Vapefest 2012: Won’t you please come to Chicago, just to Vape

E Cig Werks is expecting to make Chicago Vapefest 2012 “sweet home” for at least a few hours this weekend and will be looking to cover the event with blog posts, as well as with posts and photos on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Sponsored by the National Vapers Club (NVC) and others, previous Vapefest events have been held in Las Vegas, Philadelphia and Virginia. The Chicago 2012 event takes place Saturday, March 31 and Sunday, April 1 at the Hyatt Regency O’ Hare at 9300 West Bryn Mawr Avenue, Rosemont, Illinois.

Chicago Vapefest 2012 runs from noon until 9 p.m. followed by the XFactor band on Saturday and during the same hours on Sunday followed by a DJ. Raffles are also held hourly during the event from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m. It’s only $10 for weekend passes or daily entrance at the event and attendees must be over 18 with an ID to get in.

Entry fee and raffle tickets proceeds will be used for electronic cigarettes research and other activism, as well as promotion on an e-cigarette documentary project called “We are Vapers.”

NVC is a consumer-based electronic cigarette organization that encourages responsible self-regulation by e-cigarette retailers, works with public health professionals on public information, encourages cigarette smokers to switch to electronic cigarettes and is fighting efforts to ban electronic cigarettes in various locations. The group formed about three years ago in Long Island, N.Y. to discuss electronic cigarettes and has grown nationally at the same time electronic cigarettes have become increasingly popular and accepted.

More information on Vapefests and NVC is available on their website at www.vapersclub.com and please provide any comments or feedback here.

Xcig focuses on disposable quality e-cig option

Disposable and quality are words that don’t necessarily go together, but don’t tell that to the makers of Xcig electronic cigarettes.

After recently trying the Xcig tobacco and menthol disposable electronic cigarettes, E Cig Werks can report that their disposables work very well. In fact, Xcig products demonstrate the increasing overall versatility of the many emerging electronic cigarette products and brands.

As you might expect from a disposable, Xcigs are one of the lightest weighing electronic cigarettes around. In this case, less is really not a bad thing as Xcigs still provide plenty of vapor and with consistent puffs. The unique feature of a soft tip also contributes to less weight and a more realistic cigarette feel.

The Xcigs come in a very simple, one-piece disposable lithium battery and cartomizer in both regular tobacco and menthol flavors, which Xcig describes as “non-radical.” While other brands are focused on providing more flavor options, Xcig prefers to keep things back to basics when it comes to flavors.

Like most electronic cigarettes, the negative air flow activates an internal atomizer to release nicotine filled water vapor similar to traditional cigarettes. However, the Xcig contains only five non-toxic ingredients compared to the estimated 3,000 chemicals in tobacco cigarettes. Xcigs contain nicotine, propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, distilled water and artificial flavor. 

I haven’t been counting, but it’s hard to dispute Xcigs’ claim that each cigarette last for about 500 puffs. With a 1.6% standard nicotine level, Xcig seems to provide an appropriate level of vapor for most almost anyone, depending on their preference.

With an online cost ranging between about $6 to 8.50 per cigarette, Xcig is certainly comparable to a pack or two of regular tobacco cigarettes, which ranges from $4 to $12, according to a recent report by the Awl.com. Xcigs are also marketed in retail outlets such as Hess, 7-11, Circle K, Mobil and more. Xcig currently has about 4,600 likes on Facebook and 220 followers on Twitter.

According to their website, Xcig has a team of individuals with an overall unique skill set. With over 20 years of experience in the electronics industry, 10 years in the tobacco industry and four years experience in the electronic cigarette industry, Xcig was formed to offer a product that no one else had. The soft-tip, realistic-sized electronic cigarette puts Xcig at the forefront of modern technology. Losing the chargers was a bold move in the industry, but Xcig believes recharging the electronic cigarette is a thing of the past. Disposable units are the wave of the future and offer a much needed care-free approach to the electronic cigarette.

