The weekend of March 15, 2025, Smoke Inn held its 19th annual “The Great Smoke” (TGS) event. The main event was held at the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach, Florida.  Over the years, I have seen this event grow into one of the premier cigar events in the world. I’ve put together a series of observations and notes at the event each year I have attended The Great Smoke. I’ve always found event recaps dull. Even at a top-tier event like TGS, it’s tempting to offer the cliché summary: “We ate, smoked, and had a good time.” The cliché fit TGS 2025, but as always, there was so much more.

The Great Smoke 2025 Post-Game Report

This is more than a Tablecloth Convention

This year, the crowd was enormous, with 2,700 people inside the venue for the main event. I’ll be honest, today, many manufacturers and their reps will lay their cigars on a tablecloth, offer a special price, and refer to this as  an“event.” Unfortunately, this trend has spread to many other multi-vendor events. It’s important to emphasize that The Great Smoke goes well beyond a tablecloth event, and the 2025 edition certainly reinforced that distinction.

Yes, there were tablecloths and boxes of cigars laid out on them, but there was so much more. There were numerous activations, themes, entertainment, food, etc. Celebrity names such as Martin Kove and Michael Knowles were in attendance. I’ll cover some of the highlights in the next sections that differentiate this event.

A Themed Event

Here is something that seals the deal for me: a theme. This theme for the 2025 Great Smoke was the Renaissance Revival. The themes were introduced a few years ago, and past years have included disco, Hawaiian luau, Mardi Gras, and Year of the Dragon. The theme takes center stage and provides a customized event for that year with cigars, swag, food, and entertainment matching the theme. What I also love about the themes is how the staff and attendees dress up in costume.  It brings a true element of audience participation to the event.

I wasn’t sure how the live Sakasquatch walking around the Trade Show fit into this year’s theme, but it worked.

The Zino Lounge

In my opinion, this is becoming the star attraction of the show. Distinguished Ruffians and Espinosa put on a really good tailgate party, but the outdoor smoking lounge might be one of the best ideas TGS has implemented.

The outdoor smoking lounge provides a place to smoke before the doors open for the Great Smoke. Zino sponsored the 2025 lounge. There is a dynamic that takes place in this area that is something special. Each year, it serves as the meeting area to catch up with old friends and make new friends.

There is always a line of people waiting to get into TGS, but I believe there’s no reason to wait outside for the doors to open. The lounge offers refreshments and various activities, allowing visitors to enjoy themselves instead of standing in line. This setting is also quite relaxed, and even someone who tends to be anti-social, like me, appreciates the Zino lounge. Additionally, Zino excels in hospitality, making everyone feel welcome.

A Weekend of Activity

The main Saturday event is the highlight of the TGS weekend. Recognizing that many people travel for this event, Smoke Inn has offered a series of events surrounding TGS. This included free store pre-events featuring Rocky Patel and Nick Melillo, a free after-party sponsored by Rock-A-Feller cigars, and the tailgate party I mentioned in the parking lot. On top of that, there were some premium ticketed events, including The Red Meat Lovers dinner with Steve Saka, bourbon tasting with Terence Reilly, and a Sunday Brunch with El Mago cigars.

What I like about this is how it is offered in à la carte fashion, and you can budget and time which of these auxiliary events. More importantly, it turns what is an event into a festival week.

A Virtual Reality

Since the COVID pandemic wiped out the in-person 2021 TGS, there has been a virtual component to TGS. While 2021 was dubbed The Digital Experience 2021, the virtual component has remained a part of TGS. This is a live broadcast featuring television-level production. Michael Herklots has served as the host for this segment. Smoke Inn owner, Abe Dababneh mentioned that producing this level of television content is becoming increasingly expensive, and there is a possibility that TGS 2026 might be the last virtual broadcast. However, one more year of production is planned because next year marks the 20th anniversary of TGS, and Abe wishes to document that milestone.

I hope that Michael continues to serve as the host, regardless of whether the event is live-streamed. While I understand that he plays a significant role for the viewers at home, he also provides essential support for the in-person audience. His presence helps maintain a smooth flow and elevates the experience beyond just the physical setting.

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One final comment: Next year’s 20th anniversary event is being dubbed “The Greatest Show on Earth.” I assume the event will have a circus motif, which caused me to wonder if there is anyone in the cigar industry who can be compared to P.T. Barnum, the founder of what became the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus, more than Abe Dababneh.

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted