Premium Cigar Association Drops Media Member Dues

The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) has announced that it is ending its requirement that members of the media pay dues in order to gain access to the organization’s annual trade show, a change that will go into effect in 2024.

Dues for media members were most recently $450 per year. Media were considered “industry partners,” a category that also applied to cigar brokers, distributors and suppliers, meaning companies such as tobacco growers, cigar box makers and software providers.

Members of the media will still be required to apply for a specialized media badge in order to attend the trade show, a process that will involve submitting previous articles, videos and other work to verify that an individual or entity applying for a badge does indeed cover the cigar industry. This reverts back to a policy that PCA had in the early 2010s, when the organization was known as the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR).

In terms of show floor access, the PCA is modifying its policies to allow media on the floor at the same time as exhibitors, meaning those covering the show will no longer have to wait for the show’s official start time to enter. Media badges will also grant access to the trade show’s opening reception.

The PCA said that the change is being made in response to feedback from “numerous media” regarding the price of membership and how the association handles media attendance at the trade show. “It is our hope that this change will cut down on the number of individuals using the media registration for the wrong reasons,” the PCA wrote in a press release, adding that some exhibitors at the show had been providing media members with a badge that should have been meant for one of their staff or employees.