E 8 PCA The Magazine | SHOW 2021 PREMIUMCIGARS.ORG EVEN JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO, IT DIDN’T SEEM IT WAS GOING TO BE POSSIBLE THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE GETTING BACK TOGETHER FOR OUR TRADE SHOW THIS YEAR. Fortunately, however, things began trending in the right direction and, now, it appears we are in fact, to use a turn of phrase, “getting the band back together.” And from the reactions we have heard fromhundreds of phone calls and emails, you all are ready for a good old-fashioned premium cigar family reunion! I think, looking back over the past 14months or so and looking to where we are now and where we are going, the best thing to focus on is gratitude. I believe we as an industry have a lot to be thankful for. I amgrateful for the two great court victories we had last year: thewarning labels and substantial equivalence. These costly, wearying, but veryworthy lawsuits and subsequent triumphsmean that the artistry of the products will not be ruined by arbitrarywarning label requirements, and, evenmore importantly, that newproducts will continue to be allowed to enter themarket unabated by a rule designed for vaping devices. On top of it all, while this past year has been a struggle inmore ways than one, the premium cigar industry has experienced an increase in sales and interest. We saw more cigar stores and lounges open last year than close. And I have heard the biggest problem facing somany in the industry right now is getting enough product tomeet demand. I amalso grateful for all of our state associations and themembers in all the states where we have battled this year. We have achieved an incredible number of successes by increasing our coordination efforts at the local level and working smarter. Plus, we just wrapped up the association’s first open board election, launched the Product HUB to enhance themanufacturer-to-retailer experience and launched a new affinity program for POSmarketing—and the year isn’t even half over yet. But it doesn’t end there. We havemore benefits and projects in store for later this year AND, youmay have heard, we are going to have a trade show! Thank you to all who are participating in the show, all those engaging with PCA in productive ways to helpmove the industry forward, and all those who continue to fight on the front lines to protect this beautiful business of premium cigars. I look forward to seeing everyone at the PCA Annual Convention and Trade Show this year. Let’s get this family reunion started! See you all in Vegas! Scott Pearce
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[email protected] | PCA T H E M A G A Z I N E ILLUSTRATION BY : Joe DeLeon BY SCOTT PEARCE E D I T O R I A L EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Scott Pearce MANAGING EDITOR Greg Girard ASSOCIATE EDITOR Erin Holland ASSOCIATE EDITOR William C. Nelson ACCOUNT MANAGER David Wilson COPY EDITOR Rachel Dorrell DESIGN DeLeon Design; Omak Partners C O N T R I B U T I N G W R I T E R S Joshua Evarts, Greg Girard, Josh Habursky, Erin Holland, Glynn Loope, William C. Nelson, Jarrid Trudeau, Larry Wagner B OA R D O F D I R E C T O R S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Scott Pearce Washington, DC PRESIDENT John Anderson Washington, DC FIRST VICE PRESIDENT Greg Zimmerman Lemoyne, PA TREASURER Scott Regina Virginia Beach, VA SECRETARY Todd Naifeh Oklahoma City, OK EX OFFICIO Ken Neumann Libertyville, IL D I R E C T O R S Steve Castro Frederick, MD Mike Condor Nashville, TN Paul Groh Germantown, WI Marvin Holthouser Destin, FL Jessica Hutson Springfield, MO Mame Kendall Bridgeville, PA Phil Ledbetter Chicago, IL Luz Normand Miami, FL Harris Saunders Birmingham, AL Randy Silverman New Castle, PA PCA © Copyright 2021. PCA The Magazine is a trademark of the Premium Cigar Association (PCA). All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents of this magazine without prior written permission from the publisher is prohibited. PCA The Magazine makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the content published. Neither the publisher nor the advertisers will be held responsible for any errors found herein, and the publisher accepts no liability for the accuracy of the statements made by advertisers in advertising and promotional materials. The opinions expressed by contributing editors are not necessarily those of the PCA, its directors, officers or staff. The information included and items promoted in this magazine are intended for an adult audience. Editor’s Note A D M I N I S T R AT I O N SENIOR DIRECTOR, MEETINGS & EVENTS Lisa Cox HEAD OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS Josh Habursky HEAD OF MARKETING, MEMBERSHIP & COMMUNICATIONS Erin Holland STATE ADVOCACY DIRECTOR Glynn Loope GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS CONSULTANT Ryan Parada