DAYTONA BEACH Issue 41 January 2023

By Kevin Dankman

Daytona Beach,

by: CHAMPS Staff Photographer Earth Smokes A lot @earthsmokesalot2 Marlon Hightower @_ElseCollective

The Most Famous Beach

If you missed out on CHAMPS Tradeshow in Daytona Beach, you missed out on a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Hotel rooms on the beach, beautiful weather, sunny, and in the '70s and '80s. Ideal temperature nestled between 2 Hurricanes. It seems that Jeff is correct. Someone upstairs likes us!

As with all new venues, there were a few mistakes and new things to learn. However, the buyers came and made the whole trip worth it.

CHAMPS had the first split floor, with one large 100,000 sqft Exhibit Hall and the Glass Bash Arena of 40,000 sqft.

It took a day or so for all the buyers to get used to it, but they eventually found both rooms successfully.

The exhibit hall was full of the big boys of the industry. Cake, Drip Drop, and Kratomade had unique booths bustling with business. There was an official smoking area outside the doors by the Fuego booth for the first time. The Fuego crew is so hot they needed their own fire exit!

One interesting product I found was from a new company from Tampa, Brothers Broadleaf, the first hand-rolled blunt wraps. The tobacco was fully cured and had a nice supple feeling. It smelled so good that it made you want to smoke the cigar itself.

It was great to see the Mycology companies doing well. Psilo-Mart looked busy the whole show.

When you stepped into the Arena, it was like walking into the finest art gallery full of artists selling and making art. The Vibe was new and exciting. Glassblowers who had never been to a CHAMPS Show were mingling with many of the familiar faces of CHAMPS Glass Games.

The Glass Bash was a one-of-a-kind new concept from the Glass Games Crew. In a first for CHAMPS, there were tons of Collaboration Stations. Collabland was a huge success; contemporary artists worked with some of the biggest names in the game.

We also got to see Hugh blow glass with Jerry Kelly, Sakibomb made a few fun things, Banjo and Joe P. collab with young upcoming artists like Nitro and TroubletheMaker.

The Florida glass artists came out, RAM and the guys from his studio Smiff and Ryder came out. Ray from Sea Shakes Glass brought his lathe out to make collabs alongside some glass blowers like Scoby, MJ Melts, JFK Glass, and others. He wasn't the only one to bring a lathe out. Enjoy and Prosper also brought his lathe to work on with others.

This was the most Glassblowers assembled in one place for an event in Florida. Artists came from all over to participate. JD Maplesden came in from the Pacific Northwest, Steve Cambria and Trina Caterina came in from the northeast, Casto from New Mexico, and Pogo came in from Colorado. One of my favorite old-school glassblowers was also in attendance from Eugene, Oregon. For the first time in a very long time, Dave Strobel joined the Eugene Glass School booth. I can personally attest to the journey Dave has been on. My first daily driver was a Strobel.

One of the most entertaining and unique things at this event was the Eugene Glass School Glassblower Challenge. Saeed really came through with a ton of free glass for the glassblowers and super fun experience for everyone.

So many amazing friends came out to support the Southeast's regional show.

The Glass games were also unique and exciting. The Glass Bash Car Show and Smash was a super event. They also had Best Solo made on-site and Best Solo Submission piece.

Glass Bash Best-in-Show Results:

1st Stucky

2nd Eternal Glass

3rd Big Lake Glass

Solo On-Site Winners

1st Armor Glass Noah

2nd Joe P. 3rd Casto

Solo Bring In Submission Winners

1st Charisma

2nd Armor Glass Noah

3rd Skoeet.

Not only did the artists come so did the buyers. They came from all over and even as far as Switzerland to buy glass for their shops. Over 1500 buyers from shops were in attendance, the largest Florida Total by far during a regular trade show season.

The Buyers scooped up all the silent auction pieces raising a whopping $11,571 for Charity. CHAMPS Daytona Beach earned one for the record books. But, with Florida, in the rearview, the CHAMPS Trade Show team will turn their focus to the next show.

CHAMPS Trade Show will kick off its 24th year in Las Vegas! February 8-11th, 2023 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.