Day Two of the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show took place on April 13. Overall, this was a positive day for the Cigar Coop Coalition team covering the trade show. The trade show is certainly a marathon, and our team is on the show floor for nine hours. From a personal standpoint, I have gotten re-energized covering this trade show.
I discussed that PCA has done an incredible job on the convention day and Day One in those recaps. The question of whether the PCA would successfully host a Trade Show in New Orleans has been answered positively. Now, there’s talk about wanting to keep the Trade Show in New Orleans for many years to come. It seems that the small details are paying off. For instance, the morning PCA Café outside the Convention Center has been well-received by both exhibitors and attendees. I’ve also noticed Executive Director Joshua Habursky actively present on the show floor, ensuring everything is running smoothly and gathering feedback. It is evident that he and the PCA staff are not only focused on organizing the Trade Show but also committed to providing excellent customer service for both attendees and exhibitors.
While I have not attended the after-hours smoking venues at Manning’s or Cuban Creations, I’ve heard positive reviews on that. Attendance seemed decent there.
Foot traffic was slightly down on Day Two. I use the word foot traffic to reference the number of people on the Trade Show at any given time. The slight reduction in attendance was noticeable in the afternoon, but it was not unexpected. I know of several retailers who only attended the Trade Show on Saturday and Sunday so they could be home by Monday. As I mentioned earlier, many retailers cannot afford to stay for all three days of the Trade Show, leading some to leave early. However, this year, the decrease in foot traffic does not seem as pronounced as in previous years.
The Masters tournament is widely recognized, even though I’m not particularly fond of it. However, its popularity is undeniable. This year, Masters Weekend coincided with the Trade Show weekend. Some booths creatively took advantage of this by setting up television screens to broadcast the Masters. I’ve heard that there may have been as many as five booths doing this. Below is a massive screen I saw at the Crux booth during the final round, which certainly attracted attention. Many people were both watching and making purchases at that booth.
Tomorrow, we will recap the final day of the 2025 PCA Trade Show, then get you into our detailed post-game coverage.
