Vape In The Fort(convention)

[JulesXsmokr]

These vape conventions are new in the last couple of years. Vapers are growing in numbers, leaps and bounds. They probably had no idea of the turnout it was going to have.
I'm sure the next time it will be placed in a bigger setting for all to enjoy. Our numbers are great, this gets the word out that vaping is not a cult thing, just average joe doing something he wants to do. I hope all who attended got to experience what the event has to offer, and the large community we really are.

 

[HauntedMyst]

I just drove 2 hours back home from the Vape in the Fort event and I feel like I wasted my money on the tank of gas, the ticket, and the Ticket Master fees. I didn't even get a kiss. I was expecting the line to get in to be long and in truth if you had a ticket in hand it wasn't too bad a wait. However once in the door it took me 20 minutes to move about 25 yards all the while being jostled, elbowed, toes walked on, in fact I was knocked down to one knee by one sweaty behemoth of a vaper at one point. The conference hall was far to small, I would say too small by at least 60%. Btw, parking was non existent as well There were zero, none, nada, tables or chairs were you could sit and take a break. I turned around and spent 20 more minutes fighting to get out and drove home. I have been to vape event in half a dozen cities and the Vape in the Fort was the Worse. Event. Ever.

Guess I will stick with a free event like Vape Bash from now on, Windy City Vapers know what they are doing and do it well.

View attachment 416269
I am trying to post a pic I took when I first walked into the event. This was less than 15 min of them opening the doors.

My experience with Vape Bash last year was similar to what this sounds like. No parking, over crowded, people vaping everywhere, a room so poorly ventilated it was like walking through a fog that stank to high heaven. These events need to be held at outdoor venues where they aren't bothering the other guests of hotels. The Chicago Pipe Show is the largest pipe smoking event in the world and they put up a massive tent for people to smoke in and keep the convention hall free of smoke. It works best for everyone and the vape world need to follow their lead.

 

[shreduhsoreus]

Haters gonna hate. Vape in the Fort was AWESOME. If you left early then I'm sorry, but that's your own fault and you missed out. I got there at 10:40, got in the doors at almost noon and didn't leave until the event ended. Yes, it was packed. There were over 3000 attendees throughout the day. Everyone that was in line(that didn't leave) managed to get in at some point. Yes, it was poorly planned, they didn't expect the event to be as popular as it was. Yes, next year they're going to go with a much bigger venue and more vendors.

Despite the flaws, I had more fun than I've had in a while and walked away with about 160ml of free juice, a free authentic Patriot, a free shirt, a free little backpack thing, some stickers a poster and a $10 Tugboat and $10 Kayfun and got to sample some of the tastiest juices I've ever had.

If anything, it's a good thing that the place was overcrowded, it just shows how much we've grown in numbers, which gives us a much bigger collective voice. This year was fun, next year is going to be insane

 

[JimmyDB]

Haters gonna hate.

Thanks for the cliche rash generalization, does this make you the first person in the thread to start attacking the posters versus the posts?

If you left early then I'm sorry, but that's your own fault and you missed out.

I see no fault in my decision making that after spending about an hour inside and walking outside, I didn't consider getting back in to be worth another hour or more of my time waiting in line.

Yes, it was poorly planned, they didn't expect the event to be as popular as it was. Yes, next year they're going to go with a much bigger venue and more vendors.

I agree, it was poorly planned. I think it was also poorly operated, at least early on into the event. I left a little while after the fire marshal said he was only letting people in as people exited in order to maintain the max capacity number for the room... and there were two entry lines going into different directions.

Despite the flaws, I had more fun than I've had in a while

If that was more fun than you have had in a while... "that's your own fault"

If anything, it's a good thing that the place was overcrowded, it just shows how much we've grown in numbers, which gives us a much bigger collective voice. This year was fun, next year is going to be insane

Having a large turnout is great, but I don't think it is responsible or fitting to say that being overcrowded is a good thing, especially not when it reaches the point that the fire marshal is openly announcing to the people standing in line that there are too many people in the room. I have to wonder why there are maximum occupancy laws.

A cash bar, as well as food will be available as you explore the floor with your fellow vapors.

Did anyone use the cash bar on the exhibit floor?

