The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) conducted its Fall 2026 Board of Directors Meeting in Oklahoma City this week, hosted by President of the Board, Todd Naifeh. During the meeting, the board, PCA CEO Joshua Habursky, and staff discussed the association’s growth and priorities for the coming year and beyond. The meeting also included an association fundraiser at Rocky Patel’s Burn Lounge and a pre-meeting event at Classic Cigar Lounge in Tulsa featuring the Women of PCA cigar produced by Gran Habano.
The meeting assessed the association’s capacity for both the current and future years on topics including live events, marketing, member benefits, advocacy, education, international outreach, and the trade show. In approving the 2027 budget, the association further committed itself to state advocacy by renewing its state grant program and hiring lobbying firms in Nevada and Louisiana to protect tax cap renewals as well as the ability to smoke on the trade show floor at those locations.
Propelled by a successful trade show in New Orleans this past April, the association is on pace to end the year with over $6 million in revenue, which is up from $4.42 million in 2024. The growth of the show has enabled the association to expand its capacity, program offerings, and staffing to meet the needs of membership across the country and globe without having to raise membership dues for another year in a row.
“The Board is very pleased with the results, the financial health of the association, and what a small team has been able to accomplish. We have a lot of confidence in the leadership and current team to keep the association on the right trajectory,” says Todd Naifeh, PCA Board President.
Over the last two years, PCA underwent structural changes to focus on recruitment, reach, revenue, and retention, with a focus on being a 365-day trade association versus a single large event host and offering a multitude of new programs. Later this year and into 2027, the association is finalizing new small business offerings for members in the areas of financial services and business insurance.
“We are organized like a sales force, and I am proud that we can now say our membership is over 4,000 storefronts in the US, nearly 100 retailers abroad, and a steady pipeline of interested exhibitors for the trade show. New spending in any department under my direction is offset with organic growth. Our team is increasing the overall value of membership, and we are enjoying implementing new ideas. The Board meeting is an opportunity to pulse check some of those ideas and set new goals,” says PCA CEO Joshua Habursky.
The PCA Board of Directors meets twice a year in person and monthly electronically, along with serving on committees such as Advocacy, Marketing & Communications, Membership, and Trade Show. The Board consists of 14 retail members and 5 associate manufacturer members. In November, a call for elections will occur for two retail and two manufacturer spots on the board. Voting will take place in January, and swearing-in will be at the 2027 Trade Show in Las Vegas.
“I like to use the board meeting as an opportunity to announce important news related to the association itself after discussing these matters with the Executive Committee and Full Board directly in person. First, I would like to announce that Lisa Cox is being promoted to Managing Director of Trade Show & Operations, reflecting her 8 years of dedication to the association, successful execution of many association events, and ability to lead projects across other departments. Lisa is a seasoned marquee events and association professional, and we are all very grateful to have her on our team leading the trade show,” Habursky continues.
Lisa Cox states, “What makes the cigar industry so special is the people in it. Our members show up year after year and treat each other like family. I’m honored to continue serving that community as PCA’s Managing Director of Events & Operations, alongside our incredibly capable team. I couldn’t be more grateful for the trust placed in me to do it.”
PCA will also be hiring two new staff roles in 2027, both in support functions so that the association can maintain quality of service with the influx of new members, programs, and priorities. The association will be hiring a West Coast Membership Manager based in California, Nevada, New Mexico, or Texas to work with Lisa Sigler and Maria Cervantes on all membership programs and basic state advocacy working with Glynn Loope. The second position will be a database administrator based in Washington, DC, who will work in the trade show & events department but service all units of the organization in a predominantly administrative role.