EFVI not allowed at Vapefest 2014

[VaperCaper]

I'm somewhat confused about all this!. I thought Vapefest was a Commercial venture designed to allow Vapers, Modders, Vendors and Juice makers from all over the UK a place to mee,t learn about new gear and juices and generally have a good time. I for one am highly dissapointed by the extremely militant attitude displayed by some members of this forum.

For my own peace of mind and to bring a little clarity, Can any one inform me as to exactly who it is that is being prevented from having a stand at this event - is it EFVI.eu or is it EFVI-UK, and is it as it appears that EFVI-UK are a seperate and distinct organisation?

VapeFest is not, as I understand it, a commercial venture. The people that organise and run it do not make any money from it, they collect money from raffle tickets and this year they are also collecting a very small fee from vendors. (in a commercial event concessions are several hundred pound plus a % of takings typically, which incidentally is why a burger costs more than £5 at a show, but I digress) they have to pay various costs to put the thing on, insurance, venue hire etc etc and then last year the money that was left in the pot after all was paid for was given to Children In Need.

As I understand it, it's EFVI-UK that were denied a stand.

Now can that person tell me EXACTLY why the organisation is not being allowed to attend?

Not sure as I'm not on the committee, but, VapeFest have a policy of not allowing organisations an official presence. There's no UKV stand, or VapePit stand or POTV stand, or ECITA stand. I'm not sure why but it's their event and they make the rules. I do think that if there were big forum stands then it's likely that VF would be more cliquey and having lots of people milling about, meeting new faces etc is preferable to have big groups of people sitting in a forum tent and not moving.

It's because of that policy that EFVI-UK was refused a stand.

I think that was a bit too hasty, for example last year at VF SWOF had a video booth so it's not like this is the most rigorously enforced policy ever. One of the people involved with EFVI-UK started the thread on UKV essentially asking for clarification on why EFVI-UK had been turned down. Which rapidly spiralled into a huge mess with egos from both sides getting all keyboard warrior.

EFVI-UK is nothing to do, as I understand it, with EFVI. They are a group of people who are passionate about protecting vaping and have setup EFVI-UK independently to promote supporting of EFVI.

Personally I think that EFVI should have a presence at VapeFest. Both sides are talking in private and if they have any sense they'll hammer out a compromise deal behind closed doors (where all this should have been settled in the first place) and something official will be announced about it early next week.

There are a small group of militant posters on UKV who are pushing EFVI and I can understand why VapeFest organisers wouldn't want to give them a ticket to try out bullying tactics on VapeFest attendees in person. I doubt that would happen, keyboard warriors tend not to be as up front when face to face, but that's not helping things either.

All of the above is just my understanding.

Also as far as I am aware, stands are perfectly entitled to have promotional materials, flyers and bus cards and such at their stands. I've not read any rules or regs from the VF organisers saying this is not possible. There is a paragraph saying that vendors must leave the site clean, that VF will be charged lots of money for cleanup costs and that any identifiable rubbish left by a vendor will lead to said vendor being excluded from future VapeFests. Which is fair enough. I have no problem walking around the site on the Sunday picking up litter, I know other vendors that feel the same way too.

There is a huge difference between 'handing out flyers' and having flyers at your stand on a table for people to pick up. Walk down any large town/city centre and you'll often see bored students flyering. Most people don't make eye contact with the students and hurry past, some that have flyers thrust into their hands drop them seconds later, and you can usually see a trail of destruction leading away from where said student is standing. On the other hand if someone goes to a stand and sees a flyer and picks it up and takes it with them, they tend to keep hold of it and actually read it.

I'm going to VapeFest. I'm going to meet lots of people and chat with my friends. I'm going to proudly wear a t-shirt with EFVI plastered on it and will have EFVI on the flyers that I'm taking and the business cards I use and physical signup forms too. I'm doing this because I support EFVI and want to spread the word to more people than use forums or twitter. If I pull out of VapeFest then worse than losing signatures for EFVI, we might miss the chance to help a smoker switch to vaping too.

We need VapeFests and Vape Meets to get out into the real world and help vaping seem more 'normal'. The more people that understand that vaping is nothing like smoking the better. There will be hundreds of people en route to VapeFest openly using all kinds of mods that will get spotted by people who might well stop and ask them "what's that?". I think that kind of interaction does way more toward helping vaping than EFVI will.

