# ECIGSSA in 2016 - reporting back on a great year!



## Silver (29/12/16)

Hi all

Reporting back on a great 2016 here on ECIGSSA:




The forum itself has been very busy and is getting busier. Lots of participation from members and plenty new vapers joining up. It is most pleasing to see that folk on this forum generally go out of their way to welcome newer vapers and help each other out.

A big shout out to all the *members *on ECIGSSA. We have seen some amazing contributions this year that have educated, helped, supported and made us laugh. It is great to see new vapers asking all the questions and then not long after, helping others out. Wow.

We have tried to award more *medals *this year and we are very proud of those of you that have shown dedication. There is still more refinement to come in this regard 

2016 saw the commencement of *ECIGSSA's competitions.* We have held six competitions with the "grand finale" being the recent Xmas vendor giveaway. It has been a great success and a lot of fun to watch and help put together. A BIG thanks goes to all the vendors that have generously donated prizes. And to @shaunnadan for always helping out no matter what. Check out the ECIGSSA Competitions subforum.

2016 also saw the continuation of the *ECIGSSA Juice Awards*, this time focused on local juices. Juices were nominated and then the top 10 voted on in each category. All credit to @Andre for taking the initiative and helping to manage this. A major success indeed. Check out the 2016 ECIGSSA Juice Awards Results page.

All of the above would not have been possible without the *major server change and upgrades *that took place in April. We are pleased to report that since then we have had almost zero downtime and the forum is flying as fast as can be! All credit here to @Gizmo for managing the changeover and continually making sure everything runs smoothly.
There are many other areas we have worked very hard on to streamline. Too many to mention. It will always be a "work in progress". I have to say a *big thank you to the whole Admin & Mod Team *for all the hours of deliberation, support and teamwork. You guys are tops!






We have organised and held some unforgettable *ECIGSSA Vape Meets*. Several in JHB, a large one in Cape Town and a mini meet in Durban. All have been successful and well attended. We are very proud of the great spirit, fun and laughter that takes place at ECIGSSA Vape Meets. Meeting like minded vape enthusiasts and having a great time is a very important part of building the community. Keep an eye on the Vape Events & Meet subforum.

And now.... onto something very special... 







As @Rob Fisher coined it, "2016 is the year vaping went mainstream in South Africa". And no better way to prove it than the epic *"VapeCon 2016 - brought to you by ECIGSSA" *that was held in August. We were taken by surprise at the turnout of enthusiastic vapers and the dedication of the vaping vendors. It was a spectacle of note and something we as ECIGSSA are very proud of. Hopefully we can build on from here into the future!

If you haven't seen it yet, check out the official VapeCon 2016 Movie. Or browse the VapeCon 2016 - story in pictures thread for awesome photos and detailed commentary from the whole community.
2016 was a year that saw many new *vape shop openings. *At one point, there were multiple shop openings for weeks on end! Vape Cartel, Vape King, Vaperite, House of Vape, Juicy Joes, Lung Candy - to name a few! It is amazing to see the passion and commitment from the vendors and the pride they take in setting up their shops. No doubt a sign that vaping is strong and growing.

It was also a year of the *DIY explosion. *Not just on the DIY recipe threads (which continue to tease me) but also with several new DIY vendors making a successful entry into the growing market. The choice today compared to just a year ago is worlds apart.

ECIGSSA also saw many new *supporting vendors *join this year. We are proud of each and every one of them - from the talented juice makers to the large multi-branch vaping outlets. Thank you all for your commitment and your support of the forum and its events. You all rock and we are spoilt for choice.

Since the changes that were announced on 14 December 2015, I am pleased to report that the ECIGSSA team has been hard at work during 2016. There have been many late nights! Although we are biased, we like to think that we have achieved what we intended for 2016 - and more.

On behalf of @Rob Fisher , myself and the rest of the Admin and Mod Team, we would like to thank each and every member and supporting vendor for what you have done to make this a great 2016.

But wait, there's more 

We have some great plans for 2017...

Reactions: Like 4 | Winner 25


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## Rob Fisher (29/12/16)

Hear Hear Hi Ho @Silver! It was one fantastic year... and 2017 is going to be a really awesome year for vaping and vapers!

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 5


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## Silver (29/12/16)

Rob Fisher said:


> Hear Hear Hi Ho @Silver! It was one fantastic year... and 2017 is going to be a really awesome year for vaping and vapers!



Thanks @Rob Fisher !


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## Clouds4Days (29/12/16)

Silver said:


> Hi all
> 
> Reporting back on a great 2016 here on ECIGSSA:
> 
> ...



It has been a big year for vaping and i am a so proud to say im part of this great community on Ecigssa.

Thank you to everyone, Mods, Admin, vendors and members for making this place my 2nd home.

Vape on...
2017 , here we come....

Reactions: Like 2 | Winner 1


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## Silver (29/12/16)

Clouds4Days said:


> It has been a big year for vaping and i am a so proud to say im part of this great community on Ecigssa.
> 
> Thank you to everyone, Mods, Admin, vendors and members for making this place my 2nd home.
> 
> ...



Thanks @Clouds4Days !!!
You are great

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## BumbleBee (29/12/16)

2016 was great, 2017 is going to be epic!

Reactions: Like 3


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## Silver (30/12/16)

BumbleBee said:


> 2016 was great, 2017 is going to be epic!



Thank you @BumbleBee - and thanks to you for all you have done for us this year!!
So many things! 

Wishing you all the best with The Vape Guy for 2017

Reactions: Like 1 | Thanks 1


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## Stosta (30/12/16)

2016 was an epic vape year!

I can't wait to see what comes in 2017, and watch how vaping really takes off. 2 months ago I only came across vapers at vape stores, now they are EVERYWHERE! This is going to be something awesome!

Reactions: Winner 1


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## Raindance (30/12/16)

Gents, I think that this community and forum is making a considerable contribution towards the growth and popularity of vaping. The support and sharing that takes place here has most probably contributed greatly to many of us sticking to vaping and dropping the stinky habit. I know it did for me. 

Thanks for your continued support and efforts in making this community what it is today.

All the best for 2017, great things are still to come.

Regards

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1 | Winner 1


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## Silver (30/12/16)

Thanks very much @Raindance

Very glad to hear that and I do agree with you

This forum made all the difference for me in my first year of vaping and the people on here have kept me going ever since. 

The hobby aspect and the ability to connect with other passionate vapers on various topics makes it so much fun.

Reactions: Agree 2


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