Let’s face it—the in-store event is not what it used to be. Blame it on a challenging economy, the season, or even the pandemic, but for many tobacconists, executing a successful event is easier said than done. Despite the challenges, it’s not all bad news for those looking to level up their next big event.
From small in-store events to a large-scale cigar festival, tobacconists can easily make their next event their best yet. Here are three different pathways to your next big, prosperous event.
Create Your Opportunity
For smaller retailers, hosting an event with a more prominent manufacturer may not be economically possible because the required buy-in prices are too high. This doesn’t mean you can’t put on a great event; it just means you may need to get a bit more creative with your approach.
“Many of the small retail owners that I know will hold their own in-store events by running deals or specials, minus the swag items,” says Kenora Scott, owner of Kay’s Cigar Sensations in Glenside, Pennsylvania. “If you have a good following and a surplus of free cigars from previous purchases, it works to the retailer’s benefit.”
Scott has navigated the event challenge by creating her own sales opportunity. Her store’s biggest event each year is its anniversary party. For this party, Scott has a manufacturer come in and offer her customers event-only specials. At this event, and throughout the year, patrons must buy at least two cigars to sit inside or outside the store. During events like the anniversary party, Scott ups the ante by requiring an additional two-cigar purchase requirement, with these two cigars going toward a donation to Operation: Cigars for Warriors. This means that Scott’s store can expect a minimum of four cigar purchases from each attendee during any event.
Focus on Customer Experience
T
he owner of LG Cigar Club in San Jose, California, Chris Olivares, also advocates making every event an experience for the customer. While each event may revolve around the premium cigar industry, each has a different theme and appeals to a different type of customer. LG Cigar Club hosts comedy nights, musical performances, tastings, pairings and an annual holiday party.
“What makes these events successful is engaged owners and members,” Olivares shares. “Many people believe it’s swag that keeps members happy. Great experiences are the way to keep customers happy. Deliver great experiences and always keep it fun!”
Olivares’ mantra of great experiences and keeping it fun applies to store staff and any brand reps involved in running an event. “The reps have to have great knowledge of their product and the ability to keep people engaged.”
As you think about your store’s next event, consider the customer experience more than just the deals you plan to offer. Customer experience is key, as is engagement. Be an engaged store owner and train your staff to deliver the best customer experience, regardless of the customer’s knowledge, economic level or gender.
Leverage Your Best Relationships
If you feel ambitious, you can take the event experience to the next level and think outside of your store’s walls. Many retailers have succeeded in putting on large-scale events that check off many of the “must haves” for a successful event. These events involve reps; they are engaging, offer customers deals, and provide a unique experience that can’t be had in-store or online with a Zoom meeting or herf. These large-scale events take a lot of work or planning but can be a big win for your store and other local retailers and vendors.
One such event is Smoklahoma, a multi-vendor cigar festival organized by Todd Naifeh of ZT Cigars in Oklahoma City. Every year, Naifeh has seen Smoklahoma grow and attract more interest. Naifeh and his team have learned several lessons with each festival they’ve put on: Never hold the event near a holiday or during graduation season; people like to travel in the summer, so spring is a better time for the festival; don’t compete against any significant sporting events such as football, basketball or horse racing. Knowing what not to do is just as important as what you set in motion.
Finding a venue that will work with you is important for a large-scale event like Smoklahoma. If you plan on allowing smoking at your event, be sure your venue partner knows and approves before the event. Also, figure out what your event’s attendees will walk away with or what will make for a great experience and attract people.
“Pick the manufacturers who you have the best relationships with because they will help you in other ways,” Naifeh advises.
Naifeh leverages these relationships by getting a deal on all of the products that will be sold during his event, purchasing them all up front while having the sales reps come in to help sell them during the event. The fewer products he’s taking back to his store at the end of the event, the more successful he considers the event to have been.
– Photo courtesy of ZT Cigars. Story by Antoine Reid, content director at Premium Cigar Association (PCA). You can reach him at antoine@premiumcigars.org.
This story first appeared in PCA The Magazine, Volume 3, 2024. You must be a current PCA member to receive a copy of this magazine. Join or renew today at premiumcigars.org/membership.