E.P. Carrillo has become the first manufacturer to exhibit two consecutive years as Cigar Aficionado’s (CA) #1 Cigar of the Year, the industry’s most prestigious award – namely because there wasn’t any trade show in 2020. Still E.P. Carrillo has definitely been on fire the past few years. This year the focus was around the […]
The story for 7-20-4 Cigars has always been about bringing history, nostalgia, and premium cigars together. That story continued into 2021, but this year was a little different in that there were several items behind the scenes going on at the company. Earlier this year, owner Kurt Kendall hired Jas Broome as his new Brand […]
Each year, I select one company to be “The Company” at the Trade Show. For 2021, that honor was given to Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust. The idea was to pick one company that would essentially “kick butt” at the Trade Show. There was no doubt Dunbarton was going into the Trade Show with the most […]
For as long as I have been covering PCA/IPCPR Trade Shows, Arturo Fuente and J.C. Newman’s “street design” has been a staple of the show. When I heard both companies would be redesigning the booth, it was hard to imagine what they would do differently. This year, the companies still had adjacent booths. While J.C. […]
At the 2021 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show, we caught up with the PCA’s Executive Director, Scott Pearce. This conversation with Scott Pearce took place just after a media press conference and just before the start of the third day of the Trade Show. Scott gives his insights on how the first two days […]
J.C. Newman Cigar Company has always embraced its heritage. It’s proud to be the oldest family-owned cigar maker in America, and it’s proud of its 111-year-old El Reloj factory. Over the past few years, J.C. Newman has focused on its unique position of having such a rich history behind it. The company recently has […]
Economy of Scale is a theme that we saw with many companies this year, and when it comes to My Father Cigars’ booth, it applies to the company’s booth. I heard the folks on Cigar Dojo refer to the My Father Cigars’ booth as having a “jewelry store” feel to it. This year, My Father […]
2021 was certainly the year of the “Minimalist” booth, but when it comes to Illusione Cigars this is nothing new. Over the past decade at the previous IPCPR Trade Shows, there were years when owner Dion Giolito has not displayed new products – and the 2021 Premium Cigar Association Trade Show was one of those […]
For the second Trade Show in a row, the final day of the show had very slow foot traffic. However, that wasn’t where the drama came from. Instead, the manufacturers themselves created all the drama that has become associated with a trade show. It’s no secret that the PCA Trade Show has seen a dramatic […]
The cigar media, attendance, and annual PCA jinx are my takeaways from the third day of the PCA 2021 Trade Show. The start of Day Three saw cigar media gather for a press conference hosted by PCA Executive Director Scott Pearce, outgoing PCA President John Anderson, and incoming PCA President Greg Zimmermann. Of the 80 […]
