IPCPR 2018: Day 2 Recap

Day two of the 2018 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show is in the bag and while you’re reading this we’re already getting into day three, but day two could have possibly been the most interesting trade show day I’ve ever experienced.

1. Get Fired Up — The 2018 IPCPR slogan is Get Fired Up which unfortunately was a bit too literal overnight. As we reported about yesterday morning, an electrical fire broke out around 5 a.m. causing the sprinkler system to go off, dumping an extensive amount of water on a number of booths and the surrounding carpet.

Not surprisingly the show’s opening was delayed, but what was surprising is how quickly it was cleaned up. With only a few hours delay the convention center staff was able to clean up the water damage and get things in reasonable order again by 1 p.m. when the show opened.

The show ended up losing an hour overall, down to six hours instead of seven, but the IPCPR has extended day three’s hours to 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. to make it up

2. Attitude — For a few years now the doom and gloom of the FDA regulations has hung heavy over the trade show like a wet blanket.

Every conversation you had would inevitably turn to discussing some aspect of the regulations, whether briefly or to the point where it dominated the conversation. This year has been significantly different, with only some brief mentions here or there if it was pertinent to the discussion. Manufacturers and retailers alike seem to have turned the corner and are now realizing that the cigar industry will adapt and continue. Attitudes are positive, spirits are high and overall it’s a very noticeable difference from years past

3. No Ghost Towns — From year to year the floor layout changes, whether it’s a venue change or just a general change as to how aisles and booths are laid out. With many of these layouts it seemed that there would be little pockets of booths that didn’t seem to get as much foot traffic as the rest.

This year I haven’t seen that phenomenon yet, with every booth from front to back and even over in the far corners having people come by. Perhaps it’s the new layout, perhaps more retailers are here as Brooks’ mentioned in his mention of how busy it is. Whatever the reason though, it’s a good thing to see.