PCA 2023: Global Premium Cigars

It has been several years since I covered the Global Premium Cigars booth, seven to be exact. One thing that I’ve never forgotten is how enthusiastic and friendly the company’s founder, Enrique Sánchez, always was when I would talk with him. That hasn’t changed a bit, something I’m glad to see, as his happiness is contagious and I think we could all use a little bit more of that.

Looking back at last year’s coverage by Brooks Whittington, the booth pieces themselves haven’t changed, but there has been an addition.

One thing I’m kind of surprised I don’t see more of, considering the show is usually in Las Vegas, are little gambling setups like this in more booths.

Global Premium Cigars set up a small craps table where retailers could roll to win 1502-branded cigar accessories such as ashtrays and lighters. It seemed like a nice addition to pull customers into the booth and strike up a conversation.

1502 Aniversario 10 New Packaging

While no new cigars were coming from Global Premium Cigars this year at the show, the 1502 cigar lines are getting new cardboard tubes, or actually, I guess you should say boxes. The 1502 Aniversario 10 is the first to get the treatment, with the remaining lines getting them next month. On the exterior of the box, it lists the blend information, along with the strength profile on a scale of 1-5, and then the design of the boxes allows retailers to display them in such a way that when four boxes are put together, the 1502 logo is visible for distinctive branding.

The new cardboard packages will come in 20-count boxes and are in addition to the regular wooden boxes, with both being priced the same, so it’s just the customer’s preference of whether they want a 1502 cigar with or without the cardboard protection.