As for Xcig’s goals, their website states the obvious that one of the leading causes of lung cancer is carcinogens, which are contained in traditional tobacco cigarettes available at any gas station, grocery or convenience store across the world. From a health standpoint, they ask why cause more bodily damage than is necessary? In essence, Xcig’s goal would be to rid the world of lung cancer. Since they do not have that ability, they prefer to play a small part in converting traditional cigarette smokers to a healthier alternative and offering people a lesser chance of developing lung cancer.

So, Xcig seems to provide an affordable, quality and disposable electronic cigarette option in what also appears to be a quickly growing market. Feel free to let E Cig Werks know if you’ve tried Xcig or other brands anytime. For more on Xcig, just see their website at http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.xcig.com%22%3Edisposable%20electronic%20cigarettes%3C/a%3E.

Getting a good lesson on electronic cigarettes in the heartland at Johnson Creek

With such a huge number of competing electronic cigarette makers and brands, leave it to a company in the Midwest to get to the heart of the future of the global industry.

On a recent visit to Johnson Creek Enterprises, makers of Johnson Creek & Red Oak Original Smoke Juices, in the aptly named Hartland, Wis., E Cig Werks had the opportunity to get a behind the scenes look at one of the electronic cigarette industry’s many growing companies.

Following a guided tour of Johnson Creek’s recently built state-of-the-art facilities, I met with two of the company’s leadership team for an impromptu discussion of the state of electronic cigarettes and vaping.

After seeing the painstaking level of both detail and fun that goes into the making of Johnson Creek products, consumer education was a common theme and important part of the company’s marketing program.

“It’s a matter of educating people about what the products are, and just as importantly, what the products are not,” said Heidi Braun, Johnson Creek Chief Operating Officer. “We need to provide the facts since we’re in this industry for the long term.”

Along those lines, Johnson Creek has a “Learn” section on its website at http://www.johnsoncreeksmokejuice.com/ solely dedicated to a beginners guide to electronic cigarettes, while also providing detailed testing reports and analysis on other sections of their site. Johnson Creek strives to be the destination new e-smokers turn to in order to learn about the industry as a whole. "Education is an integral key to the success of this industry," Braun said.

Johnson Creek has quickly established itself as a major player in the electronic cigarette and smoke juice industry. Founded by Christian Berkey in Johnson Creek in 2008, the company has grown steadily and moved to their new location just outside Milwaukee County last spring.

Besides creating original smoke juice products now totaling about 20, and providing flavors to electronic cigarette brands like Blu and many others. Workers in the 4,200-square-foot lab area were working on some large Blu flavor orders during my visit. Johnson Creek seeks to make their facility a fun place to work and be creative with an open environment including a large tiered training center, mini-baseball field, video games and more. In fact, I was so distracted and impressed with the visit, I forgot to take any decent pictures.

In an industry that is truly global, Johnson Creek supplies American-made smoke juice directly to its customers and other manufacturers.

One of the products Johnson Creek customers are awaiting is an actual electronic cigarette. Already branded as Vea, which is Latin for “the right way," the new e-cig should be available in the coming weeks and the Company has started Vea consumer education messages on its website.

While Johnson Creek is taking a bit longer than some customers might want for the Vea electronic cigarette, the company just wants to make sure their new product is ready to go when they are launched.

With hundreds of electronic cigarette brands now competing in the fast growing market, Johnson Creek Executive Vice President of Product Development, Bob Kieckbusch, believes FDA regulation and competition from major tobacco companies like Altria, Lorrilard or R.J. Reynolds will help legitimize the industry. “We welcome and expect legitimate regulation and competition,” Kieckbusch said. “We’re doing it right and the cream will rise to the top.”

Braun also cited increased retail presence, consumer advertising and sports marketing like NASCAR sponsorships as helping make the industry more mainstream. “We think that the electronic cigarette industry is ready to take off dramatically,” she said.