Every industry has its pilgrimage. The one annual gathering where the whole tribe shows up, where deals get made, reputations get built and the year’s direction gets set. For the premium cigar world, that place is the PCA Trade Show. And in April, for the second straight year, all roads led to Convention Center Boulevard in New Orleans, Louisiana, where 262 exhibiting companies and nearly 6,000 attendees converged to do what the cigar industry does best: Light up, lean in and get to work.
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno penned a personal welcome to attendees prior to the start of the show, extending the warm hospitality and open-hearted spirit that she said defines her city [Read more here].
“The Premium Cigar Association has built a long legacy of supporting specialty tobacco retailers, manufacturers, and industry partners through advocacy, education, and business development,” Moreno wrote. “That mission matters because strong industries depend on strong relationships, entrepreneurial spirit, and a commitment to helping small businesses grow.”
That sentiment rang true from the moment industry professionals began streaming into NOLA. Hotel lobbies and expo foyers filled with manufacturers from across the globe, who rubbed elbows with retailers from small-town smoke shops and big-city tobacconists. And the 2026 show coincided once again with the city’s legendary French Quarter Festival, layering the week with an extra charge of energy—more music, more culture and a sense that the whole of New Orleans was in on the celebration.
Day 1 set the tone with a full schedule of tastings, panels and the PCA Annual Meeting. Following an exclusive pairing session with La Aurora and E. León Jimenes Rum and the latest release of the Hand Rolled docuseries, this episode featuring Padrón, the focus turned toward hospitality and “the art of crafting unforgettable guest experiences.”
Rocky Patel, of Rocky Patel Cigars, and Gabriel Urrutia, professor of hospitality and tourism management at Florida International University, delved deep into the benefits and importance of creating a hospitable culture in your business.
“We need to bring more to the table as the world gets more competitive,” said Urrutia. “People are looking for experiences that they can share with friends that are extraordinary. In a 2025 survey, 36 percent of respondents said they are looking for an experience when they go out and 42 percent said they’re willing to spend more for that experience. So, what’s that extra step you’re going to take to be able to wow that consumer?”
Patel, who owns five Burn by Rocky Patel cigar lounges across the country and a cigar line, said the retailers’ goal should be to build something inviting and create a culture where smoking a cigar “transcends you.”
And just from pointing out a few examples of retailers in the audience, he gave a number of ideas to create a unique experience.
“As soon as you meet somebody who smokes a cigar, it’s an automatic friendship. So, you need to cultivate that, plant that seed and take it to the next level,” said Patel. “And that experience doesn’t need to be just in your store. There are several people in this room I see. Dave Garofalo—he does one of the most amazing events every year, 800 people, giving away Rolls-Royces, bars of gold. He has comedians … he’s built a legacy.
“And Rudy over there from Indiana, he’s got a train ride from Indiana to Michigan. You can smoke on the train, you go to a brewery for lunch and then ride back. So, the energy and money you put in comes back tenfold. So, think about unique things you can do that are local to your area, experiences that you can create. People will enjoy that; they’ll come back and buy boxes from you.”
Patel also noted that retailers can’t expect every idea to be a home run right out of the gate, but the goal is to show your customers a willingness to create experiences beyond the purchase and that over time the effort will pay off.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” he said. “Maybe the first time you only do something special for 10 customers, but if it works, those 10 are going to talk to five more people so that next time you have 15 or 20 and it builds from there. It’s going to take time. Maybe six out of 10 ideas won’t work, but those four will be fruitful enough for you that it’s going to grow your business.”
Following the panels, and before the welcoming parties commenced at Mississippi River Heritage Park and The Warehouse Bar, actor/comedian Marlon Wayans and celebrity chef Guy Fieri engaged in a lively keynote discussion on their shared love of cigars and creating respective cigar brands that speak for themselves beyond their celebrity personas. It was a fitting segway into the evening’s festivities late into the night.
The capstone of the show’s opening day was the presentation of PCA’s annual Best of the Leaf Awards and Step Up Awards. The Best of the Leaf celebrates excellence in the industry by honoring retailers that “deliver exceptional experiences through quality, service and dedication to the cigar community.” This year’s winners are:
Cigar Shop Category
- Midwest Region: Norwood Royal Cigars, Chicago, Illinois
- South Region: Neptune Cigars, Pinecrest, Florida
- International: The Leaf Master, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Cigar Lounge Category
- West Region: Stanley Pappas Cigars DTC, Denver, Colorado
- Northeast Region: Kapnos Cigars, Seven Fields, Pennsylvania
- South Region: Industrial Cigar Co., Frisco, Texas
- International: The Cabinet Club, Kuwait City, Kuwait
Cigar Bar Category
- Midwest Region: Tasting Room of Monona, Monona, Wisconsin
- South Region: Vintage Cigar Lounge, Huntsville, Alabama
- West Region: Pívat Cigar Lounge, Rancho Mirage, California
The Step Up Awards recognize outstanding leadership and dedication to premium cigar advocacy and honor those that have gone above and beyond to protect the rights of premium cigar businesses and consumers. This year’s honorees are:
Josh Pickett, The Louisville Cigar Company
Honored for his impactful local advocacy efforts that resulted in reinstating cigar bar exemptions in Louisville, Kentucky.
Chuck Ripley, The Cigar Social USA
Recognized for advancing cigar-friendly legislation in Iowa, opposing proposed tax increases and helping establish the state’s first premium cigar association.
Senator Mike Pike, Iowa State Senate
Honored for championing the interests of cigar retailers, sponsoring cigar bar legislation and successfully opposing tax increases during his first term.
Rocky Patel, Rocky Patel Premium Cigars
Celebrated for his national leadership in defending premium cigars and supporting advocacy initiatives across the industry.
Glenn Wolfson, Drew Estate
Recognized for a decade of leadership as CEO, demonstrating long-term commitment and strategic vision that has strengthened the premium cigar community.
Governor Jeff Landry, State of Louisiana
Honored for signing landmark cigar tax cap legislation that supports tobacconists and promotes a strong premium cigar market.
As the show progressed—and while deals were struck and attendees enjoyed daily welcome cigars, evening receptions and expanded PCA After Hours events—education was a guiding theme. Litto Gómez of La Flor Dominicana, and Scott Regina, past president of the PCA and owner of Emerson’s Cigars, shared their thoughts on strengthening your business and the future of retail.
“Premium cigar retail is truly specialty retail,” said Regina. “When we hire people to work at our stores, some of the first things we tell them is you’re not hired to be a cashier, you’re hired to help people through a journey. You need to want to excel in customer service. You need to develop product knowledge, so when people come into the store what we’re delivering to them is a remarkable experience.
“And if there’s one piece of advice I can tell people, it’s to put time aside, an hour or two a week, especially owners and general managers, and focus on how to improve your business,” Regina said. “Call your peers, ask people what’s working. Look for new ideas. The big thing everyone’s talking about right now is AI. We don’t know if it can be useful for us, but we’re messing around with it a little. Can it help us with scheduling? Can it help us with inventory management? You really have to be disciplined as owners and leaders of your organization to put that time aside to improve, because it’s not going to happen on its own. You’ve got to initiate it yourself.”
Gómez concurred, noting that retailers can lean on the strength of the industry. “[This industry] is resilient. We don’t accept the word no. And I encourage everyone to keep doing that. You have a challenge, you figure out how to overcome it. We’ve seen it on the legislative side, the advocacy side. We see it at the local level when you’re building out your stores and the challenges you have with building codes. But we figure it out.”
As Gómez noted, that industry resiliency is exemplified in PCA’s undeterred advocacy efforts. Even after successful victories against the FDA and a plethora of state and local regulations, the threats to the industry continue.
“Generational bans are the single greatest threat to the future of the cigar community because they want to legislate who is an adult,” said Glynn Loope, PCA’s state affairs director during an educational session on advocacy. “The epicenter in the United States for that is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Once it was introduced there, it was introduced in California, Tennessee and Indiana. None of them passed except at the local level in Massachusetts, but there’s a statewide bill that’s pending there.”
Rob Burgess, CEO of Connector Inc., a consultancy firm that works closely with the PCA advocacy team in Washington D.C., noted that while generational bans have not been introduced at the federal level yet, they are actively keeping an eye on it along with their current efforts regarding tariffs. “We are continuing to have conversations with the administration, pushing back and pointing out that cigars are not a product that can be 100 percent made in the U.S. and therefore should not be used as a foil in trade negotiations.”
The positives, however, outweigh the struggles. From the federal cigar caucus becoming bicameral and state exemptions for cigar bars to the increasing number of cigar smokers being elected to public office and the exemption of premium cigars from FDA regulation, the PCA is clearly in its strongest position ever to continue its fight for premium cigar independence.
As the weekend turned to Monday and retailers placed their last orders and the booths began to come down, it was clear PCA26 had delivered a little business, a lot of pleasure, and memories that linger like a long, slow smoke. While we are sad to see another impactful show end, we are already looking forward to next year’s show, which will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 5–8, 2027. See you there!