The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) has launched PCA Connect Mexico 2026, a new international market-development initiative taking place August 23–30 across key Mexican markets, combining professional education, brand development, business engagement and premium consumer experiences.
Designed as a targeted alternative to the traditional trade-show model, at the heart of the initiative is a simple objective: support PCA members and their local partners in building stronger, more sustainable business through education, visibility, promotion, sales, and meaningful relationships.
Participating brands and partners include Rocky Patel, Oliva, AJ Fernandez, J.C. Newman, Perdomo, Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, Joya de Nicaragua, Casa Turrent, Cigar Roller, Carrión Cigars, Flor de Caña, Bóveda and Humo Latino. The program is supported by leading Mexican importer and distributor partners including Vitolas del Mundo, Cuesta-Rey, Amaris and Lieb, whose local expertise and relationships are fundamental to long-term market development.
Rather than concentrating activity in a single exhibition hall, PCA Connect Mexico is moving through a carefully curated series of venues across the country, including Flor de Caña Experience and Cigar Point in Mexico City, Freixenet vineyards in Querétaro, PALCCO in Guadalajara, and the Mexican Sommeliers Association and Estancia Argentina in Cancún.
The program combines education and certification through The Cigar Academy by PCA with brand experiences, industry networking and consumer engagement, creating environments where commercial conversations can develop naturally alongside a deeper appreciation of premium cigar craftsmanship and culture.
Ricardo Carioni, PCA Director of International Affairs & Education and Co-Founder of The Cigar Academy, is delivering the program on site, working directly with participating brands, local partners, professionals and consumers throughout the week.
The opening stage of PCA Connect Mexico has already generated encouraging engagement, offering an early demonstration of how the model can bring education and business development together in-market.
PCA Connect Mexico reflects the association’s broader strategy of providing members with year-round opportunities for business development, education and international engagement beyond the annual PCA Convention & Trade Show.
The model is deliberately focused and relational: fewer barriers between brands and the people building them locally, greater emphasis on trusted introductions, and education serving as a bridge between commerce and culture.
For PCA, the principle is clear: markets are not simply entered — they are cultivated. And PCA Connect Mexico is now putting that philosophy into practice.
About the Premium Cigar Association
The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) is the leading authority and advocate for the premium cigar and pipe retailer industry. The PCA is dedicated to brick-and-mortar premium tobacconists’ current and future success. Founded in 1933 as the Retail Tobacco Dealers of America (RTDA), the PCA is the largest, most active, longest-running trade association representing specialty tobacco retailers and supporting manufacturers and partners in the industry. For additional information, visit premiumcigars.org.