 

[KulrMeStoopid]

Just to point out the obvious...
EFVI isnt an organisation, nor is it aligned with any political agenda what so ever In case any one got confused



VaperCaper are you going to have those funky pants? Cause those were epic or do you have new ones this year!??

 

[man_d]

*sigh*

I'm already sick of it all ... I have limited patience for political bullshit

I WILL goto vapefest whatever, coz to me anything like this is about the people there, not about the political message, or even about the cool gear. just the social aspect ..

I think its a shame this whole thing has become somewhat of a Rose garden,funeral of sores rather than a rose garden .. time to party amongst the flowers.

I am aware of the high feelings running through this because of where we stand politically with vaping etc. I don't understand the position of NOT allowing EVFI from the face of it, on the other hand ... we have yet to hear the reasoning behind it .. could be that a: there is a reasonable explanation and b: its all kinda gone out of proportion.

Last I checked it was still innocent until proven guilty yeah ?

/me prepares to run for cover

I tend to agree with this. It's more of a party of the first part for me, meeting up with friends, getting squiffy on cider in the sun and having a great laugh.

I think feeling is running high and assumptions have been made as to motives and actions but I think this is dangerous - we're not party to the conversations that are going on behind the scenes and there's no way we can know the full story. I don't want to see vapers feel like they have to be some kind of stigmata martyr and boycott the event, but I do understand people's reasoning for this.

There are some things that even I can see are being assumed to be one thing when in all likelihood they're actually another - the ban on leaflets for example. Some people seem to think that this is motivated by wanting to gag people who want to spread the word about EFVI - I've worked on festivals and events for the past 8 years and I know first hand what a massive problem litter at events is, and at an outdoor event where the slightest breeze will snatch up and whip off a pile of leaflets I can completely understand why they're banned. Do you know how expensive it is to get stuff like that cleaned up? I can easily imagine it's a condition laid down by the venue rather than the event. It will be bad enough to clean up the campsite after we've all buggered off, people are messy bastards.

I don't believe for one second that they're seriously considering cancelling the whole thing though. Not one second.

 

[Carlos]

I all ready knew that


Not shooting ya, just telling ya how it is. Seems like other people don't know how to do that and that is a shame.

Thats because your a Yank , all in all KMS all everyone can do know is sit back and await the final outcome, very sad though if it does get cancelled, everyone has there own view's on the subject mine you will have seen on UKV post 2 what VF is about to me and a lot of others as well.

Vapefest festival for vapers, lets say if EFVI can attend they are not going to get much more awareness than they already have through forums FB etc already, as they will gain no more footfall due to the location, unlike Tamworth where PPL did walk in off the street and say

Hey guys whats going on here today, if they were interested they would walk round and they won't get that 15 mins walk out of town.


And the majority that will be going to VF will of already heard of EFVI and signed up. As I see it if your going to VF you have either seen it through FB - forum - Brick and mortar (advert in shop),

well thats my take on it anyway, do I care if they are there or not. No not really as that's not what I will attend for (which I also said on my post on UKV).

Do I care about the cause of course I do as any fellow vaper should, but one day out the year lets just enjoy what VF vapers festival is all about and enjoy the day like last year we all did

to all the new vapers that have doubts not going now, don't let it put you off going it's a fantastic day and not to be missed, you all chat to each other on here and probably the one day in the year when you can meet face to face for a great time.

 

[ZT]

I tend to agree with this. It's more of a party of the first part for me, meeting up with friends, getting squiffy on cider in the sun and having a great laugh.

I think feeling is running high and assumptions have been made as to motives and actions but I think this is dangerous - we're not party to the conversations that are going on behind the scenes and there's no way we can know the full story. I don't want to see vapers feel like they have to be some kind of stigmata martyr and boycott the event, but I do understand people's reasoning for this.

