Guest Speakers Announced for E-Cig Summit 2013 in Las Vegas

Bill Godshall and Klaus Kneale to speak at workshop aimed at preparing electronic cigarette industry stakeholders for the year ahead.

 

Las Vegas, NV -- (ReleaseWire) -- 01/17/2013 --The Smoke Free Alternatives Trade Association (SFATA) announced two guest speakers at the first of its ongoing electronic cigarette industry workshops, E-Cig Summit 2013. Prominent electronic cigarette advocate Bill Godshall and e-cig industry journalist Klaus Kneale will each be presenting at the workshop.

E-Cig Summit 2013 will be at Trump International Hotel Las Vegas January 28th and 29th. It will be open to e-cig manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers, as well as interested members of the e-cig community. Attendance will be free of charge.

Bill Godshall has been involved in electronic cigarette advocacy, regulation, and litigation since the industry's earliest days in the U.S. His work to prevent unnecessary and unfair bans against the industry has been paramount to its survival. Godshall will be presenting on the basics of coalition development and advocacy. His primary focus will be on how the industry can affect real change to impending substantial equivalence regulations.

Klaus Kneale is the news and opinions editor at EcigAdvanced.com, an electronic cigarette industry news and reviews website. He's been writing solely on the industry and politics of electronic cigarettes for nearly a year. Kneale will be presenting on how the e-cig industry can best engage with media and cope with common e-cig adversaries. This will provide industry leaders with the tools necessary to take advantage of opportunities with the media. Only through the support of the thinking public can meaningful change to regulations like substantial equivalence occur.

“Bill has made countless selfless contributions to the industry and its current survival is due in large part to his ongoing efforts. Klaus brings a professional, journalistic voice to a world currently flooded with bias and opinion,” said SFATA executive director Chris Venis. “Both bring a level of insight invaluable to e-cig industry stakeholders.”

The keynote topic at the event will be The Immediate Threat of FDA Substantial Equivalence Requirements. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration plans to regulate electronic cigarettes as tobacco products or smoking cessation devices. Under either classification, availability of electronic cigarette to the public would be restricted and many electronic cigarette companies may be forced to close. Substantial equivalence will be the first step in this process. Electronic cigarettes will not meet substantial equivalence requirements.

E-Cig Summit 2013 will be at Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on January 28th and 29th. Attendance will be free of charge. Individuals seeking information about or invitation to this and future workshops can email info@sfata.org.

About SFATA
The Smoke Free Alternatives Trade Association is dedicated to the advocacy, education, and reputation of the electronic cigarette industry. Through its membership, SFATA builds the networks necessary to support campaigning and research endeavors paramount to the future of the industry. SFATA's primary concern is the fair regulation of electronic cigarettes in a way that creates an even playing field for all companies in the market. For more information, visit SFATA.org.