The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) and Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) have announced that STG is returning as an exhibitor to the 2023 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) trade show. The return will focus around the brands of Forged Cigar Company.

The move officially brings one of the “Big Four” back to the cigar industry’s annual signature trade show. In 2020, STG along with Altadis USA, Davidoff, and Drew Estate announced they were withdrawing from the PCA Trade Show.

At PCA 2023, STG will feature the entire Forged Cigar Company portfolio at the show. This includes brands such as Alec Bradley, Room101, Partagas, La Gloria Cubana, Diesel, Bolivar Cofradia, El Rey del Mundo and Chillin’ Moose. For Forged Cigar Company, a distribution arm formed by STG in 2021, this will mark the first trade show for Forged as an entity.

In an announcement made by the PCA and STG, Régis Broersma, president of STG’s North America and Rest of World division is quoted as saying, “We are very pleased with the recent, retailer-focused changes the PCA organization has made to the annual tradeshow and have decided to renew our participation beginning this year. The PCA show provides an unmatched opportunity to interact with the trade, and gives us a chance to thank the retail community for their unwavering support of Forged Cigar Company. PCA will also serve as a ’coming out party’ for us this year because we will be at the show as one company with the Alec Bradley brands fully integrated into our portfolio. Needless to say, we will have much to celebrate and much to talk about in Vegas.”

STG’s decision to return to the PCA trade show follows the organization’s recently-announced plans to move the show to March starting in 2024, in response to industry-wide demand.

In 2022, STG was present at the Trade Show in a limited capacity at the Room101 booth, but showcased brands such as Sancho Panza and Los Status Deluxe.

”Moving future PCA shows to March was a pivotal factor in our decision to come back to the show. The new timing not only aligns with our business cycle but it is also advantageous for our customers which is of the utmost importance to us,” added Broersma.

The announcements today made no mention of the brands of General Cigar Company, the other distribution arm of STG.

The 2023 PCA Trade Show will be held July 7-11, 2023 at the Venetian Resort & Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The PCA announced on Friday, March 24 the change of the 2024 trade show dates to March 22-25, 2024 from what has been traditionally held in July.