VapeBash Chicago 2014 - From a GG User's Perspective

[gratefulbuddy]

When I was at vapefest in 2010 and vapercon in 2011 - Bruce and I had the only GGs I remember seeing. Everybody was interested in darwins and provaris at the time. Now many more people have realized how wonderful mechs are but they are flocking to the devices that were made by those who merely stepped on Imeos shoulders to take his ideas in their own direction.
Also the smoke alarms were set-off NUMEROUS times at vapercon 2011. It became a joke because as the alarms blared away, rather than exit the building, all the vapers just started fanning in the direction of the nearest detector.

 

[maf2k8]

I live in Chicago and went to bash all weekend.. I can honestly admit I also didn't connect with the crowd there . I still consider myself a young guy (35) and still I was annoyed most of the time.. It was a huge, cloudy, humid and hot mess.. Couldn't get to any tables because groups were blocking them talking and doing whatever .. People standing right in the way of tables making it impossible to see anything 75% of the stuff there was ego's, clones and crap.. The vendors didn't display there products all that we'll everything just thrown onto a table .. Nothing like a vape meet should look like.. It came off more as a flea market in a hot, steamy locker room..

Fluid Vapor was there both days they were in the corner because i remember asking about a brass control ring for my ithaka and looking at the new Penelope..

I am not "bashing" vapebash so please don't rip me a new one but it all honesty it wasn't all that great . I stood at the hotel all weekend and had no issues vaping in my room. The reason the hotel did what they did is because Thursday night everyone there turned the downstairs lobby into a complete mess. It was like walking into a college party with all the beer bottles and mess everywhere and it didn't look good. This was Thursday night so you can only imagine what the hotel lobby / party would have looked like once fri/sat came and 2500 people were partying in the lobby..Not a very professional way to represent fellow vapors. I completely understand why the hotel acted the way it did..

As for the lack of GG products? The way the event was, The people and the atmosphere? Even if i owned a GG I think I would have left it in my room because it really wasn't the type of place you wanted to pull up in with a Porsche...

I did meet a lot of cool/nice people but the majority was just cloud chasing hipsters or newcomers .. Once again this is my opinion and I am by no means talking bad or down about anyone or anything, it just wasn't the time nor the place for a GG..

I am new to the GG community owning my very first ithaka thanks to Imeo and I plan on picking up a JGG along with many more GG devices when they become available. So I am not /a veteran and can't speak for everyone but like I said vapebash was a let down for me and not the kinda place a GG would be appreciated. As bad as you wanna drive that expensive Porsche that you have all polished up sitting in your garage, driving it to a mc Donald's drive thru wouldn't do it any justice.

I really do hope next year and from here on out they stop having the bash at hotels and focus on bigger/better more private venues and also focus on vendors from everywhere and not just vendors local to IL. I would like bash to cater to every style of vaper next year...

 

[imeothanasis]

here is something nice on vapefest

 

[Bishopheals]

Hey Guys I just got back from vapebash 2014. it was a bigger place than last years. The experience was wonderful as you saw in the Video, Thanks Imeo for posting it. How ever there were some last minute challenges that we needed to overcome. The windy City vapors club that got the contract stated we were able to vape in hotel rooms and anywhere in the event. However Thursday night fire marshal appeared and he told the managers of the hotel that the alarms cant be going off for false fire. So they tried to disconnect it from the hub but it didn't work so they had to void the contract send everyone home or people can vape in one centralized location.

Given this last minute challenge everyone that participated in the event had there hands full in trying to over turn the hotels decision. First they deemed we can use the restaurant and the Grand Hall. Till late Thursday night fire marshal shut down the restaurant do to fire alarms going off. Well that could of been my fault since I made a lot of coils for people and many were vaping plumes. LOL

Anyway, even with these challenges it didn't stop me or my friends from having a great time. We kicked it off party in my room. Simple left my door wide open, window open and let all the plums go to the hallway. we managed to keep the party going for hours.

As for Friday we had to be there early 10am to get the tables ready for 12noon. I had my own table making coils and Fluid Vapor was next to me. They brought all the ithakas, Penelope's, and replacement parts. Bottom line they sold out in seconds. We had many people from West Coast that attended as well as from east Coast. Many folks were disgruntled in regards to the hotel changing things at last minute but we all made it worth our while. We ordered food and brought food back into the grand hall and after vendors closed at 9pm we all stayed and partied till all late hours of the night till next day. Saturday we did the same thing. they closed with there steam punk costume competition and vaping plume competition.

All in all it was a great and memorial experience.