In February, Element ambassadors Rinat Akberov and Pavel Egorov went on a work trip to Serbia. The guys shared unique moments that made their trip especially memorable. And also - talked about hookah culture of our countries, found out if there is a difference in the work of hookah masters in Russia and Serbia and asked how the flavors are revealed in another country, and much more.
Tell us, why did you travel to Serbia? How was the trip?
Rinat: We came to Serbia to popularize the Element brand. The trip was great - we held a B2B event for the hookah masters of lounges and project founders, an open shift and a tasting line in HookahPlace and Hookah House projects. Also worked behind the counter at the Nargila Shop tobacco retail store, helping customers select products and selecting mixes with Element.This is the store of Element distributor in Serbia. Due to the Nargila Shop company, hookah lovers in Serbia have the opportunity to get to know new Element products.
What specific features of hookah culture did you manage to identify in the country?
Pasha: Let me put it this way - there is hookah culture there, but, unfortunately, it hasn't reached a large scale yet. There are not so many amateurs and professionals, but I think that this number will grow exponentially every year.
Rinat: When I arrived in Belgrade, I realized that there is a missing hookah community here, some kind of association of people from our field. After that I decided to create a big chat room where all the hookah masters of the city would join, and I did it. In this chat - a full-fledged communication and union of masters from Belgrade: https://t.me/publickmserbia.
What is the difference in the work of a hookah master in Russia and Serbia?
Pasha: The work of a hookah master in both countries is absolutely the same, in my opinion there are no differences. The only thing is that in Serbia a hookah master must know several languages - Russian, English, Serbian.
Rinat: Actually there is no difference between Russia and Serbia. Both regions have their own unique features, but in general the market situation is quite similar. At the moment there are many different brands represented in Serbia, and it is a pleasure to work there, as there is an opportunity to engage with new and interesting products.
What are the top Element flavors in Serbia?
Rinat: Actually, not all Element flavors are on the market yet, but still Watermelon Holls, Ekzo and Cherry Juice are selling like hotcakes.
Pasha: Feijoa lemonade, Strawberry soda - I noticed this based on 3 days spent behind the counter at the store. If we highlight the TOPs from the tasting, these are: Gaba, Chak-chak, Chinese rose.
How do the flavors reveal themselves in Serbia? What difference have you noticed?
Rinat: In both countries the smoking process is so similar that it creates a feeling of unity in hookah culture. Everything is smoking as cool as in Russia.
Pasha: I agree, in general everything is smoking the same way as in Russia. I didn't notice anything unusual.
What is worth seeing in Belgrade? Where did you go?
Pasha: We had time to see not so much during a few days - we saw the soccer stadium “Rajko Mitic” - the home stadium of Serbian FC “Red Star”, very cool and atmospheric. We saw the Avala TV Tower - they say it's like the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, but Rinat and I called it a “bottle”.
Rinat: Yeah, that's right, it was a soccer stadium. I loved it. It was a cool stadium. And inside the stadium there was a room with cups, awards of the Red Star team, there were a lot of them.
Name the top lounges in the city in your opinion. Have you smoked hookah with a view over Belgrade?
Rinat: Unfortunately, we didn't have that much time to visit enough lounges and make a rating. Among the lounges we visited, I would definitely recommend Tyman Lounge, HookahPlace Belgrade and Hookah House - great projects.
Pasha: We haven't smoked a hookah with a view of Belgrade, but I'll put this on my to-do list for my next trip. Yes, we only had time to visit Tyman Lounge, HookahPlace Belgrade and Hookah House, but each lounge is unique in its own way, and making a rating may not accurately reflect their individual qualities.
What do you remember if we ask about the most interesting moments of the trip?
Pasha: To be honest, while we were in Serbia, every moment was unique and memorable - because for me, as an Element ambassador, it was the first experience of a working trip abroad. Communicating with Serbian hookah masters, locals, immersing myself in the culture of the country - all this played its role and left a cool impression. I will add another cool moment: we smoked Element on a 1.5 meter hookah, it was cool. Interesting experience even for me and Rinat, it's cool when you can change coals while standing.
Would you like to go back there someday?
Rinat: I would definitely go back there. I really liked the people there - really friendly people, very open, and my skills would really come into their favor. It's a great opportunity to reach my potential and share my experience with local masters.
Pasha: More of a yes than a no. It's an interesting city that we didn't really get to see, but we still met some cool guys.
Would you be able to work as a hookah master in Serbia? Why?
Rinat: Yeah, more than that. It's a cool, groovy market. It's easily accessible and at the same time not fully developed, so my creativity and this field is a perfect balance. And I think a lot of people who are going to move there will have an easy time doing that. There are plenty of projects there.
