ELF BAR’s Market Presence at Vape Club Show 2021

On December 10th at 10:00 am Moscow time (3:00 pm Beijing time), the first electronic cigarette exhibition of the Russian Vape Club Show officially opened with 65 exhibitors in attendance. Among them are Chinese brands such as Ji'ie Technology, which occupies 327 exhibition spaces, SP2S Sporos, which occupies space number 116, and WAKA, which occupies space number 406, according to the site layout plan. However, according to onsite images sent back by 2FIRSTS frontline staff, the largest booth at the exhibition is space number 408, occupied by ELFBAR, represented by their Russian distributor BABYLON. Space number 410 belongs to the electronic cigarette brand VOZOL under the billion pleasure valley, represented by their Russian distributor TRIOM.

Booth layout map, image source: Vape Club Show official website.

The ELFBAR booth and the 2FIRSTSTRIOM booth, which is the Russian agent distributor for VOZOL, were both showcased at the exhibition. Image source for both booths: 2FIRSTS.

In the past, the influence of a brand in a particular region was judged by the size of their exhibition booth at a trade show. However, now whether they are represented by their dealers or participate in joint exhibitions has become a new consideration. ELF BAR, for example, did not have an independent brand booth at the Dortmund exhibition in September 2022 and the Birmingham exhibition in October 2022. Instead, their dealers from various regions set up joint exhibition booths or exhibited ELF BAR products.

At the Dortmund Tobacco Expo, ELF BAR showcased their products at the booth of E-ZIGARETTEN-HANDEL.DE, a major electronic cigarette wholesaler in Germany. They even occupied half of the advertising background board of E-ZIGARETTEN. ELF BAR also gave away gift bags with both E-ZIGARETTEN and ELF BAR logos, and these were seen carried by almost everyone at the event. With such high brand visibility and penetration, ELF BAR was a prominent presence at the expo.

At the Dortmund, Germany trade show, E-ZIGARETTEN-HANDEL.DE showcased their products in collaboration with Elf Bar (photo credit: 2FIRSTS).

At the electronic cigarette exhibition in Birmingham, UK in October, ELF BAR did not have its own booth, but two significant online sales platforms in the UK, KOV and GR8, showcased ELF BAR's products. Due to its strong market share in the UK, ELF BAR has ample reason not to participate in exhibitions, as it already occupies a significant position in supermarkets, retail stores, gift shops, and even mobile repair shops where electronic cigarettes are sold. Therefore, there is no longer a need for ELF BAR to participate in exhibitions to promote and showcase its brand.

The UK-based online electronic cigarette platform, KOV, has showcased three brands under the Elf Bar label (image source: 2FIRSTS).

At the Birmingham Expo in the UK, GR8, a distributor, showcased products from the Elf Bar brand at their booth. (Image source: 2FIRSTS)

The ELF BAR products on the shelves of a British local convenience store, as seen in the photo from 2FIRSTS.

Similar to the commercial practice of brand collaborations with dealerships or exhibiting through their dealers, it is not only a way for brands and dealers to work closely together, but also a symbol of their market share and influence. The strength of the dealerships almost represents the brand's market share.

It is worth noting that at the IECIE exhibition in Jakarta, Indonesia on October 20th of this year, ELF BAR exhibited independently, with their poster reading “ELFBAR THE BEST DISPOSABLE VAPE IN INDONESIA”. However, they only showcased one electronic cigarette product. It seems that exhibiting at trade shows can be a key factor in assessing a brand's performance in the local market.

2FIRSTS will continue to bring you exciting content on upcoming exhibitions in Russia. Stay tuned!