IPCPR Names Scott Pearce Executive Director, Promotes Dawn Conger

Scott Pearce will be the new executive director for the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR), the world’s largest premium cigar trade group.

He most recently served as the director of marketing for the American College of Radiology, a role he held for nearly eight years. Prior to that he served in a similar position at the International Road Federation for nearly six years.

“The board of directors would like to thank our IPCPR staff as they have worked to make sure everything was handled smoothly while the search committee went through nearly six months of interviews,” said Ken Neumann, president of IPCPR, in a press release. “We are excited to announce the hiring of Scott Pearce and are confident that he will do everything necessary to help our retailers for years to come.”

The role of executive director is new. Previously, the highest-ranking executive position was ceo, most recently held by Mark Pursell, until he left in October.

In addition, Dawn Conger has been promoted to vp of operations. Conger has overseen the group’s trade show operations since 2012, now she will also be in charge of operations, human resources and contract management.

Conger’s promotion was effective April 19; Pearce’s first day is May 7.

The IPCPR is the largest and most notable cigar trade group, primarily known for its annual trade show and convention, the most important cigar trade show of the year. In addition, the group plays a large role in lobbying from both a local and federal level and is also responsible for helping to fund many state-level trade organizations.

Declining trade show attendance combined with higher exhibitor and attendee costs has created significantly more scrutiny of the organization in recent years, particularly from cigar manufacturers, who contribute the vast majority of the money to the organization.

The 2018 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show begins July 13 in Las Vegas, Nev.