Questions about attendance precede and proceed every IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, this year was no different.
According to numbers provided by the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR), this years show drew 752 retail stores and 1,920 badges issued to said stores. That represents a 16.6 percent drop in the number of stores and 20.5 percent drop in the number of badges compared to the 2016 trade show.
Year | Stores | Badges |
---|---|---|
2014 | 827 | 1,914 |
2015 | 745 | 1,896 |
2016 | 877 | 2,314 |
2017 | 752 | 1,920 |
2018 | 778 | 2,054 |
2019 | 771 | 2,085 |
2021 | 583 | 1,440 |
2022 | 707 | 2,036 |
2023 | 809 | 2,155 |
2024 | 850 | 2,200 |
Notably, both numbers still beat out the 2015 trade show, which was in New Orleans, but it’s the lowest attended of the last three trade shows. This year’s trade show was marked by some notable hurdles. It was the first trade show held since the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) began regulating premium cigars.
Perhaps more notably, late last year the IPCPR announced the trade show would move both dates and venues after being forced out of the Sands Expo Center.
The 2018 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show will take place July 13-17 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.