IPCPR 2019: Day 1 Recap

One day down, two and a half days to go, the saying goes.

While that’s not actually true as we’ve been here covering the cigar industry’s annual event for several days now, the trade show floor has only been open for one day of business. My day was spent on one side of the show floor, so I will be the first to admit that I didn’t see 80 percent of the happenings today, but from what I could tell, it looked both quiet and busy. A lot of booths had steady streams of customers in their booths looking at new product and writing orders, but the aisles weren’t terribly packed and the lines to get to people inside the booths didn’t seem overly long.

It’s an interesting situation, because while orders are being written and there seems to be a good bit of business being done, the thought about how many retailers aren’t here continues to linger in the back of my mind. This really should be an event that brings the whole industry together in one place for a few days, yet it seems like that hope is being roadblocked either by costs or simply a numbers game of how much it costs to attend the show versus how much one benefits from doing so.

That all said though, there were some things that stood out to me as I covered my first slice of the show floor:

• Oscar Valladares was one of the busier booths I both passed by and stopped by, and it seems like the Honduran cigar maker is riding a hot streak at the moment. He has three new releases this year, but beyond that people seem drawn to both him and his team, as well as the overall vibe of the booth. He once again welcomed in noted artist Cicerón Bautista to paint live during the show, creating items that will be raffled off to retailers who placed orders during the show. There’s something really appealing about what Oscar has to offer right now, and it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if his prominence in the industry continues to grow.
• High end items are back. We’ve talked about La Flor Dominicana’s Fleur d’Or cutter—priced at $16,000—but RVGH Rauchvergnügen is also offering a 3D-printed cigar ashtray, err…cigar hub, that checks in at just under $10,000 and can cross that mark with a few add-ons. We’ve talked a lot about the higher-end consumers lately—looking at you, CigarCon—and there certainly seems to be some products on display that are geared towards that clientele.
• The social aspect adapts. There had been some concern about where the industry would gather for drinks and cigars after the show given that previous gathering spots are no longer sound, but have no fear. Bar Luca more than fit the bill in The Palazzo, and I have to think that other hotels did well, as did the Davidoff of Geneva — since 1911 location and other cigar bars.
• The opinions about IPCPR/PCA and CigarCon continue to evolve. I’ve heard that PCA leadership is making the rounds explaining more details, which is starting to win over some manufacturers.
• There is still lots to be figured out and understood. Growing/fixing/revitalizing the trade show is a complicated and complex issue, and whatever you want to call it or see it become, there are a lot of moving parts involved. I know that I am constantly learning a lot about it all and hearing lots of different opinions; hopefully others are doing the same and using it to become more informed, considerate, active members of the organization.
• There’s more of a legislative presence. While covering a booth I ran into Joshua Habursky, PCA’s director of federal affairs, and he was leading around three aides to a U.S. representative, one of who was a big cigar fan. Having them on the floor to see things for themselves seems to be a win; hopefully they bring the good word back to D.C. about what the premium cigar industry is and why it shouldn’t be lumped in with other tobacco segments.
• Those poor badges. This year the badges that all attendees are required to wear for access to the show floor and other events is made of a fairly thin card stock, certainly not enough to withstand the occasional jostling or tug. I believe the halfwheel staff has reinforced theirs with gaffer’s tape or similar solutions, though many attendees have not been so lucky. It’s almost become a bit of a game to see who’s wearing the most beat up, torn up badge.

One of my colleagues asked me for my take on Day 1, and I said that while it wasn’t as perfect as I expected, it was better than I hoped, and that applies to both our coverage and the show in general. I’m optimistic that Day 2 will be a solid one, particularly in terms of the impression I get when it comes to retailers on the show floor, kicking the proverbial tires and hopefully bringing in new brands and expanding their offerings. It’s one thing to see existing clients writing orders, but for growth the industry needs new, first-time orders being written, and that’s thing I’m a bit concerned about over the coming days.