Washington, D.C. -- (ReleaseWire) -- 09/23/2013 --The Smoke Free Alternatives Trade Association (SFATA), the largest electronic cigarette industry trade organization will host a cocktail reception on October 3rd. Open to the public, the reception is designed to bring together staffers, legislators, business owners, media and interested parties in Washington, D.C. in advance of the two-day fly-in event SFATA has organized to advocate for innovation and access.

The October 3rd and 4th fly-in is a landmark event for the e-cig and personal electronic vaporizer unit (PEVU) industry; another in a line of firsts pioneered by SFATA. The reception falls on the first day of the fly-in and will give the public, D.C. insiders and media the opportunity to engage industry stakeholders in a social setting. Held at the popular Tabula Rasa in the Barracks section of D.C., the cocktail reception breaks ground by finally providing a relaxed environment for political and business entities to informally share ideas and views on these innovative and ever-evolving products.

The electronic cigarette and PEVU industry has been under intense scrutiny for some time, dogged by misinformation and biased research. Over the past two years SFATA has hosted educational workshops, seminars and regulatory updates to the industry and will continue working to maintain effective, productive collaboration between political and business players.

Prior to attending the reception, SFATA members will have spent the day in briefings on the political landscape surrounding electronic cigarettes, the basics of industry advocacy, and the essential arguments in support of a free and fair market for electronic cigarettes. The following day, members will meet with representatives on Capital Hill and discuss the decisions to be made over years to come.

SFATA staff and members of law firm Venable LLP will be in attendance at the reception. Venable LLP has provided legal and regulatory expertise to the electronic cigarette industry since the products first came to the U.S. market. SFATA has been working on behalf of the electronic cigarette industry since it was founded in early 2012.

“This reception will be a great opportunity to break the ice and meet some contacts,” says Cynthia Cabrera, executive director of SFATA. “Events like this are as important as the scheduled meetings we have planned for the following day. They make it easier to have an open dialogue about the industry and its political future.”

The reception will be at the trendy Capital Hill event space Tabula Rasa (731 8th Street SE, Washington, DC) in the Barracks District of DC. Attendance is open to members of the media, political representatives, e-cig industry leaders, and the general public, though registration is required. The reception is on October 3rd from 6:30pm to 9:30pm.

While the reception is an open event, meetings are exclusively for members of SFATA. For more information about the reception or the fly-in, visit SFATA.org or 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, email info@sfata.org or call 218-22-SFATA.