoming Vapor Company had some great and unique juices, and had set up a 6 pipe hookah that ran on four 26650 batteries. Apocalypse had a unique testing device that looked like a lunch box converted into a two testing devices, and they also had some great and unique juice. Overall though, the displays (and the company representatives) were pretty lame.
Most irritating was the hotel's policy of no vaping outside of the ballroom. We had sold out the hotel, so it was only vapers there, but we couldn't even vape in the bar or our own rooms! Saturday, my girlfriend and I took the L-Train to the Magnificent Mile for some shopping. Afterwards, we stopped off at McFadden's Restaurant & Saloon over in the bar district (Rush and Division). It's a bar that all of the Michigan State alumni hang out at, which is why we went (we're both alums). It was a beautiful day, the front walls were peeled back to open the place up to the outside, and we had a great table feeling the breeze. AND, they were vaper friendly!
Back at the ballroom at the hotel, it was just a cloudy mess. Everyone, and I mean everyone, had mangy beards, bad tattoos, and wore black t-shirts! I don't think any of them owned a shirt with a collar! There were two camps: people either had Egos with clearomizers, or Caravela/Nemesis mods (or knock-offs) and were dripping on sub-ohm coils. I didn't see one other GG there.
And, by the way, where was Fluid Vapor!?! I wanted to say hello to the GG family, but they weren't there. Maybe they were there on Friday - we got in so late, the vendors were shutting down when we arrived. Definitely didn't seem them Saturday evening.
All in all, I was severely disappointed. All of the attendees were fairly nice people. However, if a bomb went off in that ballroom, over 90% of the country's "Hipsters" would been destroyed. Ugh, I can't stand Hipsters!
I guess it comes down to this. When I go to a Porsche Owners Club meeting, I enjoy it because I'm around similar people with similar backgrounds, age, and discriminating taste. That is why I vape GG - because it's the best, it's exclusive, and a piece of art. Unfortunately, VapeBash was like a Japanese tuner convention, filled with irritating twenty-somethings with no class.
I intend to go to ECC this year in Ontario, California, so I hope my experience is much better. However, I think we need to start a different type of vaping convention that targets those of us who appreciate the finer things in life instead of cloud-blowing contests and Steam-punk costume contests.
Flame away!
I was hoping to find lots of ejuice vendors (I already know what kind of hardware I want -> GG), but there really wasn't that many vendors there. The displays were kinda lame, except for a few notables. Hanna Mods had a nice display of their devices, and Mister-e-liquid went all out with video displays and a very professional looking area. Wyoming Vapor Company had some great and unique juices, and had set up a 6 pipe hookah that ran on four 26650 batteries. Apocalypse had a unique testing device that looked like a lunch box converted into a two testing devices, and they also had some great and unique juice. Overall though, the displays (and the company representatives) were pretty lame.
Most irritating was the hotel's policy of no vaping outside of the ballroom. We had sold out the hotel, so it was only vapers there, but we couldn't even vape in the bar or our own rooms! Saturday, my girlfriend and I took the L-Train to the Magnificent Mile for some shopping. Afterwards, we stopped off at McFadden's Restaurant & Saloon over in the bar district (Rush and Division). It's a bar that all of the Michigan State alumni hang out at, which is why we went (we're both alums). It was a beautiful day, the front walls were peeled back to open the place up to the outside, and we had a great table feeling the breeze. AND, they were vaper friendly!
Back at the ballroom at the hotel, it was just a cloudy mess. Everyone, and I mean everyone, had mangy beards, bad tattoos, and wore black t-shirts! I don't think any of them owned a shirt with a collar! There were two camps: people either had Egos with clearomizers, or Caravela/Nemesis mods (or knock-offs) and were dripping on sub-ohm coils. I didn't see one other GG there.
And, by the way, where was Fluid Vapor!?! I wanted to say hello to the GG family, but they weren't there. Maybe they were there on Friday - we got in so late, the vendors were shutting down when we arrived. Definitely didn't seem them Saturday evening.
All in all, I was severely disappointed. All of the attendees were fairly nice people. However, if a bomb went off in that ballroom, over 90% of the country's "Hipsters" would been destroyed. Ugh, I can't stand Hipsters!
I guess it comes down to this. When I go to a Porsche Owners Club meeting, I enjoy it because I'm around similar people with similar backgrounds, age, and discriminating taste. That is why I vape GG - because it's the best, it's exclusive, and a piece of art. Unfortunately, VapeBash was like a Japanese tuner convention, filled with irritating twenty-somethings with no class.
I intend to go to ECC this year in Ontario, California, so I hope my experience is much better. However, I think we need to start a different type of vaping convention that targets those of us who appreciate the finer things in life instead of cloud-blowing contests and Steam-punk costume contests.
Flame away!
I'll buy the drinks.
