60 What is the Media Room?
EVENTS
Since Vape Shop Events brings 29 sellers and 20 buyers together for private behind closed doors meetings, this time we wanted to profile the buyers in the group, rather than the sellers. With such prominent names like Avail Vapor, Elevate Lifestyle, Ecig Lounge, and Big Smoke, these represent some of the biggest vape buyers and buying groups in the country. As we learned their stories, we shared them with you on film.
Tales from the Street Amy McCann-Baddi and her husband started opening convenience stores 15 years ago and launched their first vape shop in 2013, which proved to be a seminal year amongst many of the companies we spoke with. “My husband is from the Middle East, so it seemed natural that he open a c-store,” Mccann-Baddi teased, “and we were introduced to vaping by another major player in the vape industry, Moon Mountain Vapor. In between they opened smoke shops and currently have all three models in full operation. When asked which she has the most passion for, the response was immediate: “Vape shops, hands down. Plus, it’s the most profitable from a per square footage basis.” “My mother died from smoking related cancer,” she confided, “and I was a smoker since I was young, along with my sisters. When I got pregnant I was motivated to quit, which I did, cold turkey.” She runs the four vape shops and her husband runs the smoke shops, some of which evolved with the growth of the vaping movement. We spoke about the “transitional drug,” i.e., CBD, which they offer #VAPEMAGAZINE