Habanos S.A. Pulls Out of InterTabac Trade Show

Habanos S.A., the Cuban cigar giant, has become the latest major company to stop exhibiting at InterTabac, the international tobacco trade show that takes place each September in Dortmund, Germany.

The decision from Habanos S.A.—and its German distributor, 5th Avenue Products Trading GmbH—follows similar moves from other large InterTabac exhibitors, including Arnold André, Davidoff, Dannemann and Scandinavian Tobacco Group, all of which have stopped exhibiting at the trade show in recent years. Like those companies, the decision is said to be based on several factors: declining participation by German retailers and an increase in e-cigarette and vape companies. L’Amateur Cigare first reported the news.

InterTabac 2024 will take place Sept. 19-21.

While Habanos S.A. rarely announced new products during InterTabac, the company would often show off upcoming new products that may have been announced earlier in the year at the Festival del Habano, which takes place in February. Many times, InterTabac would be the first place a new Edición Limitada release would be seen in person. Habanos S.A.’s booth—they are referred to as stands in Europe—was shared with 5th Avenue, the company’s German distributor. It was one of the most prominent booths and also one of the busiest.

In the last 15 years, InterTabac has grown immensely. Some of this growth has been due to increased participation by cigar companies, which—by the number of companies present—has increased exponentially. That said, the most impactful change has been on the e-cigarette and vaping side, which now occupies five separate areas of Messe Dortmund, the facility where the trade show takes place. The trade show has gone from one dominated by traditional tobacco products—cigars, cigarettes, pipe and smokeless tobacco—to one that caters equally, if not more, to the vape and next-generation products. InterTabac has also begun to work in the marijuana space, something that is likely to increase given Germany’s recent approval of recreational marijuana.

Coinciding with these changes has been a noticeable decline in attendance by German retailers. Historically, many retailers would stop by the trade fair on Sunday, its final day. Over the years, that trailed off and now the trade show takes place Thursday-Saturday instead of its historical Friday-Sunday schedule.