PCA Moving To Spring: 2024 Show Happening In March
For years, the cigar industry has complained about the summertime date of the Cigar Association’s annual trade show. The PCA listened and next year, the show will be in March.
Previously called the IPR (and RTDA before that), the trade show has been held during the summer months for at least the last 20 years, much to the chagrin of many of the retailers and cigar companies who attend the annual convention. The PCA has finally heeded the industrywide complaints and announced today that the 2024 show will be held on March 22 to 25 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
“From pretty much my first day on the job, I have heard from numerous that moving the trade show earlier in the year would be better for the annual business cycle,” said PCA executive director Scott Pearce.
According to Greg Zimmerman, president of the PCA board, the new dates will give retailers the opportunity to have products before the busy summer season “when demand is the highest.”
The show has traditionally been the place where the handmade cigar industry introduces its new products to the retailers, accepting early orders and offering discounts to those who attend.
The Tobacconists’ Association of America, a smaller subset of the PCA, traditionally holds its show in the spring, and the 2023 TAA show begins on Monday in the Dominican Republic. It’s unlikely that the TAA's 2024 show will be held during the same season as the PCA convention.
This year’s PCA trade show is taking place on July 7 to 11 at the Venetian Expo convention center in Las Vegas.
Read Next: 2023 Big Smoke Meets WhiskyFest Seminars: Marvin Shanken Makes Surprise Appearance