There are some things that even I can see are being assumed to be one thing when in all likelihood they're actually another - the ban on leaflets for example. Some people seem to think that this is motivated by wanting to gag people who want to spread the word about EFVI - I've worked on festivals and events for the past 8 years and I know first hand what a massive problem litter at events is, and at an outdoor event where the slightest breeze will snatch up and whip off a pile of leaflets I can completely understand why they're banned. Do you know how expensive it is to get stuff like that cleaned up? I can easily imagine it's a condition laid down by the venue rather than the event. It will be bad enough to clean up the campsite after we've all buggered off, people are messy bastards.

I don't believe for one second that they're seriously considering cancelling the whole thing though. Not one second.

Bravo

 

[VaperCaper]

@VaperCaper are you going to have those funky pants? Cause those were epic or do you have new ones this year!??

More than likely. I did enquire about getting my shiny new marquee tent thing coloured in the same pattern. Sadly far too expensive If I'm standing behind a table all day they might not be as noticable but hey

 

[Phantom Diablo]

so far ive heard the following.
we dont want EFVI going because they are political : Bollocks
we dont want then going because its supposed to be a fun event and they will spoil it : Bollocks
We dont want them going and we dont want flyers handed out cos it will make a mess: Bollocks ( burger vans, food stalls, beer tents etc etc all of those will make a mess too ).

Now we hear its down to public liability.: bollocks. costs £45 for PLI ( just in case someone trips over a table leg basiclly) and thta has been offered along with cost of stall to be paid.

Simple Fact there doesnt need to be flyers.
a stall a banner a couple of laptops. people can signt he petition on the spot. takes 30 seconds out of there day and be on there merry way.

OR if VF truely had the vaping community at heart they could have EFVI on the back of the raffle tickets.

so whats the truth... simple.. Money, ego's and Politics... Its mine and im not sharing.
EFVI could gain 10 new signatures or a 1000 new ones. we just dont know.. BUT every SINGLE one gained is a step closer.

the only people VF care about is VF.. not vapers, not vendors, not the EFVI, themselves and themselves only thats been made quite clear.
i dont give a flying rats arse if Mr x at forum A doesnt get on with MR Y at forum B. or if Miss A a member of one group has had a falling out with Miss B of another group.
The EFVI is about saving vaping as we know it.. FOR EVERYONE.. pure and simple.. anyone who disputes that has no part in the vaping community .

As for Vendors or People saying they are not going. thats up to them entirely and thats there choice and no one should try to persuade them otherwise.

all i know is if i was runnung VF id have a bloody great banner above the entrance gate with EFVI on it and information and flyers dotted all over and ask each and every vendor attending to display an EFVI banner.

you can argue the toss as much as you like saying well everyone attending already know about EFVI.. do they? do you have proof of that?
and having EFVI there would it spoil the fun, would it stop people meeting up with friends and fellow vapers getting drunk, sampling freebies and enjoying the atmosphere?

if you think that let me ask you this?

DID live aid supporting Africa spoil the event?

 

[Fubar1977]

Honestly I just hope this can all be resolved in an amicable way, it all just seems to have spiralled out of control in the last few hours.
I feel it`s probably best to let the organisers and EFVI thrash this out between themselves and hopefully this won`t ruin what should be an amazing event and a rare opportunity for the community to gather in person.

Division and in-fighting is the last thing we need, especially now when we should all be uniting to fight for our rights and the rights of those yet to start vaping.

I don`t feel I am in a position to comment further as I am not in possession of enough definite information at this stage.

 

[Dr_Puff]

There is a long, long way to go and frankly an uphill task with 274 days to go.

many are saying "yeah but VF" is one day out of 365" - At one of the biggest events of it's type for the vaping community, i'd say it's pretty darn important - And why not have it at the front collecting signatures on the way in.

Serious hat on. - Looking at the below current chart stats. Do you think it'll happen if exclusions like this happen ??

 

[wuz_uk]

if i was big p or big t reading this today i would be laughing my socks off what a massive own goal!! "whoever let the kids run the toy shop" inexperienced drivers are known to be a high risk, so who's driving this event?? the thought of a good day out to meet people you have only talked with on forums was the attraction it was a taken that all would be welcome how hard was it to let all partys benifit from this event and unless i am wrong and i might be the reason EFVI have been told they cant have a stand is they might spoil it for me or others??? and how? are we going to remove all EFVI banners from vaping forums as people might get fed up seeing them every time they log on??