 

[JimmyDB]

Nice job getting butthurt over something that wasn't directed towards you specifically lol. I "attacked" posters? Lol, grow up.

lol. Sticks and stones...

And you wouldn't have had to wait an hour to get back in, having a lanyard bumps you to the front of the line.

Nope, I was told otherwise by the staff. Maybe they weren't all following the same direction. I know they weren't all following the same direction on where you could or couldn't vape as right after one said you could vape in the entrance walk-way, another came around and corrected them.

This post is going to get moderated anyway so might as well say what I actually want to say lol. In this thread I see a bunch of people whining over the simple fact that the event was a hit and the organizers didn't think it was going to be. As a former booking agent, I know what planning an event is like. Nothing EVER goes as planned, there will always be either more or less people than anticipated. They simply didn't expect 3000+ attendees, excuse them for not knowing ahead of time that more than twice the people they expected would show up.

A few thousand people had a great time yesterday, if you didn't, that's your hang up.

I didn't see anyone whining let alone about "the simple fact that the event was a hit and the organizers didn't think it was going to be". i saw people expressing the opinions and feelings about the relationship between what they experienced and what the expected.

I will excuse the organizers for not knowing the final turnout numbers in advance as I would never expect them to, duh. However, I will not excuse how they created multiple facebook pages for the event, how they then posted on one of the event pages that we should all move over to the organization page,... meanwhile leaving the other event page to rot. I will not excuse them for how they handled the event either.

Don't worry about the post getting moderated... I blogged it here on ECF and other places for posterity

 

[pennysmalls]

Shreduhsoreus, I had an awful time, your thoughts on the event aren't going to change that nor does your opinion that my personal experience is a "hang up" mean that it was actually a hang up on my part. To many people said the same exact thing. Way to many. I'm glad you had a good time, at least one of us did. And what the heck does butthurt mean anyway? My .... is feeling just fine.

p.s. I do think the organizers were unprepared for the turnout, I think they were overwhelmed by it actually.

 

[pennysmalls]

Jimmy, I was told the same thing about getting back in.

 

[Robino1]

Ok people, keep the personal comments Out of the conversation.

I think that the people running these events are not counting on SO many people to show. I really don't think they realize that the vaping community has grown so large.

I attended the Vape Convention in Tampa yesterday and it was pretty crowded also. Not as bad as you all have described but if I was looking for a person specifically (which I did a couple of times) it was almost impossible to find them. Vaping was allowed in the convention and it did get foggy. This could be handled if the the convention halls installed proper ventilation systems. They never had to worry about that before because smoking has been prohibited for years now.

Again, I urge you to keep the personal comments out. Attack the post, not the poster.

Thank you!

 

[jswag5]

there was some good about this convention and some bad, depending on what was expected and what was said to have been there versus what was actually there was the big issue for me, they had nowhere in the convention hall to sit, i didnt even see any restrooms that were accesible without leaving the hall. and like jimmydb and pennysmalls said i was told if i left i would have to wait in line again. turnout was way bigger than expected for this event, but the event hall was not nearly large enough, you could barely tell where one vendors booth started and another one ended at times. they should have controlled the original entry to control the crowds. all in all not too pleasurable, but it did have its highlights.

 

[HauntedMyst]

Haters gonna hate.

Shreduhsoreus, I had an awful time, your thoughts on the event aren't going to change that nor does your opinion that my personal experience is a "hang up" mean that it was actually a hang up on my part.

Penny, that's not really fair. He did share the deep ghetto wisdom of "Haters gonna hate." If that sound reasoning and logic doesn't change your mind you are simply unchangeable and not open to reason.

 

[pennysmalls]

I still don't know what butthurt is.

 

[Robino1]

I still don't know what butthurt is.

Hurt feelings... Indignantly angry... Use your imagination

 

[Bjorhyn]

Use your imagination

NO!!!!
No no no.

Do not do that. Unless you want your innocence gone forever.

 

[JimmyDB]

I still don't know what butthurt is.

I'll show you at the next meet. Wait! i think I said that wrong

 

[JulesXsmokr]

You guys had to pay to get in ? How much?
Paid parking too? or not enough parking areas ?
A TicketMaster Event ?
and put this package together in a place that is too small and badly ventilated for the occasion
add to that - all kinds of authority types looking over your shoulders?
Wow! - I think I'm grasping the picture laid out here.