MINNEAPOLIS -- Besides an exhibit floor filled to capacity with hundreds of exhibitor booths displaying products from every segment of the tobacco industry, the educational seminars at the 2014 NATO Show are one of the most important aspects of, and one of the most important reasons to attend, the NATO Show. The seminars are planned to provide attendees with the critical updates on trends in the industry, insights on tobacco issues, and the status of local, state and federal tobacco legislation and FDA regulations.
The 2014 NATO Show will be held on April 8-10 at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas and the seminar line up includes the following sessions:
Wednesday, April 9th
Four breakout sessions offer attendees the opportunity to choose to learn about important issues that impact their stores and businesses. The breakout sessions include the following:
Advocacy Open House: Hosted by NATO’s legislative staff, attendees can stop in and talk about or be updated on tobacco legislation in their city and state. This is an excellent opportunity for NATO member attendees to personally meet the NATO staff members that help members be active participants in the legislative process.
Smoking Out Electronic Cigarettes: This session promises to provide clarity and updates on the status of e-cigarettes and what the future holds for this newest product category. The panelists are all top notch industry professionals and include Stephanie Cordisco, president of RJR Vapor, Miguel Martin, president of Logic Technology Development LLC, Joe Murillo, president of Nu Mark, LLC (Altria), and Vito Maurici, senior vice president of sales distribution for NJOY USA.
Surviving Obamacare: Ashley Gillihan, of Alston & Bird LLP, will provide an expert’s viewpoint on what companies need to know to comply with Obamacare health insurance mandates.
State of the Industry: The Total Nicotine Picture: Don Burke, the senior vice-President of Management Science Associates, will explore the impact of higher taxes and more regulation on the entire tobacco category.
Keynote Address: The Evolution of Tobacco: Murray Kessler, the chairman, president and CEO of Lorillard Inc., will offer his perspective on industry challenges and the prospects for the future of tobacco.
Thursday, April 10th
Two educational sessions will be offered on the second day of the NATO Show. These two sessions include the following:
Legislative and Regulatory Update, Trends and Insights
Bonnie Herzog, the managing director of beverage, tobacco & consumer research for Wells Fargo Securities, will provide her insights on the financial aspects of the tobacco industry including the latest marketplace data and sales trends. Thomas Briant, NATO’s executive director and legal counsel, will update attendees on local, state and federal legislation and important FDA regulations.
Cutting Through the Rhetoric
This panel of experts will explore what the leading tobacco companies are doing to sustain retailers in this regulated and evolving industry, discuss potential restrictions on flavored tobacco products, explain the process the FDA uses to draft and enact tobacco regulations, and examine the impact of black market tobacco products. The panelists include Michael Shannon, the vice president of external affairs and associate general counsel at Lorillard Tobacco Co., David Riser, the vice president of external relations-trade marketing for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Gregory Wilson, the director of regulatory affairs strategy, engagement and communications for Altria Client Services Inc., and Carl Ioos, the senior vice president for DRL Enterprises, an affiliate of Republic Tobacco and Top Tobacco.
Register to Attend the 2014 NATO Show
To learn more about the 2014 NATO Show and register to attend, please visit www.natoshow.com.
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