Will Vapecon ever get hosted in Cape Town or Durban?

[Redaa]

HI All

Not to sure if Vapecon was hosted in Cape Town or Durban before. If not, Is there a possibility that they can host it in other provinces? unfortunately because i am based in CT i wont be at vapecon and it looks like its going to be allot of fun. Maybe next year i can fly down for the event.

Looking at the prices im going nuts in my head and would love to be there to take advantage and meet some new peeps.

Guys enjoy it!!!

 

[JsPLAYn]

This is a common problem in all hobbies that they rarely or never host events of this scale in CT . I'd suggest maybe the local vendors and juice makers host something on a smaller scale just for us CT okes.. but big ups to VAPE CARTEL tho for there awesum specials for the peeps in CT not being able to attend and they open Sunday too for those who can't make it today..

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[shabbar]

cape town has a smaller vape meet if i recall properly

 

[zadiac]

Thing is, there are way more vapers and vendors in the Gauteng area (if I'm not mistaken) so I don't think it will be worth the organizers' while to host a huge event where less people will show up than in a place like JHB/Pta.
That's just my opinion. I could be wrong.

 

[Redaa]

I think that's the case. More vapers and more vendors in JHB, PTA.

 

[Baverz]

If I'm not mistaken the first vape event was at KZN @ newscafe umhlanga 2014, why not KZN again?

 

[Pixstar]

I think the issue is that it takes so much planning to organise an event like this, both from an organisers and vendor point of view. Add to that the costs involved and disruption to vendor's businesses. It would have to be a choice between one city or another, never both. Then, it would have to become a full time job for some of the staff involved. The only other way would be for a completely different event, oraganised by another entity to take place. But, for this to be successful you would need the numbers through the doors and the buy in from at least as many vendors.

 

[Soprono]

If I'm not mistaken the first vape event was at KZN @ newscafe umhlanga 2014, why not KZN again?

KZN is generally a dead area in terms of events. Im no way bashing you but its a very very well known fact within the entertainment industry. I think it takes the planners a heck of a lot to round things up and to on this scale with the turnout it makes it worthwile. Like above I think the best bet would be to get the vendors that side and arrange another mini-con within the community.

 

[Hoosain]

How about the organisers atleast try, maybe that way they will be able more efficiently state that cpt and other provinces are either worth it or not. Just my 2c.

 

[Stosta]

Yeah I believe that Durban and Cape Town do get "smaller" versions, or really big vape meets, however you would rather look at it.

I agree with what the others have said above. It takes an insane amount of effort to organise something on this scale. To go through it all just to assess the viability is not worth it. I think we can never say never, with the popularity of vaping growing like it is maybe soon it can warrant a Vapecon in each city, but for now I would almost certainly say not.

I used to work these expo shows. In Durban you have to bargain down every sale, and in CT it goes either way, some shows insane, others insane on the quiet end of the scale. In JHB people just literally throw money at you if there is a queue at your stand without even knowing what you're selling (true story, I threw the pots I was selling back at him). The turnover from doing a JHB show put the guy I worked for into a position where he simply stopped going to shows in the rest of the country, and only focused on JHB.

IMO if we start off with large meets once a year, with a few national vendors able to attend, after a while word will spread around to other vendors that it is worth the effort, and things will naturally progress.

 

[Pixstar]

Yeah I believe that Durban and Cape Town do get "smaller" versions, or really big vape meets, however you would rather look at it.

I agree with what the others have said above. It takes an insane amount of effort to organise something on this scale. To go through it all just to assess the viability is not worth it. I think we can never say never, with the popularity of vaping growing like it is maybe soon it can warrant a Vapecon in each city, but for now I would almost certainly say not.

I used to work these expo shows. In Durban you have to bargain down every sale, and in CT it goes either way, some shows insane, others insane on the quiet end of the scale. In JHB people just literally throw money at you if there is a queue at your stand without even knowing what you're selling (true story, I threw the pots I was selling back at him). The turnover from doing a JHB show put the guy I worked for into a position where he simply stopped going to shows in the rest of the country, and only focused on JHB.

IMO if we start off with large meets once a year, with a few national vendors able to attend, after a while word will spread around to other vendors that it is worth the effort, and things will naturally progress.

I also think well organised Vape Meets will go a long way in gauging the possible turnout for larger events...

 

[Marzuq]

Vapecon hosted in Cape Town would be awesome. many cant afford the trip down to JHB and then still have the spending money to really enjoy vapecon. However i can see that the numbers locally able to attend being a major factor.

 

[Silver]

Hi guys

Thanks for all the comments.

The ECIGSSA team is hard at work trying to figure out how best to have events in other areas. It was our established goal from the beginning of this year to get meets/events going in the major areas.

Keep the comments coming - it helps to hear what you say...

 

[Sir Vape]

KZN is generally a dead area in terms of events. Im no way bashing you but its a very very well known fact within the entertainment industry. I think it takes the planners a heck of a lot to round things up and to on this scale with the turnout it makes it worthwile. Like above I think the best bet would be to get the vendors that side and arrange another mini-con within the community.

I'm Durban based and as much as I would love it here and don't get wrong we have crazy venues that would suit this but it would never draw the crowd as this one did. Cape would be the same. I would love to see it in my home town though. Look I think this is just starting hey. It needs time and I think then you could look at putting Con on in different cities and people would actually travel.

 

[Redaa]

Maybe we can run polls to see who would attend in what areas, how much would attend and who are willing to travel to attend? Have it at the right time of year and in the right location #CTICC and the beaches will be full in Cape Town you can treat it like a vacation.

 

[zadiac]

How about the organisers atleast try, maybe that way they will be able more efficiently state that cpt and other provinces are either worth it or not. Just my 2c.

Who carries the financial loss if it fails?

@Silver, maybe a more detailed breakdown of what goes into planning such an event and a ballpark figure of costs involved so people can better understand why it won't work in certain areas. We can then compare the map of the location of members and it will be easier to understand.
When you have the time of course. Just an idea.

 

[The_Ice]

I keep imagining a "van hunks en die duiwel" event on the mountain

 

[Jan]

I think local vendors in all areas "with the blessing of ecigssa of course" should take it upon themselves to organize mini vapecons and vapemeets

 

[Raindance]

At the end of the day it is understandable that the turnover in both people and sales must warrant the effort and cost of organising such an event. Having some decent sized vape meets would be a good way of gauging the size of the local active marketplace in the coastal areas. From the pre event publicity I noticed an expected attendance of 1000 and this is therefore what I would consider the minimum attendance threshold. I think we might be able to attain these figures here in Cape Town but testing the waters would be advised. Until we do I will just sit here and sulk that I could not attend despite being up there at the start of the week.

As an afterthought, just see how the numbers are growing, I think a CT vapecon may be on the cards pretty soon...

 

[JsPLAYn]

I'm nt going to say much but I think it's coz of the 'fast paced life' in jozi that makes everyone's worldwide seem to think it's better.. well .. we have the beaches in CT lol.. lots more tourists attractions etc.. why not give CT a chance and see what we can do rather than just goin by statistics

And yes as Redaa said.. Dec time would be perfect as yes..no matter what they think of CT.. In Dec there is more GP plates in CT than the locals

 

[Yusuf Cape Vaper]

Vapecon won't work in Cape Town Coz capetonians are cheap and will ask for discount all the time


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[Jan]

I personally think we should settle this on neutral ground and have it in Bloem

 

[RichJB]

What was interesting for me was the number of people who asked why VapeCon was being held in Joburg. Erm, it wasn't. It was held in Pretoria. And this is the thing with Gauteng, you have two big cities which have essentially become one. So you have unparalleled reach to masses of attendees.

That said, I think vaping is growing so quickly that it will become viable, from at least a consumer/attendee point of view, to have it in CT or Durbs. The nub is the vendors. Most/many of them seem to be Jhb-based. To exhibit at VapeCon, they not only have to move advertising boards, pop-ups, display cases, video screens and other stand material to the venue, they also have to load (I would imagine) almost all their stock and get it to the venue. And then (this is the key part) get it back to their base so that they can resume online sales the next day. If they're an hour's drive away from the venue, that's doable. When that extends to 6-12 hours away from the venue, it becomes trickier.

Several of the vendors also seemed to hire in temp staff or enlist mates to help out with their stands. If those temp staff are an hour away from their homes in Jhb, that's fine. For a Jhb vendor exhibiting in CT or Durban, there are extra logistics costs. Helpers have to be at the venue in advance to set up, and then stay afterwards to pack up. That will necessitate hotel accommodation. So it involves more than just whether they can get enough attendees through the doors.

 

[Cespian]

There were a couple of suggestions of vendors hosting meets in CPT... quite pointless and it doesnt quite fit in with the VapeCon discussion. It will be a vape meet or Promo at that specific vendor and not a conference. The prices will not be discounted by much because there will be no competition. Attendance will be limited to those in the respecitve suburb. Even so, the only participating vendors I forsee are Juicy Joes, Vape Cartel and Foggas. So... woe is me, we are doomed for mass events. Although alot better off than last year since the arrival of Vape Cartel and Juicy Joes who have lucrative standard prices which we can benefit from (alls not lost).

I do not blame the Ecigssa team for finding it difficult to host such an event in CPT. Comparitively, shit is more expensive down here, including the cost of appropriate venues, the number of vapers down here (and in durban) are not attractive enough and as @Yusuf Cape Vaper mentioned, most people are k@k cheap lol.