The 2026 PCA trade show in New Orleans set the tone for the industry, with a steady pace of activity, featuring a variety of special moments from a cigar dinner with Governor Jeff Landry in Baton Rouge to informative education sessions to jam-packed social events and parties. Just because the dust has settled after this wave of activity at the trade show doesn’t mean the association is stopping. In fact, we are already planning PCA 2027 in Las Vegas, among other events, both large and small. Furthermore, as a key player in the overall premium cigar industry, it is important that we also support other industry events, including festivals in cigar-producing countries like the recent Festival Del Puro Y El Café in Honduras, Cigar Aficionado’s Big Smoke, and the upcoming Intertabac Trade Show in Dortmund, Germany.
The PCA, as an association, is not a one-hit wonder and offers membership services throughout the year, including affinity partnerships, advocacy/lobbying, membership events, informational resources and guides, courses and training through The Cigar Academy, publications and public relations, and general membership services. Our staff recently completed an all-day retreat to plan the rest of 2026 and review the association’s goals and trajectory over the next three years. I will spoil the punchline: everyone should be prepared for constant activity and engagement.
The staff and board of directors are preparing for major undertakings, including working to address a persistent issue for our retail members in the small business insurance space. We will be launching a survey on this topic soon, and I implore all of our members to participate so we can adequately address this issue and build a solution with a lasting impact. Our team will continue visiting members to solicit direct feedback. I personally have scheduled visits to Portland, Oregon; Cheyenne, Wyoming (Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival); St. Louis, Missouri; and Minneapolis, Minnesota this summer.
Internationally, PCA has grown significantly from 6 retail/distributor members to over 50 in a short span of time (less than a year). This growth is a result of new programming and a focus on education and international engagement. This is not being done at the expense of domestic programming, and the offerings are not for everyone. We are building a menu of options for retailers and manufacturers to choose from. Some of you may attend the World Cigar Show in Dubai, and some may choose not to. Some of you may choose to participate in PCA Connect Asia, and others may choose not to attend. Some of you are participating in The Around the World in 80 Cigars Book: The American Dream, and others are attending our Masterclass on Luxury Cigar Marketing at FIU. Just as people go to a restaurant to order steak, chicken, or fish (or a combination of items), we are providing that menu of choices. All these initiatives are being orchestrated in a financially responsible way. In fact, the World Cigar Show was profitable to the PCA in year one, and the association was able to devote another $75K to staff advocacy as a result.
The association is growing, and we are seeing other associations and companies outside of the premium cigar space want to work with PCA because of the ability to quickly develop innovative programs and to challenge the status quo. We are working on several partnerships in the luxury market to expand public relations for the premium cigar sector. PCA 2026 was an anchor event that brought much of this together through hospitality sessions, tastings, and an expanded media presence, allowing the association and its members to tell the unique story of premium cigars. I never imagined starting the first day of the show in the studio of the local New Orleans TV station, surrounded by boxes of cigars promoting the impact of PCA 2026 on the city. Personally, I conducted over 40 interviews and a media press conference to answer questions about the association’s trade show and the industry’s direction.
Whether it’s the trade show or any of our other programs, we are focusing on the 5Rs: reach, revenue, recruitment, retention, and resources. All our new programs are being evaluated using this model, and we are restructuring existing programs to align with it. Reach and Revenue are the inputs that drive member recruitment, retention, and the development of member resources. This model will sustain the association and provide greater value to all our members, which is the association’s greatest asset.
I hope all of you left the 2026 trade show with a level of confidence in the direction of the association and industry at large. We made some changes, improvements, and set a new level of expectation for future trade shows. As we move back to Las Vegas for 2027, we will continue to build on a strong foundation and consider your feedback.