Pasha: Probably, yes. It's quite easy to work there. If we take a Russian hookah lounge, the audience there is Russian, and smoking in Serbia is the same as in Russia.
Tell us, why did you travel to Serbia? How was the trip?
Rinat: We came to Serbia to popularize the Element brand. The trip was great - we held a B2B event for the hookah masters of lounges and project founders, an open shift and a tasting line in HookahPlace and Hookah House projects. Also worked behind the counter at the Nargila Shop tobacco retail store, helping customers select products and selecting mixes with Element.This is the store of Element distributor in Serbia. Due to the Nargila Shop company, hookah lovers in Serbia have the opportunity to get to know new Element products.
What specific features of hookah culture did you manage to identify in the country?
Pasha: Let me put it this way - there is hookah culture there, but, unfortunately, it hasn't reached a large scale yet. There are not so many amateurs and professionals, but I think that this number will grow exponentially every year.
Rinat: When I arrived in Belgrade, I realized that there is a missing hookah community here, some kind of association of people from our field. After that I decided to create a big chat room where all the hookah masters of the city would join, and I did it. In this chat - a full-fledged communication and union of masters from Belgrade: https://t.me/publickmserbia.
What is the difference in the work of a hookah master in Russia and Serbia?
Pasha: The work of a hookah master in both countries is absolutely the same, in my opinion there are no differences. The only thing is that in Serbia a hookah master must know several languages - Russian, English, Serbian.
Rinat: Actually there is no difference between Russia and Serbia. Both regions have their own unique features, but in general the market situation is quite similar. At the moment there are many different brands represented in Serbia, and it is a pleasure to work there, as there is an opportunity to engage with new and interesting products.
What are the top Element flavors in Serbia?
Rinat: Actually, not all Element flavors are on the market yet, but still Watermelon Holls, Ekzo and Cherry Juice are selling like hotcakes.
Pasha: Feijoa lemonade, Strawberry soda - I noticed this based on 3 days spent behind the counter at the store. If we highlight the TOPs from the tasting, these are: Gaba, Chak-chak, Chinese rose.
How do the flavors reveal themselves in Serbia? What difference have you noticed?
Rinat: In both countries the smoking process is so similar that it creates a feeling of unity in hookah culture. Everything is smoking as cool as in Russia.
Pasha: I agree, in general everything is smoking the same way as in Russia. I didn't notice anything unusual.
What is worth seeing in Belgrade? Where did you go?
Pasha: We had time to see not so much during a few days - we saw the soccer stadium “Rajko Mitic” - the home stadium of Serbian FC “Red Star”, very cool and atmospheric. We saw the Avala TV Tower - they say it's like the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, but Rinat and I called it a “bottle”.
Rinat: Yeah, that's right, it was a soccer stadium. I loved it. It was a cool stadium. And inside the stadium there was a room with cups, awards of the Red Star team, there were a lot of them.
Name the top lounges in the city in your opinion. Have you smoked hookah with a view over Belgrade?
Rinat: Unfortunately, we didn't have that much time to visit enough lounges and make a rating. Among the lounges we visited, I would definitely recommend Tyman Lounge, HookahPlace Belgrade and Hookah House - great projects.
Pasha: We haven't smoked a hookah with a view of Belgrade, but I'll put this on my to-do list for my next trip. Yes, we only had time to visit Tyman Lounge, HookahPlace Belgrade and Hookah House, but each lounge is unique in its own way, and making a rating may not accurately reflect their individual qualities.
What do you remember if we ask about the most interesting moments of the trip?
Pasha: To be honest, while we were in Serbia, every moment was unique and memorable - because for me, as an Element ambassador, it was the first experience of a working trip abroad. Communicating with Serbian hookah masters, locals, immersing myself in the culture of the country - all this played its role and left a cool impression. I will add another cool moment: we smoked Element on a 1.5 meter hookah, it was cool. Interesting experience even for me and Rinat, it's cool when you can change coals while standing.
Would you like to go back there someday?
Rinat: I would definitely go back there. I really liked the people there - really friendly people, very open, and my skills would really come into their favor. It's a great opportunity to reach my potential and share my experience with local masters.
Pasha: More of a yes than a no. It's an interesting city that we didn't really get to see, but we still met some cool guys.
Would you be able to work as a hookah master in Serbia? Why?
Rinat: Yeah, more than that. It's a cool, groovy market. It's easily accessible and at the same time not fully developed, so my creativity and this field is a perfect balance. And I think a lot of people who are going to move there will have an easy time doing that. There are plenty of projects there.
Pasha: Probably, yes. It's quite easy to work there. If we take a Russian hookah lounge, the audience there is Russian, and smoking in Serbia is the same as in